Girard treasurer resigns following state audit over his pay
The Girard Board of Education recently accepted the resignation of school district treasurer Mark Bello after a state audit found him getting paid a lump sum of more than $300,000 in a retire/rehire deal.
Bello had submitted a letter of resignation about an hour prior to a special school board meeting on June 7.
Stacy Foster, who works for the Trumbull County Educational Service Center, has been named the Girard district’s interim treasurer.
A recent state audit found Bello was paid about $325,000 in fiscal year 2023 in part of an agreement that the state auditors termed an “excessive and extravagant use of District Resources,” which were not “reasonable and necessary business practices.” The deal reportedly gave Bello a 1 percent stipend of all district revenue.
The board has scheduled a special June 25 meeting to discuss hiring a permanent district treasurer.