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Developmental Disabilities Board Gives Supt. Verbal Warning Over Finances

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The Athens County Board of Developmental Disabilities issued a verbal warning to Supt. Eric Young at its meeting on Tuesday for failing to provide accurate financial information to the agency’s board and stakeholders.

Last month, the board appointed a three-member committee to investigate whether there had been any wrongdoing by Young regarding the agency’s funds. As The Messenger previously reported, Young has stated that the agency’s expenditures have been outpacing its revenue and a review of programs and services is needed to address the situation.

Several stakeholders had expressed concern about the potential privatization of services provided by the board. The developmental disabilities board provides many services, including Beacon School, job training and placement and arts programming.

Board President John Day said that the committee — comprised of ACBDD members Jennifer DeForest, Pamela Bond and Terry Conry — found no issues indicating good cause for Young’s termination.

“In a separate action, the board has issued a verbal warning to the superintendent indicating that he needs to do a better job in presenting our financial information and working with stakeholders to come up with solutions to our budget deficit,” Day wrote in an email to The Messenger on Friday.

According to the committee’s report dated April 7, “Documents presented to the board and documents provided by county officials, specifically the auditor and prosecutor, show that the superintendent has at times during the past year provided the board, county officials, employees, clients and stakeholders with inaccurate and inconsistent financial information.”

The report further states, “Inaccurate and inconsistent financial information provided by Superintendent Young has impacted the effectiveness, efficiency, and credibility of the ACBDD, including, but not limited to, the board, all operations, and the management team. It has also negatively impacted employee relations.”

Day said that the agency’s business manager, Steve Kramer, has now worked through the reconciliation of its financials with the staff in the county auditor’s office. He said that he, Young, the business manager and a union representative will be attending a meeting on Wednesday with the auditor’s office to review those figures.

The next meeting of the Athens County Board of Developmental Disabilities is slated for May 27.