“The Auditor of State did not audit the accompanying financial statements and, accordingly, we are unable to express, and do not express an opinion on them,” Chief Deputy Auditor Tiffany Ridenbaugh wrote in a Feb. 12 letter. “Our review was made in reference to the applicable sections of legislative criteria, as reflected by the Ohio Constitution, and the Revised Code, policies, procedures and guidelines of the Auditor of State, regulations and grant requirements. The City of Springfield is responsible for compliance with these laws and regulations.”
Eviston said during the city’s regular commission meeting Tuesday that she elected to clarify language in the letter to avoid “speculation.”
“I have submitted a public records request for additional documentation from the auditor of state. While we have not yet received formal records, the auditor of state has informed us that the matter involves a complaint concerning a former employee,” Eviston said. “That is the only investigation currently underway involving the city of Springfield; There is no broader financial investigation related to the city’s audit.”
Reviews of complaints to the Auditor of State are “a routine part of their oversight role and are not uncommon for public entities like Springfield,” Eviston said.
“We will continue to cooperate fully and share any official updates if and when they are issued by the Auditor of State’s office,” Eviston said.
The independent audit reported that financial statements “present fairly” the city’s financial position, activities, major funds and aggregate remaining fund information.
A citizen last year submitted a complaint to the Ohio Auditor of State in September about the Springfield city manager and assistant city manager’s travel expenses and use of procurement cards. The Auditor of State’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) evaluated the complaint and referred the matter to the Auditor of State’s West Region for further evaluation.
When the Auditor of State receives a complaint, it is reviewed by the SIU to determine if it is in the office’s jurisdiction, if it contains enough evidence of “potential crimes that warrant the opening of a preliminary audit and investigation,” or if it should be reviewed in the course of a regular financial audit, the office said previously.
The complaint was specifically linked to the city manager and assistant city manager’s 2023 trip to the Paris Air Show, which the city said previously was part of planning its National Advanced Air Mobility Center of Excellence (NAAMCE). That facility was completed in 2024 next to the terminal at Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport. The two-story, 30,000-square-foot office building is home to administrative, laboratory, meeting and collaboration space and includes 25,000 square feet of aircraft hangar space for the Air Force and private industry.
The $9.1 million project was mostly funded by state and national partners, with the city putting in about $500,000. The state-of-the-art facility is funded through partnerships with the Department of Defense, Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL).
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