News

Pickaway County -

State Auditor Mary Taylor released the 2005-06 audit for the Pickaway County Agricultural Society.  The audit reveals that the society did not maintain proper records for rental, admission, contract revenues and some additional expenses.  The final audit opinion reflects the fact that they did not maintain proper accounting records. 

“Failure to properly document financial transactions puts the public’s money at risk,” said Taylor.  “The citizens of Ohio deserve to know how their money is collected and spent.  When that cannot be determined, the potential for fraud increases.”

The audit recommends that the society:

• Balance their accounts accurately and on time to ensure that the society does not spend more than what is in their account.
• Maintain pre-numbered contracts for rentals and contracts so that the society has an accurate count of existing contracts.
• Keep supporting documentation for each receipt to ensure completeness and accuracy of total receipts.
• Establish a policy requiring that cash collection forms be used for events on the fair grounds so that cash is properly recorded.

The agricultural society acknowledges the audit recommendations and will be implementing proper policies and procedures to address the issues.

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 1-866-FRAUD-OH (1-866-372-8364).

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