The Swamp Fox’s pointy little fur covered ears were burning tonight, as he heard his name brought up during budget discussions at the regular session of Marion City Council. A courageous citizen addressed council and asked why the city’s proposed expense budget for 2026 actually increases expenditures over 2025 instead of cutting them by the […]
Written by marionwatch-investigates
Following months of persistent complaints regarding foul-smelling and “dirty” water, the Ohio EPA conducted a site visit at the Aqua Ohio Marion facility on March 3, 2026. While officials continue to maintain that the water is “safe to drink,” the growing divide between corporate assurances and the reality at the tap has left the citizenry […]
Written by Swamp.Fox
Here’s a breakdown of actual expenses for Marion Area Transit (MAT) between 2023 and 2025, alongside the projected expenses for the first 2026 budget that was proposed on 11/17/2025 and the most recent revised 2026 budget (version #4 if you’re keeping track) that is up for consideration by council. As you can see, despite the […]
Written by Swamp.Fox
The Elephant and the Jackass have taken their turns controlling Marion City Council over the past century, as you can see from this chart that I created showing the political affiliation of the nine elected Marion City council members from 1926 to 2026. Back in Marion’s heyday at the turn of the prior century and […]
Written by Swamp.Fox
Allow me to preface this headline by pointing out that the actual budget expense figures for 2025 come from the most recent budget worksheet that has been published on the city’s website. I assume that those figures have been finalized but given the city’s situation with reconciliation and overall accounting, it may not be safe […]
Written by Swamp.Fox
At this point, the city of Marion has proposed three budgets for 2026–with another one being proposed in Finance Committee at tonight’s meeting. There has been a lot of talk about cuts and fee increases, given the city’s present status of fiscal distress, but has the budget really been reduced compared to 2025 as has […]
Written by marionwatch-investigates
New evidence suggests that the independent assessments published by Marion Watch since December 2025—which warned that Aqua Ohio was attempting to manage a systemic crisis with diminishing transparency—are now firmly supported by recent laboratory findings. For months, Aqua Ohio has dismissed public concerns as reactions to “transient” odor events, yet the data tells a story […]
Written by Swamp.Fox
I’m sure that there’s a reasonable explanation for this, but several years’ worth of recorded minutes for the various committees of Marion City Council have suddenly disappeared from the city of Marion’s website. Until recently, committee minutes (summary of proceedings) going back all the way to 2023 were posted on the city’s website and publicly […]
Written by Swamp.Fox
The ole Swamp Fox has heard some folks complaining about the staffing and budget increases of the Marion Police Department in recent years, so he decided to pull some figures to see if there’s any merit to the complaints. As you can see from the attached image, staffing levels in the MPD jumped from 55 […]
Written by Swamp.Fox
There’s been some folks who have been commenting about the pay of city workers, so the Ole Swamp Fox decided to do some digging into the salary and benefits data of the city of Marion over the past few years. According to the Federal Reserve, the national average increase in employment cost (salaries & benefits) […]
Written by Swamp.Fox
At this point The Swamp Fox may as well change his name to The Sanitation Fox. He’s been digging into the garbage, big time. Although he couldn’t track down the revenues received by Marion’s Sanitation Department for each year between 2017 and 2025, he was able to locate the expenditures for those years–as well as […]
Written by marionwatch-investigates
Following our recent coverage of proposed budget cuts at Marionwatch.com, Mayor Bill Collins has issued a formal address to the community. In a “Fiction vs. Fact” breakdown, the Mayor is attempting to clear the air regarding the city’s $8.8 million deficit and the state-mandated recovery plan currently in motion. If you’ve been following the news […]
Written by Swamp.Fox
Finding itself in fiscal distress, the city of Marion is faced with some difficult choices, being pressured by the Ohio Auditor of State to either fix the financial mess on their own or else the state of Ohio will take over management of the city. Among the city’s fiscal challenges is an $8.9 million dollar […]
Written by marionwatch-investigates
The proposed hikes to Marion’s utility rates and bus fares are not simply a response to inflation—they are the direct, painful consequence of the systemic financial mismanagement and IT governance failures that Marionwatch.com Investigates has been documenting for the past year and began reporting on in 2019, with our initial suspicions beginning to prove true […]
Written by marionwatch-investigates
The Marion City Council meeting on February 23, 2026, served as a public post-mortem for a fiscal crisis decades in the making. While the official agenda focused on Ordinance 2026-18—a proposal to repeal municipal income tax credits—the underlying tension revealed a deep-seated rot in city governance. Consistent with long-term investigative reporting from MarionWatch.com, the city’s […]
