LIBERTY — It could take a little more time for the township to come out of a state of fiscal prudence, trustees and residents learned Monday.

As part of his report, Fiscal Officer Matthew Connelly said he had a meeting with the auditor of state to attempt to come out of fiscal caution, which the township was placed in years ago by Dave Yost.

Yost, who served as auditor from 2011 to 2019, said in a release at the time that a review of the township’s 2010 and 2011 audited financial statements found “significant deficiencies, material weakness and direct and material noncompliance with Ohio law.”

Yost noted the township expended $85,304 from the Police District Fund and $161,388 from the Fire District Fund to pay debt obligations of the General Fund and the 911 Communication Fund, which violated the Ohio Revised Code.

“They want to see more information, a more detailed three-year budget and capital plan — so we’re still working on that,” Connelly said.

Connelly said he has another meeting with the auditor’s office on March 23 and expects to be able to provide more information at the township’s April meeting.

As for the township’s current finances, Connelly said the funds are balanced as of March 1, adding that the police department fund was “a little tight” to kick off the year.

“We had to take an advance from the general fund to fund the police, for those first two months of the year,” Connelly said. “Real estate tax monies didn’t come in, they were a bit later than years’ past, so we had the ability to do that.”

Connelly said the police fund will repay the general fund for its cash advances, now that real estate tax money is coming in every Friday.

Trustees later approved advancing $55,000 from the township’s general fund to the police fund for wages and benefits, until the real estate taxes are distributed from the county.

POLICE ACTIVITY

The weather isn’t the only thing that will be heating up over the next few months.

Police Chief Ray Buhala noted in his remarks that residents should expect more patrols in the community.

“We pride ourselves on being in our neighborhoods, making sure our kids are safe. Whether they’re going to school, coming home, and playing outside afterwards, you’re going to see a high visibility and probably more enforcement action than you have in the past,” Buhala said. “We want to make an emphasis as we roll into summer that it’s not going to be tolerated.”

Buhala said officers also plan to crack down on littering, noting beer boxes along roads such as Keefer and Anderson Morris.

“If anybody sees anything, hears anything, call us. You see something thrown out the window, take a plate down, and give us a call. We will follow them,” Buhala said. “We’ve got to make sure our community looks the part and attracts residents.”