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COLUMBUS – A finding for recovery of $9,171 was issued Tuesday against the assistant fiscal officer for Franklin Township in Franklin County for improperly paid compensatory time, Auditor of State Keith Faber announced.

Robyn Watkins received the comp time payments from Jan. 8, 2018, through June 16, 2021, despite the township not having a formal policy addressing overtime or comp time payments. The Auditor of State’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) determined the amount of comp time added to the Township’s payroll system and paid to her during that time did not agree with the timesheets/timecards she submitted.

According to SIU, “Due to a lack of monitoring by the (Township Board of Trustees) and fiscal officer over compensatory time earned and related payouts, as well as the unrestricted access Ms. Watkins had to the payroll system, this led to Ms. Watkins receiving payment for compensatory time she did not earn….”

The finding for recovery was included in a special audit, which is available online  (ohioauditor.gov/auditsearch/search.aspx). Watkins, along with former Fiscal Officers Lisa Morris and Mary Rhinehart and their bonding companies, are jointly and severally liable for the total.

SIU also determined there was insufficient evidence to recommend criminal charges in the matter.

Township officials did not provide a response concerning the special audit to the Auditor of State’s Office.

Since 2019, the Special Investigations Unit has assisted in 117 convictions resulting in more than $8.2 million in restitution (see Map of SIU Convictions since January 2019). The team receives hundreds of tips of suspected fraud annually. Tips can be submitted anonymously online or via SIU’s fraud hotline at 866-FRAUD-OH (866-372-8364).

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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.