Articles

01
Aug
Legislative Update: Bill Seeks to Enhance Accountability, Transparency of Councils of Governments

By Dave Yost, Ohio Auditor of State

Legislation approved by the Ohio Senate in April seeks to improve accountability of the state’s Councils of Governments (COGs) and give my office authority to force the consortiums to make their existence known.

01
Apr
Report Offers Guidance on Escaping and Avoiding Fiscal Emergency

By Dave Yost, Ohio Auditor of State

Few things can be as traumatic to a county, school district, city, village or township as being declared to be in fiscal emergency as a result of defaulting on debt, failing to make payroll or running fund deficits.

01
Mar
Proposed Legislation Addresses Limitations in Laws Regulating Theft in Office Charges

By Dave Yost, Ohio Auditor of State

As a former county prosecutor, it’s no surprise that I believe corrupt public servants deserve more than a slap on the wrist for swindling tax dollars from their communities. 

01
Jan
Special Report Offers Guidance for Detecting, Deterring Thefts of Citizen Payments

By Dave Yost, Ohio Auditor of State

In the spring of 2017, I asked my staff to create a special report focused on a matter that has made my blood boil more than a few times during my seven years as Ohio’s Auditor of State. 

01
Nov
UAN Fee Holiday to Save Users $1.2 Million Over Next Year

By Dave Yost, Ohio Auditor of State

As I travel our great state and get to know leaders at all levels of government, I continue to be impressed by the ability of township trustees, fiscal officers and other local leaders to leverage the precious tax dollars they are given to protect and nurture their beautiful communities.

01
Aug
Improvements to Village Dissolution Law Mean Fewer Headaches for Townships, Counties

By Dave Yost, Ohio Auditor of State

Villages are an enduring part of Ohio’s local government landscape, with nearly 700 of them throughout the state. But villages don’t necessarily last forever. For a variety of reasons, from time to time the residents of a village decide to dissolve their government. When they do, it can present challenges for the township that must absorb the residents and take on the responsibility of providing government services to them.

01
Jul
Feasibility Studies Offer Foresight to Governments Interested in Collaboration

By Dave Yost, Ohio Auditor of State

Governments face a seemingly endless stream of challenging decisions. Unfortunately, we don’t have the luxury of a fortune-teller – at least a legitimate one – to foresee the outcomes of our choices before we make them.  

12
Apr
New Bulletin to Bring Additional Clarity to AG Opinion on Health Insurance Reimbursement

By the Auditor of State’s Office

One of the more common findings in township financial audits relates to the improper reimbursement of out-of-pocket health care costs. 

09
Mar
Auditor Yost Seeks Improvements to Credit, Debit Card Laws

By the Auditor of State’s Office

Combing through heaps of local government bank records, auditors over the years have uncovered credit and debit card charges for lavish trips, jewelry and a whole lot of alcohol – all at the expense of Ohio’s taxpayers.

08
Dec
Overpayments Highlight Need to Monitor Compensation Rates

By the Auditor of State’s Office

The Auditor of State’s office identified thousands of dollars in overpayments this past year to township fiscal officers and trustees whose pay exceeded the rates permitted by state law.

13
Sep
Legislative Update: House Bill 5

By the Auditor of State’s Office

A bill aimed at boosting efficiency in Ohio’s local governments passed through the Ohio House of Representatives in May and was signed by Governor Kasich June 14.

12
Aug
More than 320 Education Leaders Attend Two-day Summit on Community Schools

Education leaders who gathered at a Charter School Summit in Columbus heard from the nation's foremost experts on community schools, discussing how to interpret recent changes in Ohio law that will improve accountability and listening to inspirational speeches from widely respected speakers and charter school graduates.

10
May
16th Year of Fraud Conference Sees Continued Increase in Turnout, Interest in Fraud Prevention

Nearly 700 People Attend First Day of Two-Day Conference

When Janice D’Alessandro worked on her first statewide Fraud Conference in 2002, about 115 people attended the training program offered through the state Auditor’s office.

06
May
Annual Fraud-Prevention Conference Draws Experts from Public, Private Sectors

Fraud can strike anywhere weak internal controls and opportunities for easy money exist.

Auditor of State Dave Yost’s office catches much of it at the state and local government levels – more than $22 million in illegally spent or stolen public dollars since 2011. But the Auditor’s examinations are limited to public entities funded by tax dollars. 

28
Apr
Hundreds of Officials Turn Out for Anti-Fraud Training

About 650 local officials – including mayors, school board members, financial officers and attorneys – participated in training to detect fraud and theft through a new statewide initiative of Auditor of State Dave Yost.

26
Apr
Anti-Fraud Workshops: “Auditor Yost needs to make this training mandatory”

The impact of fraud on our public institutions is devastating: $3 million from a county, $1.2 million at a community schools and $1.1 million at 19 schools in one district. 

07
Apr
The Pitfalls of Petty Cash

By the Auditor of State’s Office

Petty cash funds can offer local governments an easy method of payment when the need arises to make small, occasional purchases.

06
Apr
Statewide Fraud Training Draws Capacity Crowd; Six More Free Sessions Planned

More than 70 public officials and employees were trained yesterday on how to prevent fraud or detect it as soon as possible as part of a series of seminars provided by State Auditor Dave Yost’s office.