Public Affairs
Contact: Marc Kovac
press@ohioauditor.gov

Columbus – A finding for recovery of more than $1,700 has been issued against North College Hill officials after several credit card transactions could not be substantiated as proper public disbursements, Auditor of State Keith Faber announced Thursday.

Additionally, state auditors noted an unlawful interest in a public contract after the city’s public works director authorized the hiring of his son as a part-time employee.

The issues were noted in a report released Thursday and an accompanying management letter covering the Hamilton County community’s financial activities for 2019 and 2020. A copy of the report is available through the Search Page on the Auditor of State’s website (https://ohioauditor.gov/auditsearch/search.aspx).

Auditors found six separate credit card transactions, totaling $1,724.10, that had no supporting documentation to substantiate they were for proper public purposes. Findings for recovery were issued against Public Works Director Martin Cole for $151, Police Chief Ryan Schrand for $745, Fire Chief Brian Fels for $154, and former Finance Director Angela Burton for $672.

Burton and former Finance Director Ari Hall are jointly and severally liable for disbursements made during their administrations.

The separate management letter from the Auditor of State’s Office to North College Hill included additional noncompliance citations, including one noting an unlawful interest in a public contract, after Cole authorized the hiring of his son in 2020 for a part-time position, served as his direct supervisor, and approved his son’s hourly timesheets.

Cole did not disclose the potential conflict of interest to the city. His son was paid total wages of $1,848 during the year. State auditors referred the issue to the Ohio Ethics Commission.

Earlier this year, state auditors declared the city of North College Hill as “unauditable” after officials failed to file a complete set of financial statements and footnotes and bank-to-bank cash reconciliations for 2020. 

One finding in Thursday’s report noted, “The City did not have procedures in place for effective monitoring of the City’s financial activity and the accuracy of accounting and financial reporting. Failure to accurately post and monitor financial activity increases the risks that errors, theft, and fraud could occur and not be detected in a timely manner.”

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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 6,000 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.