Tuesday, March 28, 2000
Reserved water fund is tracked
Warren asks where it went
BY CINDI ANDREWS
The Cincinnati Enquirer
HARVEYSBURG — Warren County officials are looking into this village's use of water reserve money about six months before the county took over the water system.
Financial reports indicate the reserve at one point held more than $80,000, the county's sanitary engineer, Dick Renneker, said Monday.
However, when the county agreed to take over the village water department in January — including assuming its debts — the reserves totaled just $8,000. That money was turned over to the county as part of the deal.
“We were taking their word for it” that was the entire balance, Mr. Renneker said.
He said he has asked the state auditor's office to look into the reserve fund as part of its regular audit of the village, to take place in April.
“As a result of the (county's) preliminary review, we do have some questions,” Mr. Renneker said.
But Harveysburg Mayor Woody Andrew said at a Village Council meeting Monday night that the rest of the reserve went toward a building and a truck last summer, before the county started seriously discussing taking over the village water department. Both items were meant partly for water department use.
“We had no idea if they were going to take” over the department, Pat Long, the village attorney, said after the meeting.
Other financial questions arose this month, when the village learned it was overdrawn about $9,200 on one of its bank accounts. Council authorized borrowing $15,200, but some revenue came in, so that wasn't necessary.
Harveysburg, a town of 500 near Caesar Creek in northeast Warren County, has had financial troubles before.
Its agreement to let the county run the village water system was intended to alleviate some of those problems. The move also lowered the average resident's bimonthly water bill from $49 to $17.
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Reserved water fund is tracked
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