Commissioners discuss performance audit options with state auditor reps

The Highland County Board of Commissioners discussed the options and process of conducting a performance audit with representatives of the Auditor's Office of the State of Ohio. 

During the commissioners' regular meeting Wednesday they met with auditor liaison Christa Criddle and Mary Amos Augsburger, director of policy and public affairs. 

Criddle said she wanted to check in with the board to discuss if there was anything her office could be doing for them, and commission president Shane Wilkin joked, "Can we get a cheaper rate?"

Criddle said that while they could not give cheaper rates, the office was aware that local governments were struggling financially, and that there were several resources available to help them save funds. 

Among the options was the potential of a performance audit. 

"On our website there's a checklist of ideas to work with other counties," Criddle said. "We understand budgets are really tight with the state cuts and with the economy the way it is." 

The auditor's website has performance audits from other counties, and Criddle encouraged the commissions to take a look at them, because they could see what findings there have been in other counties that could perhaps be applied to Highland County, without going through the full auditing process.

Wilkin asked if the performance audit would have to be done on the county as a whole, or if it could be done on specific departments. 

"You can choose the scope of the audit," Criddle said, and pick only particular departments. 

If the audit would not produce enough savings to cover the cost of the audit, Wilkin asked how the county could pay for it. 

Augsburger said that the county should consider applying for Leverage for Efficiency, Accountability and Performance (LEAP) funds, which advance the cost of performance audits to agencies that might not necessarily have the funds available to pay for one otherwise. She said that government entities can begin applying for them at the beginning of the year. 

The city of Cincinnati is currently having one conducted on their department of public service, and Butler County recently completed one, although the results have not yet been published. 

Criddle said that the commissioners would meet with an audit team and discuss their goals and the scope of what they wanted, and then an estimate of a maximum cost would be give. The county would not pay more than that maximum cost. The audit process would not start until both parties signed a letter of arrangement. 

Wilkin said they would look into what other counties have done to see how they might apply those "best practices" to Highland County. 

"It's help to see what other counties have done, and what we can do to cut costs," Wilkin said. 

Criddle said that ideas from other counties can be helpful, even if they're not specific cost-cutting measures. 

"Sometimes you can look outside the box, and look at different ways of getting things done," she said. 

Heather Gibson, director of Help Me Grow of Highland County, also met with the commissioners to discuss the program budget, and upcoming office move. 

In addition to budget figures, Gibson reported on ongoing preparations for the next budget year, in which the program will not be allowed to carry over funds from the previous year. 

During this past budget year, Gibson said that they were able to carry over $53,000. 

Gibson told the Highland County Press that at the end of the next budget year, which ends June 30, 2012, their funding will be treated like normal federal grants, and if all funds are not spent, they will be lost. 

She said that she wanted the commissioners to be aware in the event they needed to front the program funds for operations until they received their Medicaid reimbursements. That could possibly mean putting up the funds for a four-month period, at approximately $21,000 per month. 

Commissioner Jeremy Shaffer said that it was good that they know now, that way the commissioners could try to prepare to make the funding available. When Help Me Grow receives their Medicaid reimbursement, they would reimburse the county. 

"But I don't know where we're going to get that money," Shaffer said. 

Help Me Grow is a system within the Ohio Department of Health that provides state and federal funds to county Family and Children First Councils to be used in conjunction with state, local and other federal funds to implement and maintain a coordinated, community-based infrastructure that promotes trans-disciplinary, family-centered services for expectant parents, newborns, infants and toddlers and their families.

Gibson said that there is currently discussion at the state level that Help Me Grow may be transferred to the Ohio Department of Education, which she told the commissioners, "makes sense because school readiness is the mission for Help Me Grow." 

Gibson reported that there are ongoing issues regarding funding because in state RFPs (Requests for Proposals) "they are saying that we receive $2,000 a kid. There is no way (they receive that much per child). We don't have an early intervention specialist, so they're saying we have kids who don't need those services." 

She said the local program follows the protocol to identify the children who need the intervention and who qualify for Medicaid Part C, which means the needs are justified. 

"We have 100 Part C kids," she said. "Just because we don't have an intervention specialist doesn't mean we don't need it." 

The program currently has three full-time employees and two part-time employees. 

They are currently in the process of moving their offices from the Highland County Annex building to the Hi-TEC facility in an office previously used for storage by the Highland County Board of Elections. Gibson said that office will be used for their business operations, and that staff will be mobile units, operating with laptops. They anticipate the move to be complete some time in November. 

After Gibson left the meeting, Horst praised her efforts, saying, "She does a good job. It's impressive."
 

In other business:

• The commissioners met in executive with Brent Fite from A-Z Advertising met in executive session to discuss a property purchase. After Fite left, Joe Hunick joined the commissioners in the same session. After Hunick left, Michael Morgan joined the commissioners in the session. No decisions were made following the vote to enter back into regular session.  

• Commissioners discussed an inquiry from Ronald Pierce, of the Rocky Fork Lake area, who is asking if the county is going to seek prosecution for property owners who have failed to tap into the sewer system. Wilkin said he would discuss the matter with Highland County Prosecutor Anneka Collins.