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Taylor Releases Village of Rutland Audit

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Meigs County -

Auditor of State Mary Taylor today released the audit of the village of Rutland for fiscal years 2006 and 2007. The audit exposes the village’s former police chief for forging the mayor’s signature and inappropriately cashing two village checks totaling $400. Taylor has referred the matter to local prosecutors indicating that former Rutland Police Chief Jeffrey Miller must repay the misused taxpayer money.

“The blatant abuse of public funds will not be tolerated,” said Taylor. “Our office is fully equipped with the professional audit and investigative experience necessary to assist local entities with identifying potential white collar crime.”

The audit also reveals a lack of oversight in the management of village finances. Additional findings include:

  • An ongoing deficit in the village’s general fund
  • Improper budget activity
  • The miscalculation of residential sewer rates

A copy of the complete audit is available online at www.auditor.state.oh.us.

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The Ohio Auditor of State’s office is one of the largest accounting offices in the nation.  The office strives to ensure that all public funds are spent legally and appropriately and works aggressively to root out fraud, waste and abuse in public spending. Taylor encourages anyone suspecting fraud or misspending of public dollars to contact her office toll free at 866-FRAUD-OH (866-372-8364). Since taking office, Taylor has identified more than $17.7 million in public funds that were handled improperly, spent illegally or stolen and must be repaid.