National Weights & Measures Week

Takeaways

-The Auditor's Office is the Chief Sealer of Weights and Measures in Ashtabula County

-The Auditor’s Office handles 1,359 gas pumps yearly, 389 unique scales, 28 price verification stores, 21 vehicle tank meters, and many other unique commercial measurements.

Auditor’s Office Kicks Off National Weights & Measures Week

Geneva- Did you know the Ashtabula County Auditor’s Office is the Chief Sealer of Weights and Measures in the county? If not, Auditor David Thomas hopes to change that this week as he celebrates National Weights & Measures Week March 1^st through March 7^th. This week highlights the role and importance of certainty in measurement as tested and administered by Auditor’s Offices across Ohio.

“I don’t think many taxpayers realize how important our Weights and Measures program is for consumer protection,” shared Auditor David Thomas. “Imagine a world without certainty in what you were buying, it would be devastating.”

Auditor Thomas joined veteran Certified Weights and Measurers Inspector Jim Varckette at the Geneva Giant Eagle this week to kickoff the Weights & Measures focus for the office as they tested the checkout scales, deli scales, store packaged items, and did price verification.

“Jim is a tremendous employee, we are very fortunate to have him and his experience representing our office and county in the community,” explained Auditor Thomas.

While at Giant Eagle, the pair tested the checkout scales to ensure accuracy of their calibrations for grocery items. This involved using up to 30 pounds of weight which can only be off with a tolerance of .06 ounces for those 30 pounds.

This was followed by the price verification role of the Auditor’s Office as Varckette and Thomas were joined by a Giant Eagle employee and randomly selected 50 items to match the price advertised with the price charged at the register. Only two items out of 100 can be incorrect for the store to pass the test, which Giant Eagle was able to achieve.

“We’re fortunate to have many good stores and people in Ashtabula County like this Giant Eagle here in Geneva,” said Auditor Thomas. “Folks like them do the right thing, but we check everyone, every year to ensure compliance.”

Finally, the pair reviewed the deli section of the store selecting store packaged items to ensure the charged weight did not include packaging but only the food items inside.

“Think about it. If an item is off by 5 ounces and that 5 ounces is being incorrectly charged to the customer, a $0.50 overage may not mean much as an example, but it adds up quickly over many customers,” shared Auditor Thomas.

Thomas points to that aspect of consumer protection that is so important to the Weights and Measures role.

The Auditor’s Office handles 1,359 gas pumps yearly, 389 unique scales, 28 price verification stores, 21 vehicle tank meters, and many other unique commercial measurements. This week alone according to Thomas, Varckette is out in the field doing concrete hopper testing, grocery store checks, and will be at some of the county’s manufacturing facilities as well.

“This is a great example of just the variety of responsibilities Jim has and the many ways he helps protect our county’s consumers,” explained Auditor Thomas.

The Auditor’s Office is celebrating the national week in several ways to help educate the public on their work including Thomas’ visit to Giant Eagle, the topic being covered on Thomas’ Ohio’s Bios Podcast, social media outreach, and a visit to the Conneaut Rotary Club to discuss the program.

Every Auditor’s Office in Ohio is responsible for administrating their Weights and Measures program as agents of the Ohio Department of Agriculture. Thomas encourages taxpayers to contact his office with questions or if they see something that doesn’t seem right.