Meadowdale graduation 2012
Middletown graduation 2012
Dunbar H.S. graduation 2012
Michael D. Pitman reports about Butler County, Ohio, politics, county government, countywide issues and Butler County people just like you for Cox Ohio Publishing (including the Hamilton JournalNews, Middletown Journal and several weekly papers in Butler County). He wants your suggestions and questions for more news stories. Leave a comment for him here or e-mail Michael at Home > Blogs > Butler County News and Issues > Archives > 2008 > April
April 2008
The Mike Fox investigation
Wondering what the FBI was looking for at the Recorder’s Office in regards to Children Services Director (and former county commissioner) Michael Fox?
Below are copies of all the public documents related to Fox’s property (Seven images followed by .pdf). Peruse at will.
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TweetFBI investigating Michael Fox?
Officials at the Butler County Recorder’s Office say an FBI agent stopped by collecting information on Children Services Director Michael Fox.
Late last week, the agent reportedly requested an armful of copies of deeds and records pertaining to Fox’s home at 6109 Creekside Way in Hamilton. The issue became the talk of the office when the agent refused to pay for certified copies (that problem was fixed).
This comes in the midst of an ongoing investigation into the county’s dealings with Dynus Corp. The investigation has already brought down County Auditor Kay Rogers (read about that here).
The FBI is mum on whether Fox is implicated in the probe. “I can’t confirm or deny any type of investigation on that individual,” said Spokesman Mike Brooks.
As a county commissioner until last, Fox was a driving force behind the fiber optics project before it fell through when the company allegedly took out a multi-million dollar loan in the county’s name without the county’s approval.
Fox said his conscience is clean on the issue: “They (the FBI) said their investigation of Dynus is ongoing and I would suspect they would do a thorough job of investigating everybody that was in office at that time,” he said.
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TweetThe official word
Updates on two stories of the day:
Read the arrest report of Ron Wardrup’s DUI, which led him to resign as chairman of the Butler County Democratic Party, below at WardrupArrest.pdf.
…and…
Read the findings of Butler County’s investigation into Butler County Health Department Director Patricia Burg’s treatment of an employee below at BurgFindings.pdf.
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TweetBurg to return to work
Butler County Health Department Director Patricia Burg will return to work tomorrow, May 1, after a written reprimand, according to county Personnel Director Douglas Duckett.
The Board of Health met last night and decided, “Ms. Burg’s conduct that day was not appropriate and professional, but it was not an assault; it was not violent,” Duckett said.
She was given a reprimand and a “strong warning that if any conduct like that happens again, it will end here career there,” he said.
To see the complaint against Burg that has left her on administrative leave for several weeks, read a much-commented-on blog here.
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TweetDem leader resigns after DUI
Butler County Democratic Party Chairman Ron Wardrup resigned last night, according to a late-night press release. He ran a red light and failed a field sobriety test Sunday, April 7, the release said. Read the story and some discussion here.
Read the press release below (WardrupResign.pdf).
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TweetCol. Oliver North to visit
The Butler County Republican Party is bringing Col Oliver North to Grace Baptist Church in Franklin on Sunday, May 4.
From Main Street Monroe: “Come and hear the testimony from a true American Patriot. Col. North will also have his new book ‘American Heroes’ available for purchase before and after the service. If you have any questions please call the church at (513) 423-4658.”
Read the details of the visit here.
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TweetThe public dole
Amid all the talk of Butler County’s hiring practices and payscales, it’s worth reminding everyone that this newspaper lists the salaries of all local employees who made more than $50,000 last year. That’s available here for your perusal.
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TweetThe race is on
So here’s the claim, made on the Butler County Transportation Improvement District’s Web site: some people think it’s faster to take Ohio 4 through Hamilton than Bypass 4 around it, as the bypass has become congested with stop lights and has stayed two lanes nearly throughout.
