Amber Dawn Bell served as the City Clerk for the City of Atkins from mid-2015 to late 2020. In January 2021, the city accepted Bell's "voluntary resignation," stemming "from a disagreement between the parties."

Part of that agreement states, "Release by the City of Atkins:...the City . . . hereby acquit, release and forever discharge Ms. Bell from any claims, demands, causes of action or liability whatsoever, known or unknown, which the City now has or heretofore had against Ms. Bell under any other local, state or federal law, and including all claims, demands and causes of action of every nature or sort, whether based on statute or at common law, at law or in equity, or sounding in contract or in tort . . . affecting the City which the City (or any one claiming under or through the City) may have or ever claim to have and which may have arisen as of the date of the execution of his Agreement."

The city then paid the State Auditor's office $51,617.77 to conduct an audit. The state identified her actions from around 2015 which included "numerous financial irregularities, including unauthorized payroll costs in connection with payments to Bell and improper credit card purchases and cash withdrawals attributable to Bell."

In 2023, this "led to an investigation by law enforcement and then charges against Bell, Bell was charged with three offenses:

Count I - Ongoing Criminal Conduct, a class B felony, in violation of Iowa Code section 706A.2(4);

Count II - Felonious Misconduct in Office, as already discussed; and,

Count III - Credit Card Fraud Under $1500, an aggravated misdemeanor, in violation of Iowa Code sections 715A.1, 715A.6(1), and 715A.6(2)."

(721.1 Felonious Misconduct in Office. Any public officer or employee, who knowingly does any of the following, commits a class "D" felony: Makes or gives any false entry, false return, false certificate, or false receipt, where such entries, returns, certificates, or receipts are authorized by law.)

Bell filed a written guilty plea on April 20, 2026, to Felonious Misconduct in Office. As part of a plea agreement, Counts I and III were dismissed.

Some of the discoveries included the following:

- $9,074.24 in unauthorized payroll costs from excess wages, excess comp time payments, holiday bonus checks, and separation agreement payments issued to Bell

- $2,914.31 in reimbursement checks issued to Bell for health insurance and other costs

-$21,291.37 in net insurance premiums for coverage of City employees that had not been properly deducted from the employees’ payroll

- $3,275.25 in purchases made with the City’s credit card, late fees, and interest

-$3,799.16 in improper payments to vendors and cash withdrawals

- $567.83 in late fees and interest to IPERS.

"The one at issue for purposes of restitution was an altered City of Atkins resolution concerning Bell’s pay, changing it from $28.28 per hour to $29.42 per hour."

As a result of her plea, the State then filed a Statement of Pecuniary Damages, seeking restitution in the amount of $57,296.14.

"The court finds that $56,794.54 is the correct amount. This consists of $5,176.77 in excess payroll related expenses directly related to Bell’s falsification of a public document, and $51,617.77 paid by the City of Atkins to the State Auditor for the audit. These amounts and their propriety were established by the State."

In the final order, Bell was ordered to pay $56,794.54 in restitution to the City of Atkins, This covers" $5,176.77 in excess payroll related expenses directly related to Bell’s falsification of a public document, and $51,617.77 paid by the City of Atkins to the State Auditor for the audit."

The full text of the Restitution Order can be seen below.

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