Tuesday, April 28, 2020Columbus – Auditor of State Keith Faber’s office today released the 2018 audit of Pike County, which found that the former county auditor, Erica Snodgrass, authorized $1,932 total in overpayments to county employees.
“It is unacceptable for local officials to be cavalier with taxpayer dollars,” Auditor Faber said. “Leadership must take their responsibility over public funds very seriously, so we can avoid more issues in future audits.”
In 2018, an employee of the County Auditor’s office, Sherry Johnson, received a severance payment for accumulated vacation, which exceeded the limit established by Ohio Rev. Code 325.19, which states employees shall be compensated for any unused vacation time for no more than three years after their last anniversary date. This resulted in an overpayment of $1,154.
Auditor Faber issued a $1,154 finding for recovery against Johnson and Snodgrass to recover the overpayment. Snodgrass is jointly and severally liable for the improper payment because she approved the payment and signed the warrant authorizing the payment.
Additionally, the audit found that Snodgrass closed the Pike County Auditor’s office on February 22, 2019, and the only notice for this closure was a posting on the office door. Despite the closure, Snodgrass still paid employees for working this day. Time clock reports show that working hours for this day were manually input, outside the normal process.
Reports show that the following employees were paid for working on February 22, 2019:
| Employee | Hours | Overpayment |
| Sarah Rittenour | 7.17 | $125 |
| Karlena Reinhard | 8 | $158 |
| Breanna Obetz | 8 | $108 |
| Patches Martin | 8 | $148 |
| Wendy Sevens | 7.48 | $158 |
| Misty Bushatz | 4.37 | $81 |
Auditor Faber issued individual findings for recovery against these individuals and in favor of Pike County. Snodgrass, who authorized these illegal expenditures, is jointly and severally liable for the findings – a total of $778
The Auditor’s officer recommends that the County Auditor review timesheets, time clock reports, and other payroll documents to ensure compensation is paid only for actual hours worked.
A full copy of this report is available online.