RIDGECREST — The Town of Ridgecrest voted Thursday to terminate the former town clerk because of discrepancies in the town’s bookkeeping.

Dana DeLaughter, who was placed on administrative leave without pay in November, was terminated during Thursday’s regular meeting according to Mayor Dwayne Sikes.

Sikes said DeLaughter is believed to have improperly transferred approximately $5,000 from the road fund into the general fund as well as misrouted cash payments for water bills of residents.

Sikes said the board discussed the personnel issue in executive session and then voted in regular session shortly after.

“She did all that without consulting the board and just did it all herself without the board’s knowledge,” Sikes said. “Every one of us on the board was taken by surprise with all of this.”

Sikes said the board also voted to clear back payments of residents who had receipts or signed statements for their water bills that were not registered by the former town clerk.

“Our board is going to start getting more involved because we can’t have this happen again,” Sikes said. “We’re going to get everything straightened out.”

The board will discuss hiring a new town clerk at the next meeting in February.

Sikes was appointed mayor after former Mayor Kevin Graham resigned.

Auditors from the Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s office began a financial audit into the town’s records in late December.

During a special town hall meeting Nov. 28, Sikes said 10 of the town’s 12 certificates of deposits amounting to $52,072.52 were closed in 2010 without authorization or knowledge of the town council.

An audit conducted by Silas Simmons, a certified public accounting and consulting firm in Natchez, indicated that $25,399 of the town’s money was unaccounted for in its 2010 budget.