Delaware County authorizes auditor's compliance officer to pursue $41,044 in unclaimed funds

The Delaware County Board of Commissioners on Oct. 6 unanimously approved Resolution 25-801 authorizing Nancy Krieger, chief compliance officer for the county auditor, to file claims to recover unclaimed funds listed by the Ohio Department of Commerce.

George Kites, Delaware County auditor, told commissioners the county received a bulletin from the state auditor (bulletin 2025-008) notifying the county of unclaimed funds listed under the jurisdiction "Delaware County." The initial notice identified about $2,205, but county review found the potential to recover approximately $41,044 after expanding the search to related name variations and tags.

"We don't we don't know, and this was part of the problem. The commerce department website just identifies the amount, and it just gives the jurisdiction Delaware County," said George Kites, Delaware County auditor, describing why each claim must be investigated before filing.

Krieger described the work required to match listings to the proper county entity. County staff told the board the initial notice covered 23 claims ranging from about $5 to $500; additional listings with related name variants (for example, entries labeled "Delaware County," "Delaware," "Court of Common Pleas," or similar) expanded the potential total.

Commissioners emphasized that each claim must be individually verified to ensure funds belong to the county or a county agency before recovery actions proceed. The resolution delegates authority to Krieger to pursue and file the necessary claims; commissioners voted aye (Jeff Benton, Barb Lewis, Gary Merrill).

The auditor's office will research each entry, document ownership, and follow the state procedure for submitting claims to the Department of Commerce.