So here’s the plan, Hamilton city reporter Josh Rinaldi and I are taking it to the streets. On Monday, we will start at one confluence of Ohio 4 and Bypass 4, during rush hour, and meet at the other end, following all traffic laws along the way. Since Rinaldi is the city reporter and I’m the county reporter, he’s taking the old road and I’m taking the new road (the Bypass).
Who do you think will win the day, and how much should we wager on it?
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TweetHiring practices in Butler County
Don’t miss the series we published today on hiring practices in Butler County.
- You can see a preview story here.
- See a story about the roots of patronage in government hiring practices, and what may be done about it, here.
- Read examples of recent and past hires at the county level, and about how some offices don’t advertise publicly for positions — instead hiring people they already know — here.
- Read about the lasting legacy of well publicized nepotism and patronage in the county treasurer’s office here.
- See what the Ohio Ethics Commission has to say about all this here.
So, what do you think?
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TweetInside Children Services, Part 3
With this post, I give you the last of the e-mails sent from Children Services Director Michael Fox to former County Administrator Derek Conklin since Fox took the agency over last year (see below for background).
This one is perhaps the most telling. Read the discourse (starting on page 9) about the “Johnny Small” issue, and cultural problems within the agency.
This batch also includes discussion of the Tim Stolitca issue and cost-cutting measures.
Click ChildrenServices3.pdf below to view.
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TweetInside Children Services, Part 2
As promised, here is the second of three posts containing e-mails from Children Services Director Michael Fox to former County Administrator Derek Conklin (See below).
While the last batch dealt at length with a recent survey, this batch deals with a recruiting campaign for foster parents — and again, a lot of minutae — and page 5, an exhaustive “first 30 days report.”
Click on ChildrenServices2.pdf below to view the e-mails.
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TweetThe complaint against Patricia Burg
We now know exactly what the complaint is against Butler County Health Department Director Patricia Burg (read the story here).
Read a copy of the complaint against Burg below (BurgComplaint.pdf). The Board of Health has scheduled a special meeting Tuesday, April 29, to “discuss personnel issues.” Burg is still on administrative leave.
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TweetInside Children Services, Part 1
It’s been roughly a year since Michael Fox stepped down from the Butler County Commission to take over the ailing Children Services agency. This was after the tragic killing of 3-year-old Marcus Fiesel by his foster parents, and the agency was in well publicized turmoil.
Since then, Fox has made numerous changes, including increased screening for foster parents and lowered case worker caseloads. But the slim margin by which a replacement Children Services levy passed on the March ballot could speak to mixed feelings many still have about the agency.
And behind the scenes, there are debates about the future of the agency that the public doesn’t get a chance to see. Until now. I have scanned and posted below (ChildrenServices1) 65 pages of e-mails from Fox to former County Administrator Derek Conklin.
Some of it is minutae, some of it is hard to read, but much of it is earnest debate about what must be done to turn the agency around, and mention of the problems officials are facing now within the agency.
To those unfamiliar with public records law, the agency has deleted or redacting references to specific cases, and other protected information. But the rest, I think, is a fascinating glimpse inside Children Services.
And this isn’t all. Log on tomorrow for the second of three installments.
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TweetControlling water costs one employee at a time
HAMILTON — Butler County commissioners say they may pass along more than $100,000 in savings to water customers by not hiring as many summer interns.
Commissioners hired 13 summer employees Thursday, April 24, at a rate of $10.25 per hour. This is half as many as they normally hire.
“I think cutting this program probably in half with summer employment will amount to over $100,000 in savings and that goes to toward the effort to lower water rates,” said Commissioner Donald Dixon.
Commissioner Gregory Jolivette said this is the “first piece of the puzzle” in improving Butler County Environmental Services.
Next, he would like to change the agency’s name to something like “the water and sewer department,” because that’s what everyone looks for in the phone book.
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TweetHealth director on administrative leave
Patricia Burg, director of the Butler County Health Department, is on paid administrative leave, according to Board of Health Chairman Leon Simpson.
