Columbus – Auditor of State Dave Yost elevated the City of Norwood (Hamilton County) to a state of fiscal emergency today as a result of deficit fund balances. The city has spent the past 12 years in fiscal watch.

During a fiscal analysis, the Auditor of State’s Local Government Services Section (LGS) determined that the city is in a state of fiscal emergency due to deficit fund balances totaling $38,273 and $260,040 as of Dec. 31, 2015, and June 30, 2016, respectively.

“The City of Norwood’s fiscal health has continued to decline with each passing year,” Auditor Yost said. “As always, my office is available to assist the city in finding a remedy to its situation.” 

The City of Norwood will now come under the oversight of a financial planning and supervision commission. Within 120 days of its first meeting, the commission must develop a plan to eliminate the fiscal emergency conditions. The Auditor of State serves as the “financial supervisor” to the commission.  

A city is placed in fiscal emergency if any one of the six conditions described in Section 118.03 of the Ohio Revised Code exists. The six conditions are: 

1. Default on a debt obligation;
2. Failure to make payment of all payroll; 
3. An increase in the minimum levy of the city which results in the reduction in the minimum levy of another subdivision; 
4. Significant past due accounts payable; 
5. Substantial deficit balances in city funds; and 
6. A sizeable deficiency when the city’s treasury balance is compared to the positive cash balances of the city’s funds.

A full copy of this fiscal emergency declaration 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 5,900 state and local government agencies.  Under the direction of Auditor Dave Yost, the office also provides financial services to local governments, investigates and prevents fraud in public agencies and promotes transparency in government.

Contact:
Beth Gianforcaro
Press Secretary
614-644-1111