An ongoing investigation into alleged misuse of public funds by Fillmore Fire Chief Pete Egedi could easily take another month to complete, according to the Ventura County Sheriff's Department.

"These types of investigations tend to be very involved and complicated," Undersheriff Craig Husband said Wednesday. The Ventura County District Attorney's Office is helping with the investigation, Husband said.

He said the Sheriff's Department will issue a statement about the particulars of the case once the investigation is complete.

Egedi, 38, was placed on paid leave April 7, according to City Manager Tom Ristau. He is an "at-will" city employee and does not have a contract. Egedi worked as a volunteer captain with the department before becoming its chief in 2005 and earns $79,000 in annual base salary.

Fillmore city officials and elected leaders have revealed little about the case, saying it is a personnel matter.

Clay Westling, 72, a retired aerospace worker and civic activist who has lived in Fillmore for six years, said he and other residents were surprised to learn Egedi was being investigated. "The general feeling is he's done a nice job," Westling said.

With a population of roughly 13,600, Fillmore tends to be a tight-knit community where news of such an investigation would garner attention, he said. "It's something that definitely seems to be on everyone's lips," he said.

The investigation has also generated lots of gossip, much of which Westling ignores. "The truth is, very few people really know anything substantial about this case," he said.

Al Huerta, a Fillmore fire captain who has worked for the 75-member department since 1986, said he's waiting to see what investigators find. "Right now it's just like our chief is on vacation," Huerta said, adding that morale at the department still seems to be good.

"Our job is protecting the people of Fillmore, and it's something we will do no matter what," he said.

Bob Stroh, a retired Ventura County firefighter and longtime Fillmore resident, said he was surprised to hear of the allegations. "He seems like an upstanding, upright guy," Stroh said.

"I don't think people should speculate on the case until the facts are in," he said.