Trustees say $320,000 ARP funds vanished from Vienna Township

Trustees say $320,000 ARP funds vanished from Vienna Township

As residents in Vienna Township wait for results of an audit to track down where over a million dollars went missing they are finding more about what specific funds are gone. 

Now folks found out taxpayers could be on hook for paying back federal American Rescue Plan funds.

For Vienna Residents attending township meetings has become important to find out more about the township’s finances. 

Taxpayers want to know what the township plans are for an ambulance obtained through central purchasing that is not being used.

Township Trustees found they can’t use the America Rescue Plan Dollars for the downpayment or get a loan to pay the balance because that funds are only there on paper.

“According to our current fiscal group we have 321,000 in ARP funds, except the funds depleted it’s zero,” Trustee Phil Pegg said.

For folks asking why any trustees would sign the checks for that money to spend, Trustee Phil Pegg made it clear they didn’t sign anything.

He explained to the public that the money transfers were by wire. 

The funds are alleged to have gone missing under a former Fiscal Officer.

He also explained State Ordinance gives trustees little to now power over another elected official.

Pegg explained the state was receiving back up documents showing the township had no money for months perhaps a year, but no one at the state level was looking at those documents.

“At some point we are going to have to figure out how to pay the money back as well as how to pay social security dollars and PERS dollars, and little things like the $11,000 we were holding in trust through the insurance company that should never have been touched was spent, without the approval of anyone,” Trustee Pegg explained. 

He says this is something he is hoping the state auditors office will correct along with Ohio lawmakers. 

“There needs to be an adjustment in the state auditor’s office. Every day when the Fiscal Officer signs off on the computer that information is automatically transferred to Columbus. It’s held there, except what I’ve come to find out is that no one in Columbus is looking at it. It’s just sitting there. That’s supposed to be a safety back up, but no one’s looking at it. So when she starts reporting negative balances you would think our phones would be ringing, but they didn’t,” Pegg added. 

The ambulance that was ordered is the township building, but has not been paid for. 

Trustees explained they have called the company that owns it, and was selected through state purchasing, and have asked them to pick it up.

“I have no idea how that’s going to go. I would like them to come get their ambulance, but if somebody’s holding it hostage we can deal with it at that time,” Trustee Pegg stated. 

 21 News asked who might be holding it hostage and he did not reply.

“We have already told them to come get it. We realize will have to pay for the cost to remove the decals with Vienna on them,” Pegg added. 

Speeders will help the financial bottom line in the township.

 The speed cameras have been pushed back by about 15 days, as Vienna waits on permits to have signs installed by ODOT.

Once that approval is given, the signs will be placed in the ground and a month trial run where warnings will be issued will take place.

The township is scheduled to begin collecting the fines near the end of August. 

Vienna Township expect the investigative audit to be completed by 2025.

He credits the current Financial Officer and team for helping work to help turn things around fiscally for the township.