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Cuyahoga County made nearly $70,000 in improper payments to employees according to a state audit.
The Ohio Auditor's office says the county violated its charter in 2017 with nearly $63,000 in unauthorized hiring incentives and another $4,532 from incorrectly caculating overtime pay. A press release from the auditor states County Executive Armond Budish and Chief Talent Officer Douglas Dykes enacted a policy in 2016 allowing hiring incentives, bonuses and advanced paid leave, but it was invalid because it was never approved by county council.
More than $32,000 in improper payments were made to Deputy Chief Information Officer James Hay, who resigned earlier this year. All 18 employees who received the payments have returned the money or are in the process of repayment to the county. The auditor states most of them repaid the county via deductions from paychecks and accrued vacation leave. Others are paying the money back in monthly installments.
The county says it has adopted a new employee handbook that "does not permit any executive and/or special compensation."
