{"id":23082,"date":"2012-04-12T05:29:54","date_gmt":"2012-04-12T10:29:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/?p=23082"},"modified":"2012-04-12T05:29:54","modified_gmt":"2012-04-12T10:29:54","slug":"wbesc-board-oks-raises-financial-audit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/2012\/04\/12\/wbesc-board-oks-raises-financial-audit\/","title":{"rendered":"WBESC board OKs raises, financial audit"},"content":{"rendered":"

Van Wert independent\/<\/strong>WBESC information<\/em><\/p>\n

PAULDING — The Western Buckeye Educational Service Center Governing Board discussed salaries and the agency\u2019s financial audit during its April meeting held Wednesday at the Paulding ESC office.<\/p>\n

Because of financial challenges for the agency, Superintendent Brian Gerber, Treasurer Gary Ginter, Assistant Treasurer Linda Clark and Director of Business Paul Clark opted to not take a pay increase for the coming school year.<\/p>\n

Certified and non-certified employees, who received no raises for the current school year, were given a 1-percent increase for the coming school year.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdministration and fiscal staff believed it was the appropriate action to take in order to cut costs and save some money by waiving their pay increase,\u201d Gerber said, adding that it was also felt that certified and non-certified staff deserved an increase, since those staff members did not receive an increase this school year.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe WBESC staff members working in the trenches are doing a tremendous job for our partner schools,\u201d Gerber noted. \u201cThey are dedicated, hard-working people who seldom complain about anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

The WBESC superintendent said he and his staff are working hard to keep costs down.<\/p>\n

\u201cOver the past year, we have taken several steps towards the goal of operating as lean as possible,\u201d Gerber told the board. \u201cWe sold the Van Wert office building as a means to offset the 32-percent funding cut we have experienced since 2007.\u201d<\/p>\n

While the superintendent admitted that the revenue generated by the cuts would not completely offset the spending decreases, they would help significantly.<\/p>\n

Gerber said the WBESC also decreased service fees in 2005 and hasn\u2019t raised them since that time. The agency has also absorbed a financial position, eliminated two other positions, and would continue to look at ways to operate as lean and efficiently as possible.<\/p>\n

On a more positive financial note, Gerber stated that the WBESC received the Auditor of State Award for having a \u201cclean\u201d audit report that included no findings for recovery, material citations, material weaknesses, significant deficiencies, single audit findings or questioned costs.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am very happy for our fiscal people,\u201d Gerber said. \u201cGary Ginter and Linda Clark work very hard to make sure all the I\u2019s are dotted and all the T\u2019s are crossed. They take great pride in their work and function very well as a team.\u201d<\/p>\n

Board President William Poe II and other board members commended the administrative team for the proactive steps it is taking to operate a very efficient and lean operation.<\/p>\n

In other action, the WBESC board:<\/p>\n