Monday, December 24, 2001
Some of the findings and recommendations in the final draft copy of a performance audit report for Mahoning County government. The audit's official report isn't expected to be released until Jan. 9.
SALARY/PERSONNEL
Two additional employees are needed in the human resources department.
An overall job classification plan is needed.
Employee contributions for health care should be negotiated into all contracts and collected.
Employee leave balances have not been reconciled since conversion to a new computer system. Balances should be reconciled and tracked more efficiently.
Consider implementing a new hospitalization plan to help reduce rising premiums.
Commended for taking steps to improve workers' compensation management.
BOARD OF ELECTIONS
Conduct a thorough and extensive assessment of the costs, advantages and disadvantages of touch-screen and optical scanner voting systems, then decide which is better for the county in the long run.
Seek state and federal funding to help buy a new voting system.
Reduce part-time staffing by three or four positions. (This has already been done).
Commended for reducing the number of voting precincts, registering the highest percentage of citizens to vote and being the first board of elections to post election results on the Internet.
COUNTY COURTS
Replace part-time judges with full-time judges and consolidate four county courts.
Streamline case management to help reduce caseloads.
Implement a special project fund to help pay for employee salaries and benefits, court improvements and capital projects.
Commended for handling more cases than peer counties and improving security.
JUVENILE COURT
Improve the accuracy of case information reported to the Ohio Supreme Court.
Improve probation officers' monitoring and oversight of juvenile offenders by reallocating one full-time employee to the probation department from elsewhere in the court system.
Improve management of daily population in the juvenile detention center.
Do not fill 10 vacant youth leader positions.
Commended for development of a comprehensive strategy plan to foster partnerships with community diversion programs.
SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT
Create written procedures specifying how billing for housing of Youngstown and federal inmates should be done.
Implement a pay-for-stay program at the jail.
Reduce the number of deputies assigned to courthouse security.
Expand video arraignment capability to include common pleas and area courts.
Commended for maintaining a quality inmate health-care program and saving money by outsourcing jail food service operations.
Source: Mahoning County performance audit executive summary, draft copy