Prosecutor to get results of special state audit of health board records

Health Commissioner Robert Morehead has not paid $4,574 in findings.
By D.A. WILKINSON
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
LISBON -- Results of a special state audit of the Columbiana County Board of Health will be turned over to county Prosecutor Robert Herron as early as Monday.
The special audit by the office of Ohio Auditor Betty Montgomery began in October 2004 after a state audit of health board records for 2003 found thousands of dollars in questionable spending by Health Commissioner Robert Morehead on books, meals and travel expenses.
The health board audit for 2003 was sparked by a series in The Vindicator on travel and other spending by county officials.
The state audit of the health board for 2003 issued findings for recovery for a total of $6,313.
The majority of the findings, or $5,834, were against Morehead. He had repaid $1,259 of that amount by Oct. 8, 2004, when the audit was released. The remaining $4,574 is unpaid, however, according to Montgomery's office.
Findings of $155 against board of health members Jack Amato and Matt Borza are also unpaid. Environmental director Mark Nicol owes $168. Montgomery's office made the findings after the men went to a conference a day early.
Sloppy records
Montgomery said the first audit uncovered "a pattern of sloppy record-keeping and unsubstantiated expenses." But she has not revealed the other years of health department records the special audit has been examining the past 17 months.
When the special audit was announced, she said it would "help determine the feasibility of pursuing any potential criminal charges."
But the state auditor has limits on her authority.
"We can make findings, but we can't prosecute," Montgomery said.
The health board has clearly supported Morehead, she continued.
"No matter what we said, the board ratified all of the expenditures," Montgomery said. "It's been an extraordinarily frustrating case for our office. We have the board of health making a blanket ratification of the expenditures."
The board had approved Morehead's expenditures before the audit.
Montgomery did not say whether the board members could face civil or criminal penalties for approving expenses despite the guidance of her office.
Montgomery's spokeswoman, Jennifer Detwiler, said that Herron will not get a formal special audit. Instead, his office will get a packet of information about the board's spending.
The information, like a special audit, is confidential, pending Herron's decision on whether to file any charges, Detwiler added.
The information would become public if Herron does not take any action.
Herron has met several times with state auditors during the special audit. He could not be reached to comment.
CONTRIBUTOR: David Skolnick, Vindicator politics writer.