Both women were direct relatives of veterans services board members when they were hired. Bruner is the wife of board member Ted Bruner, and Franck is the daughter of then-board member Gary Hemmerich.
State auditors referred the situation to the Ohio Ethics Commisison to see if it violates Ohio nepotism laws, according to the letter, obtained through a public records request.
Reached by phone, Darke County Veterans Services Board Chair Bill Cooper Cooper defended the hirings, saying they were cleared in 2007 by late county prosecutor Richard Howell.
Auditors wrote in the August letter that the board’s meeting minutes show both Bruner and Hemmerich were present during closed-door sessions in which performance evaluations for the agency’s four employees were discussed.
However, Cooper said Ted Bruner and Hemmerich recused themselves from any discussion involving raises for or evaluation of their family members.
“They left the room when we went into executive session. They did not take part in the vote, as I recall,” Cooper said.
When asked, he said the administrative jobs were posted publicly, but he wasn’t sure if anyone else applied.
Auditors noted Cynthia Bruner and Franck’s pay increased from $13 an hour when they were hired in 2007 to $20 an hour in 2010.
Ted Bruner, who is also the jail administrator for the Darke County Sheriff’s Office, didn’t respond to messages seeking comment. Hemmerich couldn’t be reached for comment.
Auditors also criticized the administrative procedures of the veterans services agency as part of the overall audit of Darke County. Ohio Auditor Dave Yost ordered three of the veterans services agency’s four employees to repay a total of $9,700 in what he said was an overpayment.
The $9,700 is the result of a disagreement between state auditors and the veterans services board over whether the employees were salaried or paid by the hour.
The veterans services commission filed a lawsuit in Darke County Common Pleas Court last month asking a judge to decide whether the employees should be required to repay the money.
State auditors found under written policies and other records that the employees were overpaid based on a 40-hour work week.
However, the veterans services board denies there was any overpayment. The county veteran board’s employees worked fewer than 40 hours a week because they were salaried, paid for a 38-hour work week, said Mike Moses, an attorney who is representing the veterans in the lawsuit.
About the Author