Auditing Dublin: what we're reading, and how we label what we find
A records-only review of Dublin's council votes, contracts, incentives, audits and campaign money, with every claim tagged by how we know it.
Published Oct 15, 2026, Eastern Time
Source / event date: Oct 15, 2026
How we label each paragraph
- Record
- A document says this; it is linked.
- Our math
- We added, counted or compared figures from linked records.
- Open question
- The records we read don't answer this yet.
- Records conflict
- Two official records disagree.
The Ohio Catch is reviewing how Dublin's elected officials spend, borrow, zone and vote, starting with the public record: council minutes and action summaries, state audits, development agreements, contracts and campaign finance filings.
Why Dublin
Record Dublin's council is carrying out a $374.6 million five-year capital plan, rezoning its West Innovation District and preparing to replace a city manager who leaves Nov. 13. [1][2][3]
What we read
Record For this first round: minutes of 21 council meetings from Jan. 5 to Sept. 14, 2026; the city's action summaries for Sept. 28 and Oct. 12; the city's audits for 2022, 2023 and 2024; development agreements and city announcements; and the 2025 campaign finance reports posted for the four ward members. Our vote records start in January 2026. [4][5]
How we label claims
Each paragraph in this series carries one of four labels. Record means a document says it, and we link the document. Our math means we added, counted or compared figures from linked records. Open question means the records don't answer it yet. Records conflict means two official records disagree.
What we haven't done yet
Open question We have not yet asked council members or city staff to respond; when we do, their answers will be added to each story with the date we asked. We have also not yet obtained council members' financial disclosure statements from the Ohio Ethics Commission, or found the city's 2025 audit. [6]
Where to find it
The audit page collects every story, key figure and record. Separate pages track council meetings, elected officials, contracts and spending, and development projects.
A listed vote, contribution or contract is a public record, not a finding of wrongdoing.
Records and sources
- Dublin City Council Approves City's 2026-2030 Capital Improvement Projects Budget · City of Dublin · Jan. 22, 2026
- Council meeting minutes, July 1, 2026 · City of Dublin · July 2026
- City of Dublin Announces City Manager Megan O'Callaghan's Departure · City of Dublin · Oct. 12, 2026
- Dublin City Council minutes and action summaries, 2026 (meeting schedule page) · City of Dublin · Jan. 5–Oct. 12, 2026
- Candidate orientation and campaign finance reports · City of Dublin · 2025
- Financial Disclosure · Ohio Ethics Commission · accessed Oct. 15, 2026
Written by The Ohio Catch. AI-assisted reporting, checked against the records above. A listed vote, contribution or contract is a public record, not a finding of wrongdoing. Report an error.