COLUMBIANA CO. Board orders internal audit

Department staff members sent a letter of support for the health commissioner.
By NORMAN LEIGH
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
LISBON -- The Columbiana County Health Board is ordering an internal audit of the agency, even as it is being examined by state auditors and criminal investigators probing the credit-card use of health Commissioner Robert Morehead.
The board met in special session Friday and voted to conduct the internal audit after meeting privately with Atty. Ron Alexander of Akron about the outside probes.
"Why should we just rely on the state to do it?" board Chairman Dr. Jack Amato said when asked the reason for the internal audit, which is to date back to Jan. 1, 1999.
Amato said the only significance to that date is that it would involve a five-year period, making it a reasonably thorough examination.
Amato would not elaborate on the private meeting with Alexander.
Supportive letter
The health board also voted to endorse a letter presented to it from health department employees.
The letter states that the agency staff wanted to go on record as "wholeheartedly supporting" Morehead.
It went on to say that Morehead's leadership "has set the standard for our work ethics and our commitment to the residents of Columbiana County."
Morehead is being investigated by the sheriff's department and state auditors over his use of a county-issued credit card to make hundreds of dollars in personal purchases -- including books, Christmas gifts and golf accessories. The purchases were disclosed early this week in a Vindicator series on questionable county spending in 2003.
County Prosecutor Robert Herron has said Morehead's activities raise the possibility of improper credit-card use and must be examined by investigators and state auditors.
When questioned by The Vindicator in early April, Morehead -- who has refused since then to talk to the newspaper -- said he repaid the department for many of the personal purchases, but he offered little proof.
This week, after the probe started, Morehead made a $718 cash payment to the county auditor's office for unspecified reimbursements.
Changing procedure
Amato said after Friday's health board meeting that the panel will continue to allow use of a county-issued credit card.
But the board also will begin reviewing the credit-card statements, Amato said.
He said there are no plans to alter any other travel or expense policies.
Besides questionable use of a credit card, Morehead uses public money to buy hundreds of dollars in meals at local restaurants, including Pondi's, a bar and restaurant owned by health board member Matt Borza.
Health board members have endorsed the practice, saying Morehead's meals are business-related.