Marion City Auditor Miranda Meginness reconsiders resignation: continues role amid controversy

MARION, OH (MARION COUNTY NOW)—City of Marion Auditor Miranda Meginness has decided not to resign from office.

Meginness notified city officials on Dec. 11, 2023, of her intention to resign from office effective Jan. 5, 2024, stating in a letter, “I hereby resign my position as City Auditor effective January 5, 2024. I have accepted another position (transit director) within the City to assist in the transition.”

However, in a subsequent letter sent to city officials on Jan. 4, Meginness stated, “I hereby rescind my resignation effective January 5, 2024. I will be staying in the position of City Auditor.”

Meginness issued a press release to Marion County Now later in the day on Jan. 4, stating the following reason for changing her mind about resigning from office: “After further reflection, I have realized that my decision was hasty and not in my best interest or that of the City of Marion.

“Since submitting my resignation, I have had the opportunity to reassess the situation, and I believe that the circumstances surrounding my resignation need additional review. This has led me to reconsider my decision to resign.”

She did not elaborate about what the “circumstances” are that “need additional review.”

Meginness said she had been offered the position of city transit director by then Mayor-elect Bill Collins, which she would transition into after resigning from the auditor’s office.

In an interview with Marion County Now on Dec. 11, Collins said he had informed Meginness during a meeting late last year that he “would consider her for that position if she chose to resign (from the auditor’s office) after the first of the year.” Collins said he was confident that Meginness would be able to handle the daily operation of the transit department, noting that “her capabilities will allow her to do that job and hopefully do it well for the city.”

Marion City Councilman Ayers Ratliff has been a vocal critic of Meginness’ performance as auditor and was vehemently opposed the idea to transfer her into the transit director’s position. He claims Collins pressured Meginness into resigning.

“I’ve had conversations with Auditor Meginness and have told her my feelings that she is not a good auditor and this is not a long-term job for her,” Ratliff told Marion County Now. “But she was bullied and intimidated by (Mayor Bill Collins) and I support her short-term decision of pulling back her resignation.”

Councilmen Jason Schaber and Mike Neff expressed confusion and disappointment with Meginness’ about-face regarding her resignation.

“It doesn’t make any sense to me. Nothing out of the auditor’s office makes sense to me anymore,” Schaber told Marion County Now. “There is something there, but I can’t put my finger on what it could be. It doesn’t feel right. Time will tell.”

Neff questioned Meginness’ “job performance,” stating that “she simply isn’t able to handle the finances of the city.”

“Marion cannot continue to allow her to mismanage the city’s finances,” Neff told Marion County Now. “Mayor Collins has offered her a position as the transit director and it would be in her and the city’s best interest to for her to accept that position and resign as Marion’s auditor.”

Meginness was appointed to the auditor’s position in November 2021 by the Marion County Republican Party Central Committee to replace embattled former auditor Robert Landon III. Landon resigned amid turmoil in October 2021 after less than two years in office. She subsequently disaffiliated with the Republican Party and ran as an independent in the 2023 general election, easily winning after running without opposition.

After what she considered a good early run as auditor, Meginness said she experienced turmoil during the last six months of 2023 due in large part to severe disagreements with council members regarding the purchase of a new fire truck and the more recent revelation that the city is facing a series of fines by the Internal Revenue Service related to the city’s failure to file health insurance information forms with the federal tax agency.

Meginness narrowly survived a vote of no confidence by Marion City Council on Aug. 14, 2023. However, since then there have been calls by city council members Ayers Ratliff and Aaron Rollins and former Mayor Scott Schertzer for Meginness to resign from office. Another vote of no confidence was on the agenda for the Dec. 11 city council meeting, but city council did not take any action on it.

Marion City Council is scheduled to meet at 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 8 at City Hall. To see the agenda for the meeting, go to marionohio.us. To listen to the audio recordings of Marion City Council meetings, go to the City of Marion Ohio YouTube channel.