Mahoning County re-establishes audit committee, names 6 members

CANFIELD

The Mahoning County commissioners have re-established a long-dormant audit committee and appointed six people to it – two bank presidents, a university official, the local public library system director and two county officials.

The bank presidents are James M. Gasior of Cortland Banks and Gary M. Small of United Community Financial Corp.

The academic official is Dr. Peter Woodlock, chairman of accounting and finance at Youngstown State University, and the library official is Heidi M. Daniel, executive director of the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County.

The county officials are Auditor Ralph T. Meacham and Commissioner Chairwoman Carol Rimedio-Righetti.

Meacham, Woodlock and Gasior are certified public accountants.

The committee’s purpose “is to ensure accountability, transparency and compliance with the annual audit process,” Meacham said after the commissioners re-established the panel at their Canfield meeting Thursday.

The committee, whose re-establishment was urged by the state auditor’s office, will “provide independent review and oversight of the county’s financial reporting processes, internal controls and independent auditors,” he added.

The audit committee must meet at least twice a year, once in the annual audit’s planning phase and again at the independent auditors’ exit conference.

Read more about the new panel in Saturday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.