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Ohio's open records law citations revealed
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COLUMBUS
The Ohio auditor’s office issued 414 public records-related citations to 357 public entities during 2016, said State Auditor Dave Yost.
His announcement was timed to coincide with Sunshine Week, which begins today.
Statewide, the majority of citations stemmed from officials neglecting to attend state-required public-records trainings, entities lacking public-records policies or a failure to make the policy readily available to employees and the general public.
Auditors routinely review public-records practices during audits.
“Public records and transparency are not a matter of instinct. It requires training, and that’s why it’s in the law,” Yost said.
“When you take the public paycheck, you take the obligation to get trained. These documents belong to the people,” he added.
In Trumbull, Mahoning and Columbiana counties, citations were heavily concentrated in small and rural townships with part-time officials and in other relatively small governmental entities.
In Mahoning County, Goshen Township was cited for failure to fulfill public records training requirements, and the North East Ohio Network was cited concerning availability of public records and policies related thereto.
Goshen Township administration officials could not be reached for comment; and NEON’s executive director, Lori Chick, could not be reached for comment.
NEON is an Austintown-based regional council of governments consisting of 14 northeast Ohio county boards of developmental disabilities.
In Trumbull County, the Warren-Trumbull County Public Library and the Eagle Joint Fire District were cited for failure to fulfill public records training requirements; and the Howland Township Park District and Johnston Township were cited concerning availability of public records and policies related thereto.
“We like to be compliant, and we like to do what’s necessary. We take our responsibility seriously,” said Jan M. Vaughn, assistant director of the Warren-Trumbull County Public Library.
Vaughn and Jim Wilkins, library director, attended three hours of public records training Oct. 14, 2016, which was given by someone from Yost’s office at the Trumbull County Educational Service Center in Niles, Vaughn said.
However, the state auditor’s office’s citation against the library, contained in a Nov. 7, 2016, management letter to the library, covered 2014 and 2015.
The largely rural Columbiana County had the most citations in the tri-county area.
Unity Township in Columbiana County had two citations.
It had one citation each concerning availability of public records and policies related thereto and one concerning failure to fulfill public records training.
Unity Township officials could not be reached by phone Friday at their township hall for comment.
The cities of Columbiana and Salem were cited for failure to fulfill public records training requirements.
Franklin Township, the villages of Washingtonville and Salineville and the Columbiana County Drug Task Force got one citation each concerning availability of public records and policies related thereto.
“The auditor’s office is understanding of the demands placed on local governments,” and makes a significant effort to help them through its regional offices, including the one in Youngstown, said Yost’s press secretary, Beth Gianforcaro.