CINCINNATI -- The executive director for Keep Cincinnati Beautiful was placed on administrative leave Thursday due to billing irregularities and "severe allegations."
Executive Director Mary Huttlinger is on administrative leave pending a full review, City Manager Harry Black said in a memo.
BELOW: Huttlinger at a Keep Cincinnati Beautiful event
Black said he was approached by Alan Lindner, Chair of the Board for Keep Cincinnati Beautiful, with concerns about "invoicing irregularities" and wanted the city's assistance to analyze transactions between the city and Keep Cincinnati Beautiful from 2016 to present day.
The audit is underway, Black said. Keep Cincinnati Beautiful received almost $1.4 million from the city as part of the Private Lot Abatement Program, which Black said will be the focus of the investigation.
Lindner said the organization is "committed to transparency, integrity and good governance practices."
"In our nearly 40 year relationship with the city, this is the first instance of this kind and although embarrassing, hopefully the actions taken will reinforce KCB's integrity and the importance of our relationship with the city," Lindner said in a memo to Black.
