At times the two-hour meeting resembled a trial as upset residents repeatedly questioned trustees, Alan Daniel, Brian McGuire and Jeff Willoughby, when they didn’t get the answers they wanted.
Carolyn Dell Patrick, one of the most vocal residents during the meeting at Pleasant Ridge United Methodist Church, said she was “very concerned” after reading the state auditor’s report and stories in the Journal-News.
“It’s not right,” she said after the meeting when referring to the actions taken by the trustees. “It’s sad that it came to this.”
Willoughby, president of the board, said it was important to hold the meeting so local residents could voice their concerns. The trustees are “not trying to hide anything,” he said.
Some of the meeting focused on Schenck and the voting actions of Daniel and former Trustee Thomas Hall, now a state representative.
The audit said Daniel voted on 36 road department ordinances in 2018 and 2019 when he should have abstained because his son Todd Daniel is road supervisor.
Daniel was questioned whether he ever voted to give his son a raise. He said he approved a raise only if the entire three- or four-person road department received raises, not just his son.
The audit also said State Rep. Thomas Hall, R-Madison Twp., then a trustee, voted on 26 fire department ordinances in 2018 and 2019 and he should have abstained since his father, Kent Hall, is fire chief.
Hall wasn’t at the meeting, but earlier he told the Journal-News he only voted on issues regarding the “whole fire department” and never on issues that directly impacted his father’s personal gains, like raises.
Before he voted, Hall said he discussed the “right procedures” with then Twp. Administrator Todd Farler to make sure “all bases were covered.”
Schenck paid the $25,000 to Madison Twp., via a cashier’s check, in June 2022, the state said. Schenck, who has served as fiscal officer for 23 years, makes $24,000 a year, she said.
The total included $24,395 in fees and penalties from the Internal Revenue Service for late filings and $749 in late fees and interest charges for credit card and utilities payments, the state said in a release.
Schenck said this was her “first bad audit” and it could be traced back to her cancer diagnosis in 2018 and her son’s Guillain-Barre syndrome diagnosis. Because of her family medical issues, Schenck said she fell behind in her fiscal officer duties.
“I should have signaled for help,” said Schenck, who said she won’t run for re-election when her term expires on March 31, 2024. “Mistakes happen. I want to take full responsibility for that. Not an example of my best work.”
Schenck said money never was missing and by reimbursing the township paid, it was “whole.” Schenck said she did nothing illegal, unethical or immoral.
“I want the township to be successful,” she said.
Willoughby said since the audit was released he has contacted the Butler County Prosecutor’s Office and the Ohio Ethics Commission seeking answers. He believes the township needs more guidance to keep these type of infractions from occurring.
He said the township needs to “look forward.”
About the Author
