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MRT fiscal officer hires assistant

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MAD RIVER TOWNSHIP – Mad River Township Fiscal Officer Maralee Leonard has hired a former business officer manager from the private sector to provide part-time assistance to the fiscal officer.

In a written memo addressed to Mad River Township Trustees, Leonard stated that Ohio Revised Code Section 507.02 (A) affirms that “the township fiscal officer may hire and appoint one or more persons as the fiscal officer finds necessary to provide assistance to the township fiscal officer or deputy fiscal officer. The township fiscal officer may set the compensation of those persons subject to the prior approval of the board of township trustees.”

“There is no additional action necessary by the Mad River Township Board of Trustees as this was a line item within the appropriations budget approved for Fiscal Year 2015 and for each prior year since 2009,” Leonard said during the Monday, Aug. 17 township meeting.

Leonard also pointed out that she had previously discussed the issue of hiring an assistant with township trustees and was told that such a decision would be “political suicide.” Therefore, she refrained from hiring anyone at that time.

“I am not one for making decisions based on political motivations. However, I have determined that it is the right thing to do at this time,” Leonard said. “With the increasing demands of this position and the ever-increasing records requests which I facilitate, I believe an assistant will be an asset to the township which we all serve.”

Leonard noted that Jessica Emrick would begin her employment as assistant to the township fiscal officer Aug. 18 and would receive an hourly wage of $15. Leonard said Emrick would not assume any fiscal responsibilities until her bond was approved. According to Ohio Revised Code 507.021 (C), assistants to fiscal officers are required to give bond before assuming fiscal tasks.

A longtime resident of Mad River Township, Emrick brings three years of work experience in business office management at Miami Jacobs Career College to the township position. She also served eight years as a customer service representative and intake specialist at Opportunities for Individual Change (OIC)of Clark County, seven years as a childcare employee at Oesterlen Services for Youth and two years as a bank teller at Security National Bank.

The 1996 graduate of Greenon High School also received an Associate’s Degree in Juvenile Corrections from Hocking College in 1998.

In other business, Enon and Mad River Township Fire and EMS Chief Tracy Young reported to trustees that the fire and EMS department had been awarded a $40,000 grant by the State of Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation for the purchase of emergency equipment designed to substantially reduce or eliminate injuries and their related costs.

According to Young, the grant funds, which require a portion of matching funds, will be used to purchase a Ferno iN/X integrated patient transport and loading system. The powered self-loading stretcher can transition from one surface to another surface of different height with minimal effort on the part of the EMS crew.

“This system will be installed in our new medic unit which is currently being fabricated at Horton Ambulance Inc,” Young said. “It is expected to be delivered by late October.”

The Mad River Township Board of Trustees will meet 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 8 due to Labor Day occuring at 260 E. Main St. in Enon.

By Linda Collins

For the Herald

Linda Collins is a freelance writer for Greene County News.