State audit: 4 Bethel Twp. officials from 2022 were overpaid in Clark County

What happened

Based on the growth of Bethel Twp.’s budget, under Ohio law, trustees Nancy Brown, David Phares and Donald Minton should have each received a monthly salary of $1,548.33 for October through December 2021. However, they were each paid a monthly salary of $1,194.83 for that period, the same that they had been paid earlier in the year, when the township’s budget was lower, according to the state audit.

This resulted in underpayment of $1,060.50 each, the auditor’s report says.

Fiscal officer Stacey McKenzie was also underpaid during that same time frame. McKenzie should have received a monthly salary of $2,357.25 for October through December 2021; however, she was paid a monthly salary of $2,053.83 for October through December 2021 resulting in underpayment of $910.26, according to the auditor’s report.

When trying to correct the error in early 2022, the township ended up paying those individuals more than what was owed due to miscalculations, according to the state auditor’s report, which was released Tuesday.

In January 2022, the township mistakenly issued “true-up payments” to each trustee in the amount of $4,242. A true-up payment is an additional payment made to reconcile differences between estimated and actual amounts in a pay arrangement.

But the true-up payments were based on 12 months of underpayment instead of just the three months they were underpaid. As a result, the trustees were overpaid by $3,181.50 each, according to the audit.

McKenzie also received a true-up payment that was an incorrect amount, the auditor’s report says. As a result, the McKenzie was overpaid by $2,730.78.

McKenzie reimbursed the township $2,404.44 in August 2022 for the overpayment, but the state found she still owed a little more back to the township. The reimbursement was calculated using the net pay instead of gross pay, resulting in a remaining amount due of $326.34. McKenzie and her bonding company, Ohio Township Association Risk Management Authority, repaid the township in the amount of $326.34 on Dec. 5, 2024.

Brown also repaid $3,181.50 to the township on Dec. 5, 2024. Phares, who is no longer a trustee, repaid $2,806.21 on Dec. 14, 2024 and $375.29 on Jan. 29, 2025.

The third trustee, Minton, died in February 2022, right after the overpayment happened. The audit says, “The $3,181.50 owed by Trustee Minton (deceased) remains outstanding.”

Township officials did not respond to requests for comment about the original overpayment.