Auditor: Former Richland County JFS director owes $16,614 for unworked hours

MANSFIELD — Former Richland County Job & Family Services Executive Director Sharlene Neumann apparently owes the government $16,614 after allegedly being paid for more than 350 hours that she didn’t actually work.

Findings for recovery totaling that amount were issued Tuesday against Neumann by Ohio Auditor Keith Faber’s office, according to an emailed press release.

Neumann denied the claims laid out by the state auditor during a phone call with Richland Source Tuesday morning.

The determination was included in a special audit conducted by the Auditor of State’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU), which received a complaint that Neumann had been paid for time when she was not actually at work or was conducting personal business, among other issues.

The special audit, which covered April 5, 2021 through Aug. 6, 2022, confirmed Neumann either left early or arrived late, was absent altogether, or conducted personal business during working hours without submission of proper leave requests, according to the press release from Faber’s office.

“In accordance with the foregoing facts and pursuant to Ohio Rev. Code § 117.28, a finding for recovery for public money illegally expended is hereby issued against Tresa Sharlene Neumann and her bonding company, CORSA Property and Casualty, in the amount of $16,614, in favor of Richland County’s Public Assistance Fund,” the audit report said.

The Auditor of State’s Office, serving as special prosecutor in the case, determined there was insufficient evidence to pursue criminal charges, but that the findings for recovery were warranted, according to the press release.

The audit stated that the county Human Resources department maintained a log of Neumann’s work attendance during the audit period due to concerns from county officials.

During a state hearing in July 2023, Neumann admitted to not working at times she was logged as absent by the Human Resources director, but that her assistant failed to request leave on her behalf despite her instructions to do so.

Neumann’s assistant denied these claims.

“We reviewed Ms. Neumann’s leave requests for the Period, and we did not find any instances where Ms. Neumann requested leave and her assistant failed to input the request,” the special audit stated.

“We found many other instances where Ms. Neumann instructed her assistant to request leave on her behalf and the assistant requested the leave.”

Richland County commissioners are not meeting this week. But Commissioner Darrell Banks said Tuesday he agreed with the findings.

“I applaud the Auditor of State holding public employees accountable. I expect the Board of Commissioners to make a statement at our next regularly scheduled meeting,” Banks said.

Neumann denies wrongdoing, calls investigation politically motivated

Neumann also provided a letter dated April 1, which she said was sent to the State Auditor’s Office to outline her argument against the state’s proposed Finding for Recovery.

Neumann said that she followed the same practices for managing her time and requesting time off during the audit period that she had during her prior years as director.

She also claimed the allegations against her and subsequent investigation were the result of “dirty politics.”

“In my capacity as Director, for nearly 17 years there was no other reports of discrepancy of hours,” Neumann said.

“I enjoyed flexible working hours as duly approved by the Board of Commissioners, affording me to discretion to establish my own work schedule and patterns, including commencement and cessation times.

“Such flexibility inherently contradicts the accusations leveled against me by the county.”

Neumann singled out Banks in her rebuttal to the state, alleging he was biased against her due to philosophical differences.

“I was a faithful public servant for over 40 years,” Neumann told Richland Source. “Darrell Banks and I did not agree on how this community needs to be served in terms of people in poverty.

“He wants to reduce government spending and I did not.”

Banks denied that he had any personal grudge against Neumann.

“Prior to the investigation there wasn’t any problem between her and I that I know of,” he said. “I stand behind what the auditor came up with. “

The full special audit detailing allegations against Neumann and other JFS employees and the resulting investigation is available below.

Investigation failed to substantiate alleged conflict of interest claims

Neumann’s career with Richland County JFS began in 1981, when she was hired as a social worker. She was later promoted to program administrator for public assistance programs.

She became the agency’s director in 2005. She retired effective November 30, 2021, but was rehired by the county as director with a start date of December 1, 2021.

Neumann abruptly resigned in August 2022. The investigation began in October 2022, when Faber’s office was contacted by county officials alleging theft of time by Neumann.

County officials also alleged possible conflict of interest violations by Neumann, former JFS Youth and Family Council Executive Director Teresa Alt and former Business Administrator Carmen Torrence.

“Ms. Neumann’s husband was identified as connected to two companies with potential relationships with the County, Heartland Academy and The Reach. There were concerns
Ms. Neumann used her position and influence at the JFS to secure County contracts and potentially items of value with these companies,” the state audit notes.

“Additionally, it was alleged, Ms. Alt and Ms. Torrence authorized improper payments, including a payment to Ms. Neumann’s daughter in law, while Ms. Torrence was concurrently the Fiscal Officer for both Heartland Academy and The Reach. County officials provided documentation related to an internal investigation completed by the County,” according to the audit.

Both Alt and Torrence were terminated by the county in November 2022.

Alt had worked for the agency as executive director of the youth and family council since 2011. Torrence had worked for the county since 2001 and became the agency’s business manager and fiscal officer in 2004.

She was also the fiscal for the county’s youth and family council, workforce investment board and chief financial officer for third party vendors Heartland Academy and The Reach.

With regards to conflict allegations against Alt, the auditor said:

“During October 2021, a party was held to celebrate Ms. Neumann’s 40 years of service. Ms. Alt authorized the payment of specialty t-shirts and cupcakes for the celebration. The County paid $480 for the t-shirts and cupcakes.

“Additionally, the cupcakes were purchased from Ms. Neumann’s daughter-in-law. This activity is not a proper public purpose use of County funds and in the future similar activity could result in a finding for recovery,” according to the audit.

However, the audit was unable to substantiate other conflict of interest claims.

“In determining whether contracts or potential items value were properly executed related to the REACH and Heartland Academy, and whether a conflict of interest existed, we were unable to substantiate whether Ms. Neumann, Ms. Alt and Ms. Torrence used their influence or authority to benefit family and a related party,” the audit states.

According to the audit, the county started doing business with The Reach, Inc. in 2016 for speech therapy services, including the use of Augmentative Communication Devices.

That contract and all subsequent contracts were signed by the superintendent of the Richland County Board of Developmental Disabilities and the owner/president of The Reach. Ms. Torrence processed the payments.

The audit also states the County did not have a contract with Heartland Academy and no payments were made from the County to Heartland Academy.

“While questionable items were approved for the benefit of The Reach and Heartland Academy, we were unable to identify sufficient evidence of a conflict,” the audit stated.