Written by Mayor of the City of Marion Welcome “Bill” Collins made the following address to Marion City Council at its regular meeting held on October 27th in order to announce the city’s request to the Auditor of the State of Ohio for a fiscal caution analysis and projection:
“Mr. President, city council members, and members of the public: I wanted to bring your attention tonight to a matter of the utmost importance and urgency. After meeting with the state auditor’s office on Oct 10th and again on Oct 23rd, it is evident that we need to attempt to stop this runaway train. Referring to our financial status and accountability, the state is concerned with our lack of solid accounting systems to reconcile all accounts and an accurate bank-to-book balance. After consulting with the state and my senior staff, tomorrow morning I will be sending the following letter to David Thompson, the head of local government services for the state auditor’s office. I wanted council to be aware and informed of this request and to be able to have a conversation on the matter and ask any questions that I might be able to answer.”
The significance of this admission and subsequent formal request by the administration cannot be overstated. With the city’s financial accounting in question for more than a decade, and with no apparent solution to its inability to reconcile its books using the software installed by the Schertzer administration, it appears to be inevitable that the city will be forced to enter into a state of fiscal emergency in the not-too-distant future. More insight from the Auditor of the State of Ohio will be forthcoming on November 10th, when it releases its findings and the city releases its corresponding corrective action plan.