Press Release • Ohio Auditor of State

COLUMBUS – Auditor of State Keith Faber formally terminated the fiscal emergency declaration for the Village of Trimble in Athens County Thursday after an analysis confirmed the village had achieved financial stability.

“The Village of Trimble sacrificed and made hard decisions for more than a decade to overcome these financial difficulties,” Auditor Faber said. “Village officials are now on firm financial footing and well positioned to serve the community.”

The fiscal emergency had been in place since May 2014 due to deficit balances and treasury deficiencies. The fiscal difficulties were due, in part, to crimes committed by a former fiscal officer, who embezzled more than $60,000.

Among other actions, the village imposed a 1% income tax beginning in 2015; eliminated the village police department and contracted with the Athens County Sheriff’s Department for law enforcement services; and negotiated outstanding balances owed to the Auditor of State’s Office and the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation.

The full fiscal termination report is available online at https://ohioauditor.gov/auditsearch/search.aspx.

With Thursday’s removal of the Village of Trimble, there are now a dozen communities with fiscal emergency declarations, including three cities, seven villages and two townships.

Additional information about fiscal distress declarations is available online at https://ohioauditor.gov/fiscaldistress.html.

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The Auditor of State’s Office, one of five independently elected statewide offices in Ohio, is responsible for auditing more than 5,900 state and local government agencies. Under the direction of Auditor Keith Faber, the office also provides financial services to local governments, investigates and prevents fraud in public agencies, and promotes transparency in government.