A sum of $300 as been repaid to the Ross County community by the fiscal officer for Paxton Township after auditors found the township had violated state law by giving her a midterm pay raise.
A financial audit of the township released Thursday by Auditor of State Dave Yost issues a finding against Fiscal Officer Vicky Mettler for a $300 bonus she received after her term started in April 2016.
Township trustees approved the bonus for Mettler, but they lacked the authority to do so because pay rates for township officials are set by state law. Based on the township’s budget for 2016, Mettler should have earned $14,677. Instead, the township paid her $14,977. She repaid the excess amount on Dec. 29, 2017.
The audit also discovered more than a dozen transactions that were posted incorrectly to the township’s accounting system. In another finding, auditors noted a $45,513 deficit in the township’s general fund at the end of 2016.
A full copy of this report is available online.