Press Release • Ohio Auditor of State
Ohio Department of Natural Resources Next to Receive Performance Audit
Thursday, January 23, 2014
Columbus – Auditor of State Dave Yost today announced that the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) will be the next state agency to undergo a performance audit as required by Ohio law.
“Performance audits are saving tax dollars across Ohio,” Auditor Yost said. “Working with ODNR provides a great opportunity for conservation of Ohio’s resources – from our wetlands to our wallets.”
“We welcome the opportunity to work alongside the Auditor’s office to identify areas where ODNR can utilize Ohio tax dollars more efficiently,” said ODNR Director James Zehringer
After analyzing multiple state agencies, ODNR was chosen to receive this performance audit based on a combination of the agency’s vast infrastructure, variety of business-type functions and budget size. ODNR is the first of four agencies that will be selected for a performance audit during the current biennium.
Upon taking office in 2011, Auditor Yost began working with the Ohio General Assembly on legislation to expand performance audits to state agencies. Signed by Governor Kasich in April 2011, Senate Bill 4/ORC 117.46 requires performance audits of at least four state agencies each biennium.
The first four state agencies to complete performance audits in the previous biennium were the Ohio Housing Finance Agency and the Ohio Departments of Education, Transportation, and Job & Family Services. Combined, these state performance audits identified more than $78 million in potential savings for Ohio’s taxpayers.
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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 5,800 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