Commissioner raises $1.8 million TANF question as Athens County holds Community Cares funds; motion to place executive director on leave fails

At a March 31, 2026 meeting, Commissioner Chris Chmiel told the Athens County Board of Commissioners he is concerned about approximately $1.8 million in questioned or adjusted TANF expenditures identified during recent audit and reconciliation work, and said a significant portion may be linked to the county's Back-to-School Bash program.

Administrator JoAnn Rockhold reported the Community Cares Fund balance is $29,171.04, with allocations shown in the meeting packet: Back-to-School Bash $7,766.83; Operation Full Ability $1,210.46; an additional allocation of $2,221.94; and an estimated remaining balance of $17,771.81 for other projects. DJFS Director Jean Demosky requested returning specific funds to Child and Family Services pending certification; the board agreed to hold funds pending further review rather than act immediately.

Chmiel said audit work by Clark-Schaeffer-Hackett flagged issues including eligibility tracking and allocation of staff time between TANF and non-TANF activities. He described the potential consequence that improper allocations could require repayments to federal funders and asked for more detailed reconciliations and explanations of prior adjustments. The board agreed to invite the staff member referenced in the packet (identified only by first name, Sabrina) to a future meeting to address the adjustments and outstanding financial questions.

Chmiel moved to place the county's Executive Director on administrative leave and to conduct further investigation into a cited $2.5 million-plus repayment matter; the motion failed for lack of a second. Commissioners Charlie Adkins and Lenny Eliason said personnel matters are typically handled in executive session. The board subsequently entered executive session on an employment matter and returned with no action taken.

The discussion also covered Title IV-D contracts and county revenue: Chmiel requested clarification about an interruption to Title IV-D contract processing that had been discussed previously; the board recorded that contracts do not allow a pause and that contracts were later reinstated, and he warned interruptions could have reduced revenue. Chmiel said early 2026 case numbers were stable in January and February but projected March case counts down about 50%, which he said could affect future revenue projections.

The meeting packet lists the external auditor and shows a series of follow-up items the board asked staff to supply; the board did not vote to remove the executive director or to transfer funds during the March 31 session. The board said it will pursue further reconciliation and invite relevant staff to return with more detail.