For Immediate Release: March 18, 2013 Contact: Dale Butland, 614-783-5833
JOBSOHIO BLOWS $1 MILLION ON OFFICE EXPENSES Documents Reveal Furniture, Remodeling Among Lavish Expenditures
COLUMBUS – An independent audit of JobsOhio spending by KPMG and a required annual report from the Ohio Department of Development show that JobsOhio spent $1.196 million — more than its entire “startup” appropriation from the state — on “office expenses” during its first year of operation. Copies of both the KPMG audit (see: page 5 and page 7) and the DOD report were obtained by Innovation Ohio pursuant to public records requests. Innovation Ohio is a progressive think tank headquartered in Columbus. Though JobsOhio has fewer than 25 employees, its eye-popping payouts include:- $367,000 for office remodeling:
- $362,000 for office furniture;
- $233,000 for rent
- $167,000 for IT (information technology)
- $67,000 for “supplies”