Butler County Mental Health & Addiction Recovery Services board located at 5963 Boymel Drive, Fairfield.
Amid questions about leadership and financial oversight, the Butler County Mental Health and Addiction Recovery Services Board is launching multiple independent reviews after identifying up to $3 million in discrepancies between its accounting systems dating back more than three years.
The discrepancies involve the county’s Munis system, which functions as the board’s “bank account,” and Traverse, its internal “checkbook.” Records show the systems have been out of balance since at least March 2023, with variances ranging from a few hundred thousand dollars to as much as $3 million.
Those concerns prompted Butler County commissioners to call a June 16 work session with MHARS leadership to review finances, staff and board relations, and next steps as the agency seeks to place a 0.5-mill replacement levy on the November ballot.
The Journal-News examined the board’s role, the challenges it faces and its plans to move forward while continuing services for residents.
New Middletown schools bus facility strengthens transportation, staff supportWhat the MHARS board does
The MHARS board oversees prevention, treatment and recovery services for individuals and families dealing with mental health and addiction issues in Butler County.
It is responsible for residents who are civilly committed through probate court, including arranging and funding inpatient psychiatric care at state hospitals.
The board contracts with 14 community providers, supporting services such as peer programs through NAMI Butler County, the Butler County Suicide Prevention Coalition, recovery housing at Freya’s Healing House in Middletown and a crisis hotline.
Altogether, the system serves more than 43,000 residents annually — over 10% of the county’s population.
In 2025, officials said 64% of the board’s $18 million budget came from local tax levies.
MHARS is now considering a 0.5-mill replacement levy for the November ballot, projected to generate about $8.2 million annually, according to County Administrator Judi Boyko. A previous five-year levy expired in 2025.
Over the past decade, voters have approved all MHARS levies, including a 0.5-mill renewal in 2016 (71-28), a 1-mill renewal in 2020 (73-26) and an additional 0.5-mill levy in 2024 (55-45).
Butler County Mental Health and Addiction Recovery Services Board Executive Director Dr. Scott Rasmus sits at a commissioner’s work session Tuesday, June 16, 2026, to address the financial concerns, staff and board relations and concrete action plans moving forward as the county board would like to place a levy on the ballot in November.
Financial discrepancies emerge
In the past year, concerns about the board’s finances have grown.
In an April 17 email to accounting firm Clark, Schaefer & Hackett, Executive Director Dr. Scott Rasmus said the variance between Munis and Traverse ranged from “a couple of $100,000” to nearly $3 million over a three-year period.
The imbalance dates back to March 2023.
“(It) appears to have been out of balance for approximately three years,” Rasmus wrote.
He said the board plans to implement a structured monthly reconciliation process to ensure discrepancies are identified and resolved going forward.
However, in an April 21 follow-up message, Rasmus said language referencing a specific variance range would be removed because “this dollar amount is truly unknown currently.”
Rasmus told commissioners June 16 that the board has found no evidence of theft or wrongdoing. He said monthly reconciliations are conducted through the finance department and are performed “appropriately.”
Still, neither public records nor discussion at the work session identified a clear cause for the discrepancy.
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The MHARS board employs 12 staff members, including Rasmus, who in June 2025 publicly reaffirmed his “commitment to transparency and stewardship.”
Within months, however, internal concerns began to emerge.
Staff surveys conducted as early as August 2025 flagged issues within the finance department and raised concerns about leadership.
“At this point, until the executive director takes care of the problems appropriately, the finance department will continue to deteriorate,” one employee wrote.
Other responses cited performance concerns with the finance director, including missed deadlines and inaccurate reporting.
“I continue to see an extreme problem with the finance director … not meeting deadlines, giving incorrect numbers and information … nor does he seem to understand the consequences,” another response said.
By October 2025, staff described worsening morale, pointing to communication issues and workplace tension tied to leadership.
An executive assistant compiled the survey responses and used ChatGPT to generate suggested metrics for improvement.
Rasmus said leadership committees have since been formed to address communication gaps.
“There’s been a lot of things done, on my part, to enhance communication … whatever it takes to break down any boundaries so that everybody feels comfortable communicating,” he said.
The board also has added a human resources staff member.
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In response to the concerns, the 18-member board has approved several independent reviews:
A personnel review led by the law firm Vorys
An accounting review and system reconciliation by Clark, Schaefer & Hackett
Participation in an expanded state audit
The personnel review is expected to be completed within weeks.
Clark, Schaefer & Hackett also will recommend improvements to financial controls and procedures.
The state audit will supplement Butler County’s annual audit conducted by Julian & Grube.
According to May 20 meeting minutes, MHARS has not undergone a standalone independent audit in more than a decade, instead being included in the county’s broader audit process.
Future decisions by both the board and county commissioners are expected after the reviews are completed.