Charges filed on former Paint Creek Joint EMS/Fire District fiscal officer
By Paint Creek Joint EMS/Fire District Board of Trustees
In March of 2021, the Paint Creek Joint EMS/Fire District Board of Trustees were advised that the district was unauditable for the fiscal years of 2018-19. At that time, the issue was addressed with James Barrett, the district’s fiscal officer.
The board was advised on numerous occasions by Barrett that he had provided the requested information and was awaiting a response. Throughout the next year and a half, Barrett continued to advise the board that he had received requests for additional information that was provided and was awaiting a response. The board followed up with the Auditor’s Office from time to time and were advised that they had not received all the information that had been requested, which resulted in additional communication between the board and Barrett.
On Sept. 27, 2022, James Barrett submitted his resignation. It was after that date that information was found that led the district to contact the Special Investigations Unit of the State Auditor’s Office and all the information was turned over to them which resulted in a criminal investigation. As a result, it has been the district’s position that we do not comment on any criminal investigation while it is pending.
On Sept. 20, 2024, we received information that James Barrett has been charged and appeared in Highland County Court in Greenfield for an arraignment for Dereliction of Duty (M-2), Misuse of a Credit Card (M-1), and Withholding Taxes from Qualifying Wages (M-1). (Editor's note: See https://countycourtgreenfield.com/recordSearch.php?k=results3621anyd77Q…;
It is our understanding that he has been released on an OR bond and is scheduled to appear Oct. 21, 2024 for a pretrial hearing. These charges were filed by the State of Ohio Auditor’s Special Investigations Unit and is being prosecuted by their legal counsel.
Additionally, the State of Ohio Auditor’s Office has been working on completing the audit for the time period that we were being declared unauditable, which was 2018-19, and also for 2020, 2021 and 2022. We are still awaiting the completion and subsequent release of the final report and findings.
Paint Creek Joint EMS/Fire District
Board of Trustees
Ron Ward, Randy Mustard, Jacob Meyers, Cory Taylor, Dick Barrera,
Arthur Harless, Chad Frazier, Jason Brown, Bart Barton, Joshua Roe
Chief: David E. Manning II,
Assistant Chief: William M. Strain
Fiscal Officer: Linda Hopkins
The Final Audit Date ?
I have been following this since March of 2021. I have been in touch with The State Auditor SW region with many emails inquiring when the audit will be completed. As a taxpayer in Highland County, it is good to see this is finally being addressed. There is no excuse for these audit delays. The audit will be interesting to say the least. At least based on conversation or communication I have had with two of the signers on this "press release". They know my "opinion" is not going to be positive. There is no excuse to water down what I perceive as a major failure of any trustee for the audit years in question to monitor the conduct of the fiscal officer. Period. That is it for now.