Written by marionwatch-investigates
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has officially stepped in to demand more transparency from Aqua Marion, following months of resident complaints regarding “earthy” odors and chemical tastes in the local drinking water. In a notice released this week, the Ohio EPA confirmed it has sent a formal letter to Aqua Marion requesting detailed information […]
Written by Swamp.Fox
With the city of Marion currently considering the elimination of the 100% income tax credit provided to city residents who work elsewhere and pay income taxes to another municipality, now is a good time to share the story of how Marion came to have an income tax. Prior to the 1st of June 1959, if […]
Written by marionwatch-investigates
Aqua Ohio says Marion’s water “meets state and federal requirements,” but residents have smelled, felt, and seen something different: earthy, musty odors; brown or discolored water; stained laundry; damaged appliances; and the recurring expense of bottled water. In late 2025 and early 2026, Aqua shifted treatment—relying more on well water, dosing with activated carbon, and […]
Written by marionwatch-investigates
Before diving into the contentious debates of the present, it is critical to understand the historical context of how our city arrived at this precipice. It is our view at Marion Watch—and the view shared by a large portion of the population—that Marion’s current financial crisis is not a sudden catastrophe, but a deep-rooted historical […]
Written by Swamp.Fox
The Swamp Fox has already posted about this topic–many weeks ago–so it isn’t exactly breaking news at this point–but it’s just now getting the attention of Marion residents, so here he goes once again. Let’s start with an example, using a hypothetical Marion man named John. John lives in Marion but works in Crestline. Both […]
Written by Swamp.Fox
It was a big day for announcements in Marion city politics. Two Marion city councilmembers vacated their seats: Twila Laing (R-4th Ward) and Ron Prater (R-6th Ward). Laing, who currently chairs the critically important Finance Committee, has been appointed by the Marion County Republican Central Committee as the city of Marion’s new treasurer. Laing will […]
Written by marionwatch-investigates
MARION, OH — During the Marion City Council meeting on Monday, February 9, 2026, a routine update on city operations shifted toward accountability when the spotlight fell on the Information Technology (IT) department. Beyond administrative updates, the council grappled with emergency funding for public safety and the ongoing challenge of managing city resources against a […]
Written by Swamp.Fox
Takeaways from tonight’s Marion City Council meeting: 1) The enhanced cybersecurity ordinance passed unanimously. Among other things, the City’s IT manager is supposed to be implementing a new ticketing system for all work orders. Amazingly this wasn’t being done. 2) Ordinance authorizing the Auditor or the Budget Director to contract with a third party to […]
Written by marionwatch-investigates
MARION — For months, MarionWatch.com Investigates warned the public about the deepening rot within City Hall—citing a pattern of “silent sabotage,” catastrophic IT failures, and a financial black hole that threatened the city’s very foundation. From at least 2019 to present day, those in power and local mainstream outlets, now jumping to report, dismissed these […]
Written by marionwatch-investigates
Fixing the Finances: Audits and Accountability In a series of intensive committee meetings held on February 2, 2026, Marion City Council members and local officials addressed a range of pressing issues, from the city’s ongoing financial struggles and IT failures to concerns over public water quality and high-tech police surveillance. The Finance Committee spent significant […]
Written by marionwatch-investigates
The residents of Marion, Ohio, are currently facing a pivotal moment regarding their utility services. As Aqua Ohio seeks significant rate increases through the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO), a grassroots movement led by local officials and the community has emerged to expose what they call a “hidden risk” in the utility’s filing strategy. […]
Written by marionwatch-investigates
This roadmap arrives immediately following the January 21, 2026, resignation of City Auditor Miranda Meginness, whose tenure ended as state accountability measures were enacted. These financial failures are described as the culmination of 15 years of “Silent Sabotage”—systemic issues with software and internal controls as documented by MarionWatch.com Investigates. Marion Watch Investigates has utilized various […]
Written by marionwatch-investigates
MARION, OH — In a move that sends shockwaves through Marion’s City Hall, City Auditor Miranda Meginness has officially tendered her resignation, effective immediately. In a searing resignation letter dated January 21, 2026, Meginness cited a “broken beyond belief” office environment, a lack of support from fellow elected officials, and the toll on her mental […]
Written by Swamp.Fox
