COLUMBUS – Auditor of State Keith Faber declared a fiscal emergency Friday for Vienna Township in Trumbull County, after an analysis of the township’s finances confirmed a substantial deficit and treasury deficiencies.

The township will now come under the oversight of a financial planning and supervision commission, with the Auditor of State’s Office serving as financial supervisor, to develop a plan to eliminate the fiscal emergency conditions.

The full fiscal emergency analysis is available online at https://ohioauditor.gov/auditsearch/search.aspx

The Auditor of State’s Office declares fiscal emergency if any one of six conditions exists: 1) default on debt obligation; 2) failure to make payment of all payroll; 3) an increase in the minimum levy of the township that results in the reduction in the minimum levy of another subdivision; 4) significant past due accounts payable; 5) substantial deficit balances in township funds; and 6) a sizeable deficiency when the township’s treasury balance is compared to the positive cash balances of the township’s funds.

Vienna Township met two of those conditions: It had a deficit fund balance of more than $1 million, the largest portion of which was attributable to fire services; and the township treasury had a deficiency of $627,636.

With Vienna Township’s addition Friday, there are now 12 communities with fiscal emergency declarations, including three cities, seven villages, and two townships. Seven of those declarations have been in place for more than six years, including one, the City of East Cleveland, that was declared in October 2012.

Additional information about fiscal distress declarations is available online at https://ohioauditor.gov/fiscaldistress.html.

Friday’s fiscal emergency declaration is separate from an investigation by the Auditor of State’s Special Investigations Unit into Vienna Township. That investigation is ongoing.

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The Auditor of State’s Office, one of five independently elected statewide offices in Ohio, is responsible for auditing more than 5,900 state and local government agencies. Under the direction of Auditor Keith Faber, the office also provides financial services to local governments, investigates and prevents fraud in public agencies, and promotes transparency in government.