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.