An update on a story about Custer County Commissioner Bill Canda who is facing both ethical and criminal complaints from residents after trying to stop a severance check to a former county employee.
In August of 2023, Custer County Commissioners voted to get rid of the county manager position. The manager at the time, Braden Wilson, was supposed to receive a severance check totaling more than $54,000. However, Canda tried to stop the check from going through by going to the United Business Bank in Westcliffe to file a stop payment order.
Resident Jordan Hedberg filed a criminal complaint with the Custer County Sheriff’s Office. Several other Custer County residents filed ethics complaints with the state’s Independent Ethics Commission.
Since then, the 11th Judicial District Attorney’s Office served a search warrant on United Business Bank requesting signature cards of all authorized users on the Custer County account in question and found Canda is authorized to file stop payments and is an authorized signer on the account.
The DA said no criminal charges will be filed against Canda.
