Auditor declares fiscal emergency in Marion

(The Center Square) – Ohio’s state auditor on Tuesday declared a “fiscal emergency” in the city of Marion after an analysis confirmed “deficits that exceeded what is allowed under state law.”

The city will now be under the oversight of a state financial planning and supervision commission “serving as financial supervisor,” according to the office of Auditor Keith Faber. The commission will help Marion develop a plan to eliminate fiscal emergencies, Faber said.

“Auditors identified a budget deficit of about $2.4 million,” Faber’s release said. “The city has been operating under a fiscal caution declaration since November 2025 and was unable to develop an acceptable plan to address the issues involved as of April 2026.”

Including Marion, there are 14 Ohio communities under fiscal emergency declarations: four cities, seven villages, and three townships, Faber said.

According to an analysis on the city’s website, the “root causes” of Marion’s fiscal problems are:

• Unreconciled books from at least 2019.

• Falling behind on completing a...