BOARDMAN — The township has a choice between retaining its fiscal officer of the last 24 years or selecting a newcomer.

Though David Moliterno, 29, and William Leicht, 74, seem to have similar goals, their levels of experience vary.

Both say they want transparent budgets and to manage township finances well enough to avoid asking for any new tax dollars.

Moliterno, who owns an insurance and financial services firm, says it is time for someone with a new perspective. Leicht, who owns a certified public accounting firm, says he understands the intricacies of the township’s finances and systems and should stick around to keep the township on track.

Moliterno’s experience includes work in lending, employee benefits, payroll, individual and business financial analysis and review, and recommending cost-saving measures to businesses, he

said. His daily work includes writing budgets and analysis of long-term goals, Moliterno said.

“Helping individuals and businesses in this community has become a passion and a daily goal of mine. I get to sit down with people to help them with their budgets and to help them navigate a path to a more prosperous and financially secure future. It is my hope that I can bring these same skills to the table for our community,” Moliterno said.

Leicht was brought on as fiscal officer in 1995, shortly after he left a 12-year stint on the Boardman school board. He is a certified public accountant with his own firm and certified to evaluate investments.

“As a CPA, my whole life is built around accounting,” Leicht said. “We are measured by the quality of our projections and budgets and I have been quite successful at it.”

When the township built a new fire station and sold the old one, because it took time for the old one to sell, he developed a plan to creatively finance the project, Leicht said.

Leicht said since he came into office, he developed a special fund to pay for employee severance costs so the township wasn’t surprised by an unexpected high payout, a fund for equipment replacement and a rainy day fund, he said.

He signed Boardman up as the first township to participate in the Ohio Checkbook and implemented a functional expense interactive online function for residents to track the expenses of each department, actions Leicht said displays his transparency efforts in office.

He also sits on the state auditor’s advisory board and is involved with the county auditor’s roundtable, Leicht said.

Moliterno “doesn’t have a track record” with the public, Leicht said, adding that he isn’t satisfied Moliterno’s credentials would allow the younger man to “run the township on an even keel.”

But, Moliterno argues the township has been knocked in state audits for material weaknesses such as incorrectly classifying funds and a case of a $115,000 error.

A review of the audit released in 2018 for 2017 finances shows the township was knocked for errors in general fund accounting, posting cash to the wrong funds and a $115,000 overstatement in a deposits and investments account.

Moliterno said Leicht is obviously educated, but “even the most educated person can make mistakes and errors.”

The township is in need of new leadership, a renewed search for grant money and a more friendly approach to residents with questions, Moliterno said.

rfox@tribtoday.com