Marion Area Transit, as you may or may not know, receives most of its operational funding from the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) in the form of grants. These ODOT grants reimburse the city for most of its costs associated with transit. If you look at the city’s most recent financial audit, from the year […]
Written by marionwatch-investigates
On January 13, 2026, a significant escalation in the oversight of Marion’s finances occurred as three City Council members filed sworn affidavits with the Ohio Auditor of State (AOS). These filings allege systemic accounting failures and improper financial conduct by City Auditor Miranda Meginness, supported by independent consultant findings of a $2.4–$2.5 million cross-fund discrepancy […]
Written by Swamp.Fox
As the city of Marion looks into the replacement of current city auditor, Miranda Meginness, the question arises as to who will be her replacement. The auditor has many responsibilities, serving as the city’s chief fiscal officer. The auditor handles the city’s books, accounts for revenues and expenditures, completes internal audits, oversees the income tax […]
Written by marionwatch-investigates
The January 12, 2026, Marion City Council meeting served as a public post-mortem for a transition that has officially jeopardized the city’s financial integrity. In a move that signaled a total breakdown in communication, City Auditor Miranda Meginness was notably absent from the chambers, leaving Council to face a mounting pile of excuses from her […]
Written by marionwatch-investigates
Tempers finally boiled over at last night’s council committee meeting. What started as a routine update quickly turned into a heated debate over the city’s disastrous switch to the ADP payroll system. The “Swamp-Fox” team at Marion Watch has been digging into this for weeks, and the findings are grim. We’re talking about city employees—the […]
Written by Swamp.Fox
If the city of Marion wasn’t already having enough problems, now there’s this. Marion City Council voted 8-0 on 02/24/2025 to contract with Automatic Data Processing (ADP), the largest payroll software company in the world, to handle its payroll processing. ADP, as a matter of fact, is not only the largest payroll software company in […]
Written by marionwatch-investigates
The below letter was emailed to all sitting members of Marion City Council and Mayor Collins today. Relevant articles can be found in the “Relevant Articles” section following the letter contents. To the Current Members of Marion City Council: The financial and technical stability of Marion is a structural necessity, not a partisan debate. You […]
Written by marionwatch-investigates
Weighing 80 tons and measuring 140′ in length and 7′ in diameter, the Baker Wood Preserving Company installed two of these mammoth tubes at its factory located at the northwest corner of Kenton Avenue (aka State Route 309) and Holland Road in January 1937. Each tube would be loaded with 800 untreated wooden railroad ties, […]
Written by marionwatch-investigates
The city of Marion will be receiving a sizeable forgivable loan to upgrade its Water Pollution Control Center and leachate system. At the council meeting held on the 22nd of December, it was announced that the city of Columbus had somewhat secretively received a large settlement of an undisclosed amount and, together with the state […]
Written by marionwatch-investigates
In a defining broadcast of The Watchmen’s Report, the City of Marion’s spiraling financial crisis was not just reported—it was dissected by experts who confirmed what “onlooker investigations” have suspected for years. Hosts Cody Higgley andJason Foreman, a seasoned Systems Administrator, were joined by Councilman Ralph Smith and telecom management veteran Bobbie Walker (a former […]
Written by marionwatch-investigates
Hosts: Cody Higgley, Jason Foreman, Robert Landon Special Guest: Councilman Ron Prater (6th Ward) The Watchmen’s Report broadcast on December 9, 2025, provided a detailed breakdown of the Marion City Council meeting held the previous evening. The panel—hosts Cody Higgley, Jason Foreman, and Robert Landon—was joined by a familiar face to Marion Watch followers: 6th […]
Written by marionwatch-investigates
ANALYSIS: The City Admits “New World” is Broken—But New Software Alone Won’t Fix the $9 Million Mystery Without a Close Look! On December 8, 2025, Mayor Bill Collins confirmed the City of Marion is facing an estimated $9 million deficit and a financial system that “will never be accurate.” But the numbers are only half […]
Written by marionwatch-investigates
On December 3, 2025, senior staff, Auditor Miranda Meginness, Deputy Auditor Marden Watts, and City Council Finance Chair Twila Laing (R-4th Ward) met with Cindy and Amy from the Auditor of State’s office. The following is a summary of that meeting and the steps identified to move forward toward our goal of fixing the issues […]
Written by marionwatch-investigates
Mayor Bill Collins (R) gave the following response on that issue during the regular meeting of Marion City Council that occurred on the 24th of November 2025. Here’s what he said: Councilman Thad Smith (R-5th Ward): “Can we squash some of the rumors going around or is it true? Are we laying off firefighters and […]
Written by marionwatch-investigates
