City Receives Award For Financial Reporting Practices
BY NANCY GAGNET — MIRROR REPORTER
In terms of fiscal responsibility, the city of Maumee is among the top 5 percent in the state.
At Monday’s Maumee City Council meeting, Brian Dicken, Northwest Ohio regional liaison for state auditor Mary Taylor, presented Maumee city finance director Dave Hazard with the Making Your Tax Dollars Count Award for the 2007 fiscal audit.
“To receive this award is something that takes everyone working together to reach,” Dicken said. “Fewer than 5 percent of all Ohio government agencies are eligible for this award.”
The award is based on the city’s comprehensive annual financial report, or CAFR. In addition, no findings or issues could be present on the state audit report and there could be no other financial concerns involving the city.
The CAFR follows an extensive set of standards set by the Government Finance Officers Association, Hazard explained.
For the past 15 years, the department has implemented the standards into its reporting practices.
“It’s become an industry standard for government reporting,” Hazard said.
He also said that those standards are needed in order to have the city’s financial information accepted and reviewed by the lending industry.
“When we go to sell debt, we want to provide our financial position so they can read our report and they know what they’re reading,” he explained.
“Ours is a relatively complex organization and we’re dealing in dollars that are fairly significant and we have decided that that is the best way to present ourselves to the capital markets,” he said.
Finance committee chair and council member Todd Zimmerman said that the information provided by the finance department is “very helpful.”
“The issues that we have to address in committee complements the finance department and their level of orderliness and accuracy – and that’s reassuring to know,” he said.
State auditor Mary Taylor began presenting the Making your Tax Dollars Work Award in January 2007. Since then, fewer than 300 of the 5,600 agencies audited have received the award.
To see the audit, visit www.auditor.state.oh.us and follow the link to Maumee.
Also at the meeting, council members:
• Heard council president Richard Carr report that the buildings and lands committee recommended proceeding with the sale of the former fire station property on East William Street.
The property has been divided into five lots, appraised at $36,500 each, for the purpose of building single-family homes.
Sealed bids for each parcel will be accepted November 18 through December 16, with the minimum accepted bid starting at the appraised value of $36,500.
Advertisements outlining conditions of the sale will begin October 16.
Council unanimously agreed to proceed with the sale.
• Approved a special revenue fund for proceeds from certain municipal court fees.
• Approved the purchase of 12 patrol rifles from Kiesler’s Police Supply for $17,243.16.
• Approved applying for grant funds for the Monclova Road resurfacing and Harrison Avenue reconstruction projects.
• Accepted the resignations of Michael Rizzo, tax commissioner, and James Hyland of the tree commission.
• Approved the renewal of monitoring services at Rolf Park Pool with Tattletale Portable Alarm Systems in the amount of $420 annually.
• Referred to finance committee the city job creation and retention grant and community reinvestment area programs.
• Awarded a $264,000 bid to Miller Cable for streetscape improvements to the west side of Conant Street.
Council member Michael Coyle was not present at the meeting.
The next Maumee City Council meeting is scheduled on Monday, October 20. The committee of the whole meets at 7:00 p.m. and the regular meeting begins at 7:30 p.m.
Maumee School District Rallies Support For November 4 Levy Request
BY NANCY GAGNET — MIRROR REPORTER
Maumee City Schools superintendent Dr. Greg Smith encouraged Maumee residents to spread the word: the schools need your vote this November to maintain the excellence so many take pride in.
Smith made the appeal to a group of supporters gathered on the front lawn of Gateway Middle School on October 1 during a school levy kick-off rally.
“The bottom line is that we will face severe and catastrophic loss of revenue in the 2009-10 school year,” he said, citing a projected $800,000 loss beginning in fiscal year 2009.
“As that trend continues, through the year 2016 over $5 million or 25 percent of our revenue will decline,” he said.
The school district is requesting a 5.9-mill operating levy on the November 4 ballot.
The new levy would cost the owner of a home valued at $100,000 an additional $180.69 per year.
District treasurer Paul Brotzki cited many of the economic issues that have led to the levy request including the state’s elimination of the tangible personal property tax, the loss of local tax revenues due to declines in real estate values, and stagnation in state funding.
In addition, increases in costs such as payroll, insurance and energy are adding to the district’s financial situation; however, he said the most important reason for levy support is to ensure that students receive a quality education.
“The real reason to pass the levy is for the students,” he said. “We need to make available to them the best education.”
If the levy passes, district officials say that money generated would keep the district in a positive financial balance through the year 2012.
“Everyone should get out the message of how critical it is for Maumee,” Smith said.
School board president Stephanie Piechowiak congratulated the students and staff for achieving the Ohio Department of Education’s highest rating – excellent with distinction – on the 2007-08 state report card. She said passage of the levy is vital to continue that level of accomplishment.
“I know I speak for the entire board when I say that when you think of Maumee, there is an enormous amount of pride when you see the accomplishments of the students and staff,” she said.
“Without the levy we will not address the serious loss of revenue beginning in 2009 and be able to continue to provide the services and programs to earn the excellent rating,” she said.
Mayor Tim Wagener acknowledged the financial hardship many face, but asked residents to consider the importance of Maumee schools within the community.
“A community is only as strong as its schools,” he said.
Campaign chairs include Tom Dussel and Ardis Dardenne, who also rallied support from the community.
“The best thing about Maumee is the people, and we do what we need to do to support the community,” Dardenne said. “We do this when times are good and when times are difficult. In doing so, we make Maumee the best place to live in the world.”
Maumee High School Celebrates Homecoming, Crowns A New King And Queen
These are sample articles that ran in The Mirror Newspaper.
To see what else you've been missing . . .
