Columbus – Unreconciled financial statements and significant audit citations prompted Auditor of State Dave Yost today to place Rush Township (Scioto County) in a state of fiscal caution.

“It’s time for Rush Township to really buckle down,” Auditor Yost said. “These financial struggles are not irreversible.”

A review of the township’s financial records on June 24, 2014 found that account journals and ledgers with the bank have not been reconciled since March 31, 2012 (27 months).

Rush Township’s 2010-2011 financial audit identified significant deficiencies, material weaknesses, and direct and material noncompliance with Ohio law. The audit found that the township erroneously posted various receipts and disbursements to incorrect accounts and funds, failed to pass appropriation measures prior to year end, expended in excess of appropriations and failed to properly encumber funds prior to commitment.

The Auditor of State’s guidelines for a declaration of fiscal caution include (1) unauditable financial records; (2) significant deficiencies, material weaknesses, direct and material noncompliance that have a material effect on the financial condition; (3) deficit fund balances; (4) a carryover fund balance of less than one month’s average expenditures for two consecutive years, and (5) a failure to reconcile accounting journals and ledgers with the treasury.

Under the declaration, the township has 60 days to submit to the Auditor of State a plan to correct the conditions that led to the declaration of fiscal caution.  The Auditor of State may visit and inspect the entity while under fiscal caution and may provide technical assistance to the entity in implementing proposals to eliminate the conditions that prompted the fiscal caution declaration.

A full copy of this fiscal caution declaration may be accessed 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 5,800 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