Brushcreek Township, situated in Highland County, is currently facing scrutiny after being designated as ‘unauditable’ for a two-year span, highlighting concerns over its financial record-keeping practices. According to the Auditor of State’s Office, the township lacked proper documentation necessary for an audit for the period of Jan. 1, 2022, through Dec. 31, 2023. The financial records fell short, missing monthly bank-to-book reconciliations and filing annual financial reports late, with insufficient details for line-item classifications.
Officials Angela Crum, the Fiscal Officer, and David Chaney, the Trustee, were contacted with these concerns — or so the letter they received had indicated. The township's financial management faced a serious deadline within this notification; they were given a 90-day timeframe to correct their records and supply the necessary data to undergo a proper audit. If they fail to rectify these issues, it could lead to consequential legal ramifications, according to Ohio's legal framework.
This declaration serves as a warning that the town’s fiscal matters may be treading into dangerous territory – as failing to make accounts, records, and reports auditable could summon both Crum and Chaney before the Attorney General. The state could enforce a subpoena or even push for a lawsuit to compel the creation and release of the requisite information. The warning was unambiguous: Take action to address the lapse in fiscal governance or face the possibility of a legal showdown.
For jurisdictions like Brushcreek Township, stumbling along the path to fiscal clarity, the Auditor of State’s Office offers a lifeline—a hand extended in the form of support from its Local Government Services division or the advice to seek independent accounting firms well-versed in navigating such bureaucratic mazes. But as extended though the offer may be, it comes with a clear caveat; that Brushes Creek Township’s own lack of action or scheduling conflicts won’t be accepted as reasons to delay beyond the allotted 90 days.
The Auditor of State's responsibilities reach far beyond Brushcreek Township, extending to over 5,900 state and local government entities. Under the leadership of Auditor Keith Faber, the office's mandate encompasses not only auditing but also financial guidance, fraud prevention, and bolstering government transparency. It is within this context that the issues within Brushcreek Township seem not just local anomalies but a part of a larger quest for accountability and orderly governance across the state.
