MARION, OH (MARION COUNTY NOW)— The Marion City Council held a meeting on Monday where Greg Blake from the CPA firm Veritas provided an update on the unreconciled books for 2021 and 2022.

Blake informed the council that there is a significant difference between the actual amount of money in the city’s account and what is shown on the reports. Veritas is working with the city, state, and software developer to resolve this issue, which appears to be a software glitch rather than a misappropriation of funds. Blake expressed frustration in obtaining answers from the software developer, New World. The problem seems to be related to the utility department billing, where the cash payments recorded do not match the deposits made into the bank. Until the issue is resolved, Blake recommended relying on the auditor’s cash reconciliation statements as the most accurate representation of the city’s finances. It is worth noting that the New World software has been successfully used by the city for the past eight years.

Marion Auditor Miranda Meginness admitted to misappropriation of funds and coding an expense in a way that would hide the payment of an IRS penalty.

Meginness claimed that her actions were not driven by malicious intent.

Councilman Ayers Ratliff, when contacted by Marion County Now, emphasized the seriousness of Meginness’ misconduct. He stated that the auditor falsified ordinances and paid bills that were not appropriate to be paid with public funds.

Ratliff attributed these actions to incompetence in Meginness’ office and criticized her for paying the bills without authorization and attempting to cover them up in the system with false documentation.

Meginness initially resigned in early December but later rescinded her resignation. The council expressed a vote of no confidence in her and explored options to remove her from office.

In a previous interview with Marion County Now, Ratliff expressed a loss of confidence in the city auditor’s office based on the performance of both Meginness and former auditor Robert Landon III.

As a result, Ratliff now questions the city’s financial stability, stating that they have had to operate without accurate information on revenue and expenses for the past four years due to the lack of a competent auditor.

Marion County Now will continue to follow this developing story.