SHILOH — Christmas came early for officials in the Village of Shiloh.
While likely not a present on anyone’s wishlist, more time to reconcile the village’s financial records may end up as the best gift of the holiday season.
Shiloh Mayor Paul Currier said on Tuesday night that the Ohio Auditor of State’s Office has granted the village an extension on its deadline to reconcile its financial records from 2022, 2023 and 2024.
Shiloh now has until the end of February 2026 to revise its financial records and provide the data necessary to complete the audit.
Currier said he met with officials from the state auditor’s office on Dec. 3, who decided to grant the extension based on progress made by Shirley Reeder — a former village fiscal officer who Shiloh recently retained to reconcile the financial records in question.
“They did see good progress in what is going on. That’s what it all boiled down to,” Currier said.
Reeder expects to be finished reconciling the records by the February deadline, the mayor said Tuesday night.
The village was originally given 90 days from Sept. 3 to reconcile its inadequate records after Auditor of State Keith Faber issued a press release in September which declared Shiloh as “unauditable.”
Specifically, auditors were “unable to obtain accurate and complete monthly bank reconciliations for 2022, 2023 and 2024.”
Legal action was on the table had the village not been able to show any progress by the end of the original 90-day deadline. Possible legal action included Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost issuing a subpoena for Currier and Terri Sweeney, the village’s fiscal officer, “to explain their failure to bring accounts, records, and reports into an auditable condition.”
Additionally, Yost could have filed suit to compel the preparation and/or production of the necessary information to complete an audit, according to the September release from the state auditor’s office.
Shiloh was offered a contract for assistance from Local Government Services, a consulting and fiscal advisory group through the state auditor’s office. LGS’ services would have cost the village $50 per hour.
After Reeder expressed interest to the village in regards to helping with the audit, Shiloh Village Council passed a resolution to retain the former fiscal officer at a rate of $20 per hour — saving the village $30 per hour of help provided.
Currier said he’s been pleased with Reeder’s efforts.
“She is doing a fine job and she keeps me up to date,” the mayor said.
