The Observation Deck

Richard Baker wrote:

Mark Kindt wrote:

Richard Baker wrote:
Unfortunately, the Auditor of the State of Ohio, privatized much of its previous audit resources and that State Office has been totally unresponsive to numerous written citizen complaints.

It was the same in Illinois and the city paid for it. However, the auditor submitted his audit to the state and the city. Only a accounting firm with a death wish would not point out errors and emissions in the city books. The information that City of Lakewood being published is not, what the auditor reviewed as each fund has to be audited and checked for illegal fund transfers, etc. etc.

I suggest someone obtain the auditor's report in details, not the cover summary, for the last 10 years and start from there.

Mr. Baker, I would love to oblige you on this, but I do not have the resources to litigate with the City of Lakewood (or its external auditors) for the next three years to secure their compliance with the Ohio public record access laws.

Mr. Essi went down that road with two sets of public interest lawyers on hospital transaction records. It is still in litigation and is nearing the three year mark this Spring.

Transparency and accountability seem to be difficult concepts for the city administration to grapple with.

What we have seen over the past four years is that this takes immense amounts of heavy-lifting and legal resources.

That is the deterrent relied upon by our public officials.

Mark Kindt wrote:

Kate McCarthy wrote:Is it just me, or is "Other Major Special Revenue Funding Sources" an odd designation? And, is it also odd that in 2018 the most major, major special revenue funding source is the "Lakewood Hospital Fund (Cleveland Clinic Lease and EMS Billing)"? I've never understood where money came and went in this deal but I thought the lease payments ended when the master agreement was approved in 2015.

And there are no arrows associated with that box, does this mean those funds are set aside?

Call me completely confused.

It is my understanding that the City of Lakewood had a separate hospital lease agreement for the period between the closure of the hospital and the opening of the family health center. Some lease revenues were received and reported during that interim period.

Thanks for the clarification.