Callaway County Collector Pam J. Oestreich resigned suddenly Thursday, according to a news release from Prosecuting Attorney Chris Wilson, Sheriff Clay Chism, Commissioner Gary Jungermann and County Clerk Denise Hubbard.
The collector's office is closed until further notice.
Central Bank officials met with Prosecuting Attorney Chris Wilson to discuss suspicious activity of a Callaway County checking account managed by the county collector, according to the news release. Following that meeting, the prosecuting attorney informed Chism of the report, then Chism and Wilson contacted the FBI.
Oestreich met with Jungermann and Chism and tendered her resignation immediately, which was accepted unanimously by the Callaway County Commission, according to the news release.
Oestreich initially was elected in 1999 and was serving her fourth term in office, according to the county's website. The collector is responsible for the accounting and distribution of the collected funds monthly to individual taxing entities. Tax entities include schools, fire districts, road district, special services, ambulance and others. The Collector's Office also issues the County Merchant License.
Pursuant to Missouri law, the county clerk immediately took charge of tax records from the collector's office, which is located in the Callaway County Courthouse in downtown Fulton. The county clerk will appoint a representative to audit those records and anticipates the assistance of the Missouri State Auditor's Office in conducting that audit.
In the interim, Callaway County commissioners voted Thursday to close the collector's office temporarily and will work with Hubbard to meet the needs of county residents while honoring the statutory obligations of the audit process.
Employees of the collector's office are cooperating with other county officials and the audit process, the news release stated.
County commissioners will work with the Governor's Office to appoint a new collector, according to rules of the state's Constitution.