Former Yakima city official spent $800 on cupcakes

YAKIMA, Wash. — Officials in Yakima want a former city employee to pay back nearly $800 in taxpayer money she spent on cupcakes for her own office farewell party. The Yakima Herald-Republic reports ( http://bit.ly/1T0IFVJ ) that when former Human Resources Director Cheryl Ann Mattia resigned in December, she ordered $757.40 worth of gourmet cupcakes from a local cafe. City Manager Tony O’Rourke says the expenditure was a “gross misuse” of taxpayer money. Mattia says the expenditure was the result of a misunderstanding between her and a staff member when the order was placed. But she says it was a legitimate expense. O’Rourke says the city could take Mattia to small claims court to recoup the money.