Fired UMADAOP workers want paid; director says delays in funding the issue

LIMA —A former employee of the Lima Urban Minority Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Outreach Programs (UMADAOP) said he did not mind his termination, but was disappointed to not receive pay he said he was owed for up to 160 hours of work.

Thomas Terry, along with two other fired employees, reached out to Lima city councilman Derry Glenn for help with the issue, which UMADAOP executive director Myrtle Boykin-Lighton said in a statement was due to delays in funding at the beginning of the fiscal year.

“As a nonprofit organization that relies on revenue from insurance reimbursement and grants, we often experience delays in funding at the beginning of the fiscal year,” Boykin-Lighton said. “This can sometimes take up to 60 days or more to arrive, leading to financial strain for our organization.”

Terry said he felt slighted to only receive a letter informing him of his firing as a house monitor.

“They took my job and I was expecting to get what was owed to me, but we didn’t get paid,” he said. “They wouldn’t tell us whether it would be Monday, Tuesday or in the future. I just want to be paid what I’m owed.”

Glenn said the employees called him complaining of bounced checks after not being paid since Memorial Day.

“They called me and they were going to lose their homes,” he said. “They had the money there to pay the rent. So we’ll be contacting them to see what’s going on because it’s a private company and, as a city councilman, I have to support the people like that.”

Boykin-Lighton said she has shared the issue with the board of directors and the director of the Mental Health Board of Allen, Auglaize and Hardin Counties, but pleaded for understanding.

“Many companies across the state are struggling with similar reimbursement issues, which can impact the timely payment of staff and other operational expenses,” the statement continued. “Despite these challenges, we remain dedicated to ensuring that all staff members will be paid as revenue arises. Our commitment to our mission and the well-being of our community drives us to navigate these financial obstacles with integrity and transparency.”

“I’ve just never experienced anything like this,” Terry said. “Usually, when a company lays you off, they settle what they owe you and you go about your business. They haven’t given me anything.”