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Taylor Releases Village of Coalton Audit

Monday, February 4, 2008

Jackson County -

Auditor of State Mary Taylor released the audit of the village of Coalton for fiscal years 2005 and 2006. The audit identifies $1,614.76 in findings for recovery. A finding for recovery is a determination that money was improperly spent and must be repaid.

The findings involve payments made to two village employees for unused vacation time. The audit indicates that the payments lacked supporting documentation and were not approved by council members. A response from village officials, outlined in the audit report, reveals that the county prosecutor will be asked to pursue criminal and civil charges related to the findings.

“When proper documentation supporting a financial transaction is missing or incomplete, there is the potential for mistakes and misspending,” Taylor said. “Village officials should improve accountability to ensure that public money is properly managed.”

Other findings outlined in the audit report include:

  • Certain documents to support the proper handling of public funds were missing
  • Receipt ledgers needed to properly track and monitor public funds received by the village were missing
  • Appropriation ledgers needed to properly track and monitor public funds the village spends or transfers were missing

The village of Coalton was placed in fiscal emergency on August 1, 1993. At that time, a state commission was established to develop and oversee the village’s financial recovery plan. Coalton remains in fiscal emergency.

A copy of the complete audit is available online at www.auditor.state.oh.us.

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The Ohio Auditor of State’s office is one of the largest accounting offices in the nation.  The office strives to ensure that all public funds are spent legally and appropriately and works aggressively to root out fraud, waste and abuse in public spending. Taylor encourages anyone suspecting fraud or misspending of public dollars to contact her office toll free at 1-866-FRAUD-OH (1-866-372-8364). Since taking office in January 2007, Taylor has identified more than $10.5 million in public funds that were handled improperly, spent illegally or stolen and must be repaid.