The Public Calls for Transparency — and So Do I

Russell Township residents have been asking for better fiscal transparency.

So have I.

For too long, questions about township finances have been met with incomplete answers, limited explanations, and processes that leave residents trying to piece together how public money is being managed. These concerns are not new. They have been raised by residents, department heads, and even our chiefs.

At a public meeting, our Fire Chief stated that he did not have a clear view of his department’s financials.

That should concern every resident.

Departments cannot plan responsibly without clear financial information. Chiefs cannot lead effectively without a reliable understanding of their budgets. Residents cannot have confidence in township government when the financial picture is unclear.

Now that the 2024–2025 audit has been completed and signed off as it moves toward state approval, I am left with serious questions about why there continues to be resistance to basic transparency.

When Chair Christopher Hare was asked about the audit during a meeting, he stated that he was working on some transfers but did not provide further explanation. Later, he said he wanted the “audit stuff” to go away and stated that he does not believe there is a transparency issue.

Excuse me?

Have the comments from our residents not been heard? Have the concerns raised by department leaders not been taken seriously? When a Fire Chief says in an open meeting that he does not have a clear view of his financials, that is not a minor administrative matter.

That is a transparency issue.

On May 21, then-Fiscal Officer Karen Walder notified the Board of Trustees about the audit exit conference. This conference would have been an important opportunity for trustees to hear directly from the auditor and the CPA firm, ask questions, and better understand the audit before it moved forward.

And before anyone raises Ohio Open Meetings Law as a reason more than one trustee could not attend, my understanding is that the law does not prevent more than one trustee from attending an audit exit or post-audit conference. Ohio law specifically excludes an audit conference conducted by the Auditor of State or independent certified public accountants with officials of the public office that is the subject of the audit.

Officials. Plural.

So my question is simple:

Why did I not learn that the audit exit conference had already taken place until the June 4 Board of Trustees meeting?

The conference was attended by Trustee Hare and Mrs. Walder. I was not included. I was not informed beforehand that it had occurred. I was not given the opportunity to attend, listen, ask questions, or better understand the audit before it moved forward.

That is unacceptable.

This is not about creating drama. It is not about pointing fingers for the sake of pointing fingers. It is about the basic responsibility of elected officials to ensure township finances are understood, shared appropriately with the full Board, and handled in a way that earns public trust.

Transparency is not a slogan. It is a practice.

It means trustees receive the same information at the same time. It means department heads have access to the financial information they need to manage responsibly. It means residents are not left trying to assemble the township’s financial picture from scattered comments during meetings. It means audit questions are not treated as something that should simply “go away.”

The public has been calling for transparency.

So have I.

Moving forward, audit-related communications should be shared with the full Board of Trustees. All trustees should be informed of audit conferences before they happen. All trustees should have an opportunity to attend. The Board should publicly discuss the audit process, the findings, any required corrective actions, and the steps being taken to improve fiscal clarity.

Russell Township residents deserve a government that is open, accountable, and serious about its responsibility to manage public funds.

They deserve answers.

And I intend to keep asking for them.

The views expressed here are mine only and are intended to keep residents informed about township issues. Decisions of the Russell Township Board of Trustees are made only during public meetings.