Auditor’s office needs time for reconciliations

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GALION — An ordinance to allow more time for the auditor’s office to complete reconciliations was the cause of a lengthy discussion during the Galion City Council meeting Tuesday evening.

According to city law director Thomas Palmer, council passed an ordinance two years ago that requires the auditor and treasurer to complete the reconciliations within 10 days of the end of each month.

“The two people in the auditor’s office that knew how to complete the reconciliations left within two weeks of each other so the reconciliations have not been completed since April,” Palmer said.

Palmer said it was at the recommendation of the state auditor’s office to present council with an amendment to the ordinance to allow two new employees of the auditor’s office to receive the required training to complete the reconciliations of the city’s financials.

“It may take the state a period of time to offer the training,” Palmer said.

Auditor Brian Treisch said he was able to complete the reconciliations in the older computer program but cannot using the new system.

Council member Susan Bean said it is the job of council to ensure that the city’s finances are in proper order. She said the fact that people did not do their job correctly in the past is the reason for the city being under fiscal emergency in the first place and requested that Palmer add to the amendment a deadline date for the reconciliations to be completed.

Palmer changed the wording of the ordinance to reflect the deadline date of Sept. 1, which can be changed with council’s approval if necessary.

Council approved the ordinance in a unanimous vote.

Council also approved an ordinance to allow city service safety director Nikki Ward to transfer a $150,000 grant from 2013 back to the Federal Aviation Administration to allow the city of Wadsworth to use the funds.

“We have a project in the works at the airport,but it was not ready to begin by the deadline of July 1,” said Ward.

Ward said the city can apply for the grant next year when officials are ready to proceed with the project.

The next council meeting is 7 p.m. on July 26 at the Galion Municipal Building

By Kimberly Gasuras

[email protected]

Reach Gasuras on Twitter: @kimberlygasuras

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