Board of health's audit looks like a whitewash

The Columbiana County Board of Health met Friday in special session and voted to conduct an internal audit of the health department. The vote came after a private meeting with Ron Alexander, a lawyer from Akron.
But during that session, the health board also voted to endorse a letter presented to it from health department employees. The keyword is endorse.
In the letter, the employees said they wanted to go on record as "wholeheartedly supporting" health Commissioner Robert Morehead.
The employees sang the praises of Morehead's leadership, saying it "has set the standard for our work ethics and our commitment to the residents of Columbiana County."
Leadership? Standard for "work ethics?"
Talk about being blinded by loyalty or being out of touch with reality.
Morehead is under investigation by the Columbiana County Sheriff's Department and the state auditor's office for his use of a county-issued credit card. The probe was trigged by a series of stories in The Vindicator that detailed the findings of a three-month review by reporter Norman Leigh of the spending practices of Columbiana County officials.
Prosecutor Robert Herron has said the purchases made by Morehead with the credit card raise the possibility of improper use of government property.
And yet the board of health, chaired by Dr. Jack Amato of East Liverpool, wholeheartedly supports Morehead.
That is why the internal audit looks like a whitewash.
Our answer
"Why should we just rely on the state to do it?" Amato replied, when asked the reason for the internal audit. Here's our answer to Amato's question: Because the state auditor's office will be objective, whereas the board of health has already signaled that for now, at least, it doesn't even suspect any egregious or unlawful behavior on the part of the health commissioner.
Incidentally, Amato and his colleagues also don't see anything wrong in the commissioner's using public funds for many meals at local restaurant owned by health board member Matt Borza.
The board is so convinced of his innocence that it will not take away his county-issued credit card -- it will begin reviewing credit-card statements, something that should be done as a matter of course -- and will not alter any other travel or expense policies.
In other words, it's business as usual at the health department -- on the public tab.
Last Sunday, we called on the board of health to fire Morehead because, at the very least, he seemed not to appreciate the seriousness of the findings uncovered by The Vindicator.
But it is now clear to us that there are some board members who will remain staunch defenders of the health commissioner, come what may, and others who just don't want to make waves.
For that reason, we call on the 30 members of the advisory council, made up of one Columbiana County commissioner, township trustees and mayors of cities and villages, to get involved. The council appoints the members of the board of health.
Commissioner Jim Hoppel is trying to call a meeting of the council to "discuss the problems we have at the health department and see how we might improve the situation."
Here's how the situation can be improved: Get rid of any board of health member who believes that what Morehead did in his use of the county credit card and his expenditure of public dollars is, at most, a mere error in judgment.
Hoppel and the advisory council members should also ask Amato to explain why Alexander has been hired at $185 an hour.