Written by 
Marion Sixth Ward Councilman Ronald Prater, the incumbent Republican candidate up for re-election against Democrat Anthony Azaria, recently appeared on “The Watchmen’s Report” with hosts Jason Foreman and Cody Higley to discuss his campaign and the city’s crippling financial crisis. Prater argues that the city’s financial crisis is not new but is the result of decades of systemic failures. He strongly backs calls for a city charter change and an urgent forensic IT audit to finally uncover the truth.
Deep Roots in Marion: A Life Built in the Sixth Ward
Councilman Prater’s commitment to cleaning up Marion’s government stems from his identity as a lifelong resident, a man who grew up in the city and watched its decline. He is currently celebrating his 68th birthday around the time of the election.
- Family and Childhood: Prater was born and raised in Marion, growing up in a close-knit, Christian household with his parents and three brothers—Larry, Richard, and Christopher Lee. His father worked, while his mother was a stay-at-home mom who Prater jokingly suggested should have been the U.S. Treasurer due to her financial discipline.
- The Fair Park Ideal: He has a deep, sentimental attachment to the Fair Park neighborhood where he grew up in the 60s and 70s. Prater recalled the time fondly, noting that the neighborhood’s strength came from shared values: “If I got in [trouble] five houses down the street, my parents knew about it instantly.” This era offered families the American Dream; his own parents bought a starter home for just $8,000, a fact he uses to highlight today’s lack of affordable starter homes.
- Wife and Son—His Motivation: Prater made it clear that he is not seeking personal glory but is serving for the future of his family. He often speaks of his “good wife” and the “most awesome son in the world,” a 22-year-old finishing his senior year at Ohio State. His primary motivation is deeply personal: he wants to fix the city so that smart, talented young people, including his son, will choose to stay in Marion to build their lives, rather than leaving for better opportunities.
- Shaped by Experience: After graduating high school, Prater worked a variety of jobs during a tough economic time, eventually spending eight years as a Correction Officer at the Multi County Correctional Center. He credits this job with opening his eyes to “the darker side of Marion,” giving him a perspective that contrasts sharply with the “almost perfect home” in which he was raised.
Prater argues that the city’s problems are rooted in poor financial governance, which has eroded the very stability that allowed his family to thrive.
The 40-Year Financial Collapse and Hidden Failures
Prater asserted that the city’s problems are about a broken system incapable of fixing itself. He pointed out that the current Auditor’s salary (around $60,000) is too low to attract the highly qualified financial expert needed to clean up the mess. His support for the City Charter proposal is based on the idea that it would allow the City to hire a professional Director of Finance who is accountable to the Council.
Prater concurs with Marion Watch which traces the city’s problems to a long history of inadequate financial and IT controls, a situation Marion Watch calls “Silent Sabotage.”
- 1983 – Broken Foundation: The records confirm that financial and IT control issues are historic, reaching back at least 40 years.
- The Problem is Deeper than One Auditor: Severe internal control weaknesses have created a culture where fraud goes unnoticed across multiple administrations, and IT dysfunciton has ran unchecked.
This weakness in controls has led directly to insider theft and massive financial penalties:
- Theft by Brenda Nwosu: Former utility supervisor Brenda Nwosu stole over $34,000 in utility payments. This theft went undetected for over 3.5 years and was only discovered by the Ohio Auditor of State. Nwosu was convicted of theft in office in 2015. A theft that was left unnoticed due to poor financial and IT controls.
- $154K Fine (Landon Era): Former Auditor Robert Landon III misdirected $1.28 million in federal payroll taxes to the State of Ohio. This error, which went unnoticed for seven months, resulted in $154,399 in IRS penalties charged back to the City. A Finding for Recovery (FFR) was issued against Landon. A mistake that would have been caught if the sofware was configured properly.
- Admitted Fraud (Current Era): Current Auditor Miranda Meginness admitted to fraud and intentionally used the system to “hide the payment” of an IRS penalty, using “false documentation”. Allegations regarding this action could lead to charges of Theft in Office or Tampering with Records.
The Critical IT Failure and the Demand for an Audit
The core reason for the failures was a corrupted IT system:
- The Missing Check-Up Tool: The crucial bank reconciliation module—the software tool designed to instantly compare bank accounts with city spending records—was broken or disabled for over 15 years (from the system’s installation around 2008). This allowed both the $34,000 theft and the $1.28 million error to go unchecked for months. Marion’s current administration has confirmed this.
- The functionality failure of the financial software was officially acknowledged in 2021 City Council minutes. By 2024, Veritas—a third-party contractor—officially announced that the critical bank reconciliation module, along with other legally mandated safety controls, was inactive. The necessary system repairs were only successfully completed under the Collins administration in 2025.
- Proof of Sabotage: Officials have confirmed that key safety features in the financial software were intentionally turned off, disabled, or never installed, confirming intentional manipulation of the City’s system.
Councilman Ronald Prater emphasized that the gravity of the intentional software manipulation and the extent of the missing funds require more than a standard audit.
“I think a forensic audit would be needed. We need to get to the heart of the matter,” Prater insisted, stating his commitment was shared by an overwhelming consensus amongst current officials due to the research Marion Watch has conducted dating back to 1983.
Responding to this, host Jason Foreman agreed, highlighting that fixing the broken system is a collective effort:
“It’s a team effort, man. There’s a lot of people involved in this… I think a forensic audit would be needed.”
A full forensic IT audit is the only way to get the digital evidence needed to trace the funds and identify who intentionally disabled the software controls, allowing the system to become a tool for Silent Sabotage.
A Fond Farewell to a Dedicated Servant
As the interview concluded, Councilman Prater offered a heartfelt sign-off that encapsulated his motivation for service.
“I’m not looking to be known,” he said. “I was perfectly happy being not known but I want to do this for the city I’ve lived in my whole life. I’m towards the end of my life and I want to serve the city I’ve grown up in and was born in.”
Host Jason Foreman added a warm commendation for the Councilman’s work: “Anybody that we’ve talked to from your ward or otherwise that has approached you… has been largely positive. So, I know you’re kind of quiet in council meetings, but I see that you make assessments and and you’re actually listening. So, there is that. And I want to thank you for your service. Thank you.”