Simpson would not give a reason Burg was put on leave, but denied rumors she had resigned.
“There is not truth to that whatsoever,” he said. “Right now she’s on administrative leave, but it’s strictly just a procedural issue per county guidelines.”
He passed further questions to Butler County Personnel Director Douglas Duckett, who is not returning calls.
An anonymous source says Burg is being investigated for physical violence against an employee, but this is not substantiated at this point.
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TweetHearing could decide Rogers sentencing date
HAMILTON — Former Butler County Auditor Kay Rogers’ new attorney will appear in U.S. District Court Wednesday, April 23.
Rogers hired Konrad Kircher to defend her after her former attorney quit, citing a conflict of interest with other clients. Rogers has pleaded guilty to federal charges of bank fraud and filing a false income tax return.
Rogers won’t be at Wednesday’s hearing in front of Judge Sandra Beckwith, where the parties may decide a sentencing date — likely several months out.
Throughout sentencing, Kircher will argue that Rogers was barely involved in the fiber optics scandal that led to Dynus Corp. taking out a multimillion dollar loan in the county’s name.
“We consider Kay to have played a very minor part in the Dynus case, and in fact we think she was duped by others,” Kircher said.
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TweetLt. Gov. coming to West Chester
Ohio Lieutenant Gov. Lee Fisher will address more than 400 business leaders and elected officials at the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments annual meeting Thursday, April 24.
The meeting is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. at The Savannah Center in West Chester Twp. Fisher’s keynote presentation is scheduled for 12:30 p.m.
OKI is a council of local governments, business organizations adn community groups committed to developing collaborative strategies, plans and programs to improve the quality of life and economic development potential of the tri-state.
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TweetCounty parking garage
Butler County employees working in Hamilton fall into two categories: those that pay for parking, and those that don’t.
The unfortunate ones who have to pay can park on the first through third floors of the parking garage behind the Government Services Building downtown. I’m told it costs roughly $35 a month.
Other employees have free parking passes, and are saved that money. For security reasons, some park beneath the building in a secure garage (this is generally judges and others who have enemies who may want to hurt them).
A document below (Parking.pdf) lists every free parking pass currently issued by the county, according to the county. The last page lists those that park in the secure garage. The card numbers are to the left and only appear blacked out due to a poor scan.
In addition to those you would expect (department directors, etc.), the list includes random low-level staffers, such as meter readers. It also includes some people who no longer work for the county and some people who have passed away.
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TweetFood stamps, senior citizens and the state budget
As the economy limps along, taking a new hit every week in the business pages, social service organizations are feeling a dual pinch.
While need for programs increases, government revenues that pay for many programs is slipping.
For example, Tiffany Latta wrote a piece in today’s paper (read it here) about a surge in demand for food stamps. Another story I wrote Friday (available here for Hamilton, and here for Middletown) talks about the needs of local senior citizens as baby boomers age.
But at the state level, the outlook is glum. Read a Columbus Dispatch story here about a slew of cuts Gov. Strickland is proposing, in part to help pay for a job creation package that he thinks will save the state’s economy.
What do you think?
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TweetReynolds names new chief deputy
This just in from the Butler County Auditor’s office:
HAMILTON, OHIO - In one of his first official acts as Butler County Auditor, Roger Reynolds has named former Interim Auditor Michael A. Tilton as his Chief Deputy.
“Mike Tilton is a great asset to both the Auditor’s office and to the citizens of Butler County and I’m delighted to have a person of his caliber on our team,” said Reynolds. “I look forward to working with Mike as we set forth a new era of accountability and service to the taxpayers.”
Tilton served as the interim auditor for six weeks until Reynolds was appointed Auditor April 15 by a vote of the county’s GOP Central Committee. A 28-year employee of the Auditor’s Office, Tilton was Director of Real Estate for the past four years, supervising 37 employees. He also has a wealth of experience in the area of information services.
