Ohio auditor warning cities, counties headed for financial cliff

The Columbus Dispatch | Dean Narciso, Jim Siegel

Things aren’t all bad for Ohio’s counties and cities, but some are in danger of falling off a financial cliff, according to a new analysis by state Auditor Dave Yost designed to predict future budget troubles.

Yost unveiled new searchable online reports Wednesday that scores Ohio’s 247 cities and 88 counties on 17 financial indicators, painting a broad picture of financial health by highlighting specific areas of concern that could spell future financial headaches.

Yost said he challenged his staff years ago to “figure out when a community is heading for trouble before they actually get there.”

“This was an outgrowth of one of the more frustrating elements of my job,” Yost said. “I hate putting communities in fiscal emergency.”

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