News
Deerfield Township Fiscal Officer John Wahle Resigns
Deerfield Township, OH—September 27, 2016 —Longtime Deerfield Township Fiscal Officer John R. Wahle announced his resignation on Wednesday, September 7th, having held the elected office for eight years. His resignation from office is effective October 1, 2016. Mr. Wahle was first elected to the fiscal officer’s seat for Deerfield Township in April, 2008, and then re-elected to the seat twice subsequently, in 2012 and 2016.
Among Mr. Wahle’s many accomplishments while in office, a few stand out as particularly noteworthy. When Wahle began in 2008, the Township was saddled with substantially more debt than exists today. With aggressive planning and commitment to the financial guidelines Wahle and the Board developed, all debt is scheduled to be paid off by 2020. This is in no small part due to Mr. Wahle’s guidance and stewardship of the people’s money.
Fire Station 57 and the Public Works Campus, both in the Route 22/3 corridor, were built during Wahle’s tenure as Fiscal Officer. The construction of both structures was accomplished through the use of tax increment financing, or TIF dollars, where the tax revenue realized from the improved value of certain commercial real estate is reinvested into the area to serve the commercial area from which the funds were collected.
Mr. Wahle overhauled the accounting software the Township uses to conduct business, and introduced new internal controls and processes for procurement, accounting, and finances during his tenure. This amounted to greater oversight and better internal control of processes, leading to greater accountability and transparency of the public’s business.
The great many hours and dedication to the office did not go unnoticed by State regulatory offices and professional associations alike. Under Mr. Wahle’s watch the Township was once again bestowed the Auditor of State Award with Distinction for their 2015 audit, an award that the Township had enjoyed twice prior, in 2011 and 2014. The Government Finance Officers Association, or GFOA, has recognized the Township with the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting each year since 2009, not so coincidently, shortly after Mr. Wahle was elected to office.
Having retired in 2007 after 34 years with the Great Oaks vocational school operation, the final 20 of which he served as CFO, Wahle is leaving Deerfield Township with much the same legacy as he left behind at the Oaks. His career at the Oaks was similarly decorated with recognition and awards from regulatory bodies and financial organizations alike.
Mr. Wahle will now enjoy fully retired life alongside his wife of 50 years. “Deerfield Township, its citizens and businesses were incredibly fortunate to have such a qualified and competent person elected to the fiscal officer position for as long as we did,” said Bill Becker, the Township’s Administrator. “We admire John for his conservative approach in financial forecasting, and we will genuinely miss his leadership and guidance in matters large and small.”
The Ohio Revised Code states that the Board of Trustees has 30 days to fill the position.
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