A lifelong Butler County resident, Tilton has continued a proud family record of service in the Auditor’s office. His father, James A. Tilton, and his grandfather, A.R. “Ray” Tilton, both served as Butler County Auditor.
“I enjoyed working with Mr. Reynolds when he was Liberty Township Fiscal Officer and I look forward to working with him in his new role as Butler County Auditor,” Tilton said. “I believe he will restore trust in the office.”
Tilton and his wife, Teresa, have three children and reside in Hanover Township.
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TweetEarth Day
Just received this press release from Butler County:
Free hot dogs, hamburgers and drinks are not the only reason to visit Butler County’s Earth Day celebration, which will take place April 25 from 11:30 a.m. -1:30 p.m. at the Government Services Center and the Municipal Building in Hamilton. Local business and government agencies will be there to provide important information about what we all can do to improve and protect the environment.
“Earth Day is an opportunity to inspire people to get involved and participate in activities that will protect our natural resources every day,” said Tim McLelland, event co-chair and manager of the Ground Water Consortium.
Experts will provide information about what residents can do to make sure Butler
County is a clean, safe place to live, work and play. Residents will learn the importance of planting trees, recycling, protecting our drinking water supply, monitoring water quality, enjoying our parks, and cleaning up our streams.
“To promote the importance of planting trees, Butler Soil & Water Conservation District will be giving away 200 evergreen tree seedlings with planting instructions,” said Lynn White, event co-chair and education specialist. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), which will discuss the importance of protecting our parks and wildlife, will have live animals on display.
“This event is a great opportunity for our citizens to learn about how to protect the environment, which includes the Great Miami Buried Valley Aquifer, an important source of our drinking water supply,” said Butler County Commissioner Charles Furmon.
“The city of Hamilton Water Department designed and built a model water tower that will be set up to promote drinking the best tasting tap water in the Midwest from one of the most productive and cleanest aquifers in the country,” said Hamilton Mayor Don Ryan.
The purpose of the model water tower is to attract people so that they may learn about the many things we are doing to protect their drinking water supply, and of course, to get a cup of cold fresh water. The cups used with the model water tower are biodegradable and will compost within 50 days. Plastic used for bottled water take an estimated 1,000 years to decompose. About 80 percent of bottles are not recycled and they comprise the majority of the materials picked up every year at the Clean Sweep event, which will held May 10.
The Butler County Board of Commissioners will hold a special awards presentation where they will honor businesses that have met local, state and federal wastewater discharge standards. The commissioners will also honor businesses that participated in the county’s Pollution Prevention Program.
“We are proud to honor those businesses that have made environmental protection a priority,” said Butler County Commissioner Gregory Jolivette.
In addition to the awards ceremony, the Board of Commissioners will officially kick-off the county’s “Recycle to Win” challenge, which pits communities against each other to earn money for recycling. The more a community recycles the more money they will earn. Communities can earn thousands of dollars, which they can use in any way. For example, West Chester has used their incentive funds for the development and expansion of their biking and walking trails program.
Event participants include, Air Quality Management Division, Clean Sweep of the Great Miami River, Butler County Farm Bureau, Fernald Preserve, Great Miami River Days, Hamilton Public Works Department, Hamilton Water Department, Hamilton Tree Advisory Board, Hamilton Health Department, Izaak Walton League, Butler County MetroParks, Miami Conservancy District, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, OKI, OSU Extension, Three Valley Conservation Trust and the Butler County Stream Team.
The event is sponsored and organized by the Ground Water Consortium, the Butler County Department of Environmental Services, the Butler County Soil & Water Conservation District, the Butler County Storm Water District, the Miller Brewing Company and Jungle Jim’s.
For more information about the Earth Day event, please contact Tim McLelland at (513) 785-2464. For more information about Butler County’s “Recycle to Win” challenge, please call (513) 887-3653 or visit BCDES on the web at www.butlercountydes.org.