In May 2025, it was announced by the Marion City Auditor’s office that there was over $1,000,000 in delinquent income taxes owed to the city of Marion. That’s a sizeable amount of money, which was legally and lawfully owed to the city of Marion pursuant to its 2% municipal income tax, that has gone uncollected […]
Written by marionwatch-investigates
Established in 1959 as a temporary tax to generate supplementary revenue at a rate of 0.60%, the city of Marion’s municipal income tax–which now stands at a rate of 2.00%– has grown to become both a permanent feature of the city’s finances, as well as the city’s primary source of revenue. The most recent increase […]
Written by marionwatch-investigates
For years, Marion Watch Investigates has delivered one core truth about our city’s financial records: The books are not dependable. We stated clearly and repeatedly that the city’s digital ledger was functionally unauditable because the essential digital safety features—like proper reconciliation methods and software safety controls—were either disabled and intentionally misconfigured. **Clarification added 11/26/25: At […]
Written by marionwatch-investigates
You’ve likely heard it said that “there’s no such thing as a free lunch,” but it could also be said, when it comes to Marion Area Transit, there’s no such thing as a free ride. Everything comes at a cost. But just how costly is Marion’s public transportation system? How much of a service does […]
Written by marionwatch-investigates
Mayor Bill Collins issued a stark communication to city leadership yesterday, outlining what he described as an incredibly “trying week” for the City of Marion. The email details two major developing stories: an immediate payroll disruption and a massive projected financial deficit for 2026 that has triggered emergency cuts. Here is the breakdown of […]
Written by marionwatch-investigates
Multiple members of the Collins administration confirmed a significant payroll disruption affecting city employees today, Friday, November 21, 2025, which came to light after Marion Watch reached out to the administration regarding rumors of employees not being paid. The core issue was the failure to release payroll funds to the processing company, ADP. Ongoing […]
Written by marionwatch-investigates
For more than a decade, Marion’s financial system operated with a silent flaw—a General Ledger (GL) override buried inside its accounting software. Installed in July 2009, this override allowed city employees to bypass legal spending limits, triggering a cascade of overspending and ballooning negative balances. The override was only disabled on October 27, 2025, after […]
Written by marionwatch-investigates
For 21 years, the City of Marion had an Information Systems Committee on its books, a committee with the power to oversee every piece of the city’s technology. Yet, as a Marion Watch investigation reveals, according to official Marion City Council Summaries, this committee was a ghost. For 19 consecutive years, its members were unknown, […]
Written by marionwatch-investigates
Marion Mayor Bill Collins has formally requested assistance from the Ohio Auditor of State to conduct a full forensic IT audit of the city’s computer systems. The mayor’s request is based on extensive research compiled and submitted by us, Marionwatch.com Investigates. We have recommended the Forensic IT Audit be conducted from the installation of the […]
Written by marionwatch-investigates
The Marion City Council’s Finance Committee voted unanimously (3-0) on Monday to advance a “cleanup” ordinance openly accusing the Auditor’s office of “misfeasance, malfeasance, and or nonfeasance” for paying a $58,000 bill without council approval. The strongly-worded legislation now moves to the full City Council, escalating a months-long conflict over unapproved spending and other violations. […]
Written by marionwatch-investigates
Anthony Azaria, the Democratic candidate for Marion’s Sixth Ward Council seat, appeared on a recent episode of the Watchman’s Report to discuss his candidacy, delivering a message deeply rooted in his personal experiences with addiction, recovery, and the daily struggles he witnesses in the community. Joining hosts Cody Higley, Jason Foreman, and Robert Landon, Azaria, […]
Written by marionwatch-investigates
A Note from Marion Watch Investigates: Our team at Marion Watch was originally investigating a different matter concerning Marion’s City Council and other agencies in the late 1970s when we stumbled across a series of extremely concerning circumstances recorded in official council minutes, and newpaper articles. These formal records, combined with the input of community […]
Written by marionwatch-investigates
Council Rejects Can Do, Mayor Proposes New City-Led Economic Development Role Charter Commission Announced
Written by marionwatch-investigates
Voices Rise in Marion: Citizens Challenge Leadership on Transit, Transparency, and Governance.
On Monday, a tumultuous Night at Marion City Council: Voices Heard Amidst Deep-Seated Concerns.
Written by marionwatch-investigates
A contentious Marion City Hall meeting saw a mayoral proposal to limit public access spark citizen protest and council division. The “Can Do” organization faced financial scrutiny, contrasting with strong community support for Leapin’ Ministries. The meeting ended with unresolved issues, highlighting concerns over trust and transparency in local governance.