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Taylor Releases Wood County Regional Airport Authority Audit

Assistant Manager Spent Over $68,000 for Personal Use

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Wood County -

Auditor of State Mary Taylor today released the audit of the Wood County Regional Airport Authority for 2006 and 2007.  The audit reveals that the former assistant manager used airport funds to pay for purchases on his personal credit card.

“We are committed to identifying misspent tax dollars so that they can be repaid and the perpetrator can be held accountable,” Taylor said.  “We have professionally trained white-collar crime investigators that assist our audit staff and local authorities when allegations of misspending arise; they are diligent in their work and have been very successful identifying and documenting theft of taxpayer dollars.”

The audit found that Preston Morrison, the former assistant manager of the Wood County Regional Airport Authority, was responsible for mishandling $68,847.  Morrison made unauthorized credits to his personal credit card account from sales generated at the airport from fuel sales, hangar rent, pilot supplies and other miscellaneous types of revenue.  The audit shows that Morrison used airport funds to pay for many purchases including items from:

• Meijers
• WalMart
• Verizon
• Columbia Gas
• Time Warner
• Cabela’s
• Advance Auto Parts
• AutoZone
        
Additionally, the audit notes that airport officials should improve their internal controls over spending to help ensure that tax dollars are used appropriately in the future.  Recommendations include:

• Eliminate errors in financial reporting, payroll processing and pay rate approval
• Conduct monthly bank reconciliations
• Monitor fuel sales and daily receipts
• Maintain supporting documentation for expenditures
• Increase oversight of cash drawers

A full copy of the audit is available online at http://www.auditor.state.oh.us/AuditSearch/Reports/2008/Wood_County_Regional_Airport_Authority_06_07-Wood.pdf.