For Immediate Release:                                                      

November 12, 2020                                                               

Manchester Township Released from Fiscal Emergency

Columbus – Manchester Township has regained financial stability after more than 18 years in a state of fiscal emergency, Auditor of State Keith Faber’s Office announced today.

The Adams County Township of 2,052 people was placed in fiscal emergency on September 20, 2002 in response to the Township having three deficit fund balances.

“I applaud the leaders and citizens of Manchester Township for making the sacrifices and hard decisions to achieve the necessary balance for a fiscally responsible community,” said Auditor Faber.

To be released from fiscal emergency, the township had to satisfy the following requirements:

• Effectively implement a financial accounting and reporting system;
• Correct or eliminate all of the fiscal emergency conditions; no new conditions have occurred and it appears that based on the five-year forecast, the township will remain out of fiscal emergency during the forecast period;
• Meet the objectives of the financial plan; and
• Prepare a five-year forecast in accordance with standards issued by the Auditor of State and the opinion expressed by the Auditor of State is “nonadverse.”

The Township found the following additional revenue streams:

• Passed a 1 mill General Purpose Operating Levy                                     $14,600/year
• Passed Cemetery Operating Levies to offset expenditures from the General Fund:

• Passed a .5 mill Cemetery Operating Levy                                $7,300/year

• Passed a 1 mill Cemetery Operating Levy                                 $10,250/year

• Passed a 2 mill Cemetery Operating Levy                                 $29,300/year

They also found $43,000 yearly in savings to the General Fund by allocating Trustee salaries and benefits to allowable funds. Additionally, Trustees eliminated employee positions and performed the work themselves such as mowing the cemetery and more maintenance.

Currently, there are 17 entities are in fiscal emergency. The Auditor’s Office Local Government Services works with those financially struggling to get their books in order and address problem areas.

A full copy of this report is available online.

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The Auditor of State’s office, one of five independently elected statewide offices in Ohio is responsible for auditing more than 6,000 state and local government agencies. Under the direction of Auditor Keith Faber, the office also provides financial services to local governments, investigates and prevents fraud in public agencies, and promotes transparency in government.