(The Center Square) – A former Ohio township administrator is on the hook for nearly $9,000 after state auditors found he was paid nearly 190 hours of extra vacation pay when he retired.
State Auditor Keith Faber said Thursday that Matt Huffman, who retired as Clinton Township administrator in July 2023, was paid for 200 hours of vacation lead when he retired. Auditors said the actual vacation accrual at that time should have been 11.54 hours.
Huffman and Township Financial Officer Deborah Steele and her bonding company are liable for $8,609.
At the same time, a Township firefighter was overpaid for 24 hours of vacation leave after switching from full-time to part-time employment. The firefighter has repaid the $634.
Clinton Township is in Franklin County.
Faber also announced a finding of recovery for $5,804 against the former fiscal officer of Jefferson Township in Montgomery County over fraudulent checks after she failed to complete monthly bank account reconciliations.
The checks were found after an audit of the township’s finances from Jan. 1, 2022, through Dec. 31, 2022.
Faber said Tracey Edwards did not reconcile the township’s bank balance in a timely manner that resulted in four checks totaling nearly $6,000 being paid.
“By the time Ms. Edwards completed the reconciliations, neither the bank nor the county prosecutor was able to take steps to recover or dispute the misappropriated funds. The loss of these funds was therefore the result of Ms. Edwards’ negligence and does not represent a proper public purpose,” auditors wrote in their report.
Edwards and her bonding company are responsible for repaying the funds.