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TweetApril 21 county commission meeting
Butler County commissioners have released the agenda for their Monday, April 21, meeting. Download it below (042108meeting.pdf)
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TweetHamblin e-mails
Below (HamblinEmails.pdf) is a copy of every e-mail former county administrator Derek Conklin retained that contain reference to James Hamblin during the years Hamblin was married to County Commissioner Charles Furmon’s daughter.
Later e-mails talk about Hamblin’s pay being shifted out of Environmental Services and into Emergency Management earlier this year, and concerns that his $75,928 salary exceeds what the EMA can afford and is close to what that agency’s director makes, according to EMA Chairman Dennis Conrad.
Retention requirements didn’t force Conklin to keep these e-mails, so there may be others that were deleted. Neither Conklin nor Hamblin — both of whom have resigned from their jobs (read about it here) — are commenting on anything.
This is information gathered from a public records request that I simply thought I’d share. I’d suggest reading it from the last page forward, as it starts right before he receives a much referenced (and seemingly unwitting) promotion and 23 percent raise. Take from it what you will.
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TweetChildren Services update
Since the 2006 death of 3-year-old Marcus Fiesel in foster care, the state has enacted numerous changes meant to overhaul Children Services across Ohio.
It appears some of it is working, and some isn’t.
A foster care tracking system with origins predating Fiesel (though it’s priority shot way up after the tragedy), is a dismal failure by many accounts. In a story here, the Cleveland Plain Dealer lays out what people in foster care have known for years.
And you can read about the Cincinnati Enquirer’s efforts to keep foster parents’ names public here.
You can read about another effort under way at the state level to increase foster parent screening here.
So, do you think enough is being done?
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TweetHeart of the Art opening
Just got this press release from Butler County Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities:
Hello everyone!
I wanted to share the great news! The Heart of the Art Studio is holding its GRAND OPENING today April 17th from 2-6 p.m.! The studio is located at the Hamilton Center, 3400 Symmes Road, Hamilton, OH 45015. All of the artwork for sale and on display was made by people with mental retardation and/or developmental disabilities. The pieces are absolutely fantastic. I have my eye on two that I want to buy!
At today’s GRAND OPENING ceremonies from 2-6 p.m., many exciting activities are planned:
· The retail shop will open
· The winner of the online art auction will be announced. Have you seen the artwork yet? Go to www.butlermrdd.org http://www.butlermrdd.org to see the work and to bid. But hurry, time is running out.
· Studio tours will be offered
· You can meet the artists and talk with them about their work
· Artists will be in the studio creating artwork
Come on out if you have a few minutes and be part of something truly exciting. Proceeds from the artwork sold are given right back to the artists. What a better way to support our community and those in it by supporting artists, especially artists with mental retardation and/or developmental disabilities. Even if you aren’t able to buy any artwork at this time, at least drop by the studio to see the pieces. I promise you’ll be inspired.
I hope to see you today!
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TweetFocusing on county pay
While the Ohio Ethics Commission is taking a close look at pay increases given to Butler County employees related to officials and administrators (read about a recent resignation here), county commissioners are making upcoming pay increases more visible.
The agenda for the Thursday, April 17, commission meeting (view it below at 041708Agenda.pdf — page two) breaks out every pay increase by name and dollar amount. Traditionally, this would say something along the lines of “Approve pay adjustment for (name of position),” or “Accept and place on file employee payroll for (name of department).”
This could be an effort to make county pay more transparent to the public, in light of recent events. Or it could be meant to make it more comprehensible for commissioners, after they held former county administrator Derek Conklin to task for pay increases they weren’t aware they approved (read an archive of related stories here).
Do you think something needs to be done about employee pay at the county?
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TweetCates spurs Senate to enforce immigration laws
Just received this press release from the state Senate press office:
COLUMBUS—The Ohio Senate this afternoon offered strong bipartisan support for