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Employee's autonomy rustrates trustees
Employee's autonomy rustrates trustees
By JOSEPH KOZIOL JR.
Chester Township Trustees are less than happy about a Geauga County Prosecutor Office's opinion on who has authority over an assistant to the fiscal officer.
"It flies in the face of logic," Trustee Mike Joyce said last week about the opinion that was handed to trustees Sept. 2.
That opinion, from Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Susan Wieland, informed trustees that although they hired the assistant, they have no authority over that employee other than to control the associated finances.
"It remains my opinion that the board of trustees and the fiscal officer may not assume that Joan Heppert's ultimate authority lies with the board of trustees," Ms. Wieland said.
Mr. Joyce said the opinion leaves trustees questioning whether any policy issued by trustees can be applied to an employee that it has no authority over.
"It does not seem right," Mr. Joyce said. "If we have no control, there could be all kinds of problems. How can we expect a certain type of work ethic?"
He said Ohio law allows a fiscal officer to hire assistants, but only if trustees provide the money. Mr. Joyce said if trustees approved up to $20,000 for an assistant, the fiscal officer could hire 20 assistants for $1,000 each. "It's ludicrous," he said.
Mr. Joyce said he hoped to gauge how other townships operate under this arrangement. He said he planned to take the matter up at the next township trustees' association dinner.
Trustee Judy Caputo said she also found the opinion difficult to accept.
She questions whether such a situation could leave a township vulnerable. Would the trustees' ability to learn what was happening with finances been impeded in the case of former Fiscal Officer Michael Spellman, who was convicted of stealing $4.3 million from the township.
As it stands now, Mrs. Caputo said, trustees have no ability to request a report from the assistant. Instead, the fiscal officer has to approve any report before it goes to the trustees. "Where's my ability to get a report?" Mrs. Caputo asked.
Like Mr. Joyce, she said, it appears that the policy manual for employees may not apply to the assistant.
Mrs. Caputo said because state law gives the fiscal officer control over her assistants, it may take a change in law to remedy the situation.
"It is something that needs to be taken to the state and changed," Mrs. Caputo said.
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