Fiscal Emergency Declared for Village of Zaleski in Vinton County

Press Release • Ohio Auditor of State

COLUMBUS - Auditor of State Keith Faber declared a fiscal emergency Tuesday for the Village of Zaleski in Vinton County after an analysis of the village's finances confirmed fund deficits that exceeded what is allowed under state law.

The village will now come under the oversight of the Auditor of State's Office to develop a plan to eliminate the fiscal emergency conditions.

The full fiscal emergency analysis is available online at ohioauditor.gov/auditsearch/search.aspx.

The Auditor of State's Office declares fiscal emergency if any one of six conditions exists: 1) default on debt obligation; 2) failure to make payment of all payroll; 3) an increase in the minimum levy of village that results in the reduction in the minimum levy of another subdivision; 4) significant past due accounts payable; 5) substantial deficit balances in village funds; and 6) a sizeable deficiency when the village's treasury balance is compared to the positive cash balances of the village's funds.

Zaleski met two of those conditions. Auditors identified a deficit of $115,821 in the village's water and sewer funds as of Dec. 31, 2025. They also identified a treasury deficiency of $72,476 as of that date.

With the addition of Zaleski, there are now 15 communities with fiscal emergency declarations, including four cities, eight villages, and three townships.

Additional information about fiscal distress declarations is available online at ohioauditor.gov/fiscal/local.html#emergency.

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The Auditor of State's Office, one of five independently elected statewide offices in Ohio, is responsible for auditing more than 5,900 state and local government agencies. Under the direction of Auditor Keith Faber, the office also provides financial services to local governments, investigates and prevents fraud in public agencies, and promotes transparency in government.

Public Affairs
Contact: Marc Kovac
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