Columbus– Consolidating dispatch operations and bringing employee health insurance contributions in line with peers are among $463,000 in potential savings identified for the City of Chardon (Geauga County), according to a performance audit released today by Auditor of State Dave Yost.

“Sharing services presents an opportunity for Chardon to achieve significant savings,” Auditor Yost said. “Finding such efficiencies is the current state of the art in public sector management.”

Coordinating emergency dispatch services with the Geauga County Sheriff’s office could save the city $147,000 in annual costs, while negotiating to increase the employee contribution for health insurance to peer levels could save an additional $118,000 annually. Controlling overtime and aligning staffing in the police and water departments with peer levels could save an additional $143,000.

Yost commended the city for actively managing its finances and seeking objective analysis of savings opportunities. The audit released today was financed by the state of Ohio Leverage for Efficiency, Accountability and Performance Fund, which allows local governments to obtain performance audits and pay the costs of the audit from savings.

A full copy of this audit can be found 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 5,600 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:
Carrie Bartunek
Press Secretary
614-644-1111