A recent survey confirmed what Summit County elections officials feared: Summit is much further behind in its campaign finance audits than other big Ohio counties.Summit is the only one of the eight counties that responded that hasn’t completed any audits in 2009, 2010 or 2011. Several of the counties have finished their 2009 and 2010 audits. Summit and Butler were the only counties that have done no 2011 audits, according to the survey by the Summit board.Elections boards must audit campaign finance reports from local candidates and committees to look for errors or potential violations of campaign finance laws. The timing is important because the Ohio Elections Commission, which investigates potential violations flagged by elections boards, has a two-year statute of limitations, except with matters involving concealment, misrepresentation or fraud.Summit board member Alex Arshinkoff, who called for the survey when he rejoined the board in August, was outraged when he saw the results at a recent board meeting.“We should be ashamed of how we’re handling this,” he said. “People think we are doing it intentionally.”Summit elections board members and employees plan to study the survey results to see how other large counties are handling audits differently, what practices Summit may want to adopt or change, and how Summit can catch up and become more timely with its audits.Arshinkoff, who is also the Summit County GOP chairman, said the board’s backlog has gotten so bad that some candidates are no longer concerned about the auditing process and are filing reports without complete information. As an example, he pointed to an Oct. 24 report filed by one candidate. The report shows available funds of nearly $27,000, but lists no expenditures. The candidate ran an active campaign, including numerous billboards, mailers and yard signs.“By the time we get to it, it will be over two years,” Arshinkoff complained.Summit’s processThe Summit board requires its two campaign finance employees — one Democrat and one Republican — to audit every campaign finance report.The board finished its 454 audits from 2008, and Andy Wright, the Republican campaign finance employee, has completed the 912 audits from 2009, which Gary Lee, the Democratic staffer, still needs to do. None of the 563 audits from 2010 or 342 audits from 2011 have been done, according to the board’s survey. Summit elections board leaders give several reasons for being so far behind. These include the board having only one campaign finance staffer three years ago for 18 months and being ordered by the secretary of state in 2009 to re-audit reports going back two years to take another look at the documentation for credit-card expenditures.“We’re in a hole that’s taking time to dig out of,” said Ron Koehler, the board’s director.Kim Zurz, the board’s deputy director, said some counties don’t require both a Democratic and Republican employee to do an audit. Cuyahoga County, for example, indicated in the survey that it doesn’t cross-audit.“They have a big pile — and take the next one,” Zurz said.Zurz said the campaign reports filed with the board have improved since the board started periodic training for campaign treasurers to review requirements. Another session will be offered in January.“I think they have gotten better with more direct outreach to candidates,” she said.Zurz and Koehler said the board can’t just start auditing the most recent reports — and ignore the older ones — because the reports often involve continuing committees and the older and newer reports must be reconciled.“The final before has to be right before you start new,” Koehler said.“If you have amendments or changes, you have to go back,” Zurz added.Summit’s responseSummit board members and staff haven’t yet decided how the board should respond to its audit problem.After seeing the survey results, Arshinkoff called for hiring two more full-time campaign finance employees. He wanted to add $100,000 to the board’s already large budget proposal for next year to cover the expense.Tim Gorbach, the board’s Democratic chairman, suggested increasing the budget without making an immediate decision on whether to use the money for full- or part-time employees to help catch up on the audits. The board is asking for nearly $9.3 million for next year, which is nearly double what the county has recommended.All of the counties that responded to the Summit board’s survey and provided the requested information reported having at least two employees who audit campaign finance reports. A few reported having more, including Butler County, with five, Cuyahoga and Stark counties, with three each, and Lorain, with two employees who have help from two others. The campaign finance employees in several counties also have other responsibilities, such as candidate and issue petition filings, absentee voting and registration. Summit’s campaign finance employees have no additional duties.Lee, the Summit board’s Democratic campaign finance staffer, gave the board a report that recommended his division have “a minimum of three full-time and two part-time staff to meet the demands of the department.” Gorbach asked Koehler, Zurz and the campaign finance employees to provide their recommendations for improving the auditing process at the board’s Dec. 19 meeting.“We need to have this fleshed out by the next meeting — have a proposal for how to catch up,” Gorbach said.Stephanie Warsmith can be reached at 330-996-3705 or swarsmith@thebeaconjournal.com.