Elyria Township's fiscal officer, Stephanie DeWitt, and her bonding company are facing a demand for reimbursement of $5,363.96 after an audit by the Ohio Auditor of State detected fees and penalties from late or repeated tax and credit card payments, as announced today.
An in-depth review of the township's financial records from January 1, 2020, to December 31, 2021, revealed occasions where payments to the Ohio Department of Taxation and the Regional Income Tax Agency were not only tardy but also duplicated, and similar issues were found with credit card balance payments while the office asserts, "The late fees, penalties, and interest paid by the township... serve no proper public purpose and could have been avoided had the withholdings and credit card statements been paid in a timely manner," according to their public statement obtained by the Auditor of State’s Office.
This financial mismanagement not only negatively affected the township's budget but also potentially its reputation, as routine audits such as these are a critical function of the Auditor of State's Office, which conducts overviews for more than 5,900 state and local government entities across Ohio, ensuring that practices are up to standard and that public funds are appropriately managed.
Keith Faber's office, whose task is to uphold the financial integrity of public entities, also delivers financial services and looks into potential fraudulent activities, as well as promoting transparency across government operations, thus helping to ensure taxpayers' money is spent wisely – responsibilities that are all the more underscored when oversights such as those in Elyria Township come to light. The full audit report is accessible online, providing insights into the township's fiscal health and, perhaps, lending caution to other entities responsible for the public's trust and resources.
