Columbus – Audit reports released today by Auditor of State Keith Faber issue findings for recovery against the Richard Allen community schools’ board of trustees and the schools’ treasurer, Brian Adams.

In their review of the schools’ financial records, state auditors found that over the course of a year, the board of trustees for all four Richard Allen community schools were overpaid a total of $14,850 for attending board meetings.

“Community school leaders are not entrusted to their positions to fill their pockets, while ignoring the law,” Auditor Faber said. “These are taxpayer dollars and must be spent appropriately and legally.”

Over the course fiscal year 2016, the board of trustees held six meetings to conduct business for all four Richard Allen community schools. Upon the completion of each meeting, each member would collect four different $100 checks. Each check was drawn from the account of a different Richard Allen community school. According to Ohio Revised Code Section 3314.02, no individual who serves on the governing authority of a community school may be paid more than $125 per meeting. However, in this case, for each meeting that a board member attended, that board member was paid $400.

The Auditor’s office has issued a finding for recovery against the following trustees for the amount that they were overpaid.

As treasurer of the community schools’ Brian Adams supervised the accounts from which the trustees were paid the improper payments. A public official that authorizes or supervises illegal expenditures is strictly liable for the expenditure. Therefore, the Auditor’s office jointly and severally issued a finding for recovery for $14,850 against Adams.

Full copies of these reports are 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 6,000 state and local government agencies. Under the direction of Auditor Keith Faber, the office also provides financial services to local governments, investigates and prevents fraud in public agencies, and promotes transparency in government. 

Contact:

Allie Dumski

Press Secretary

(614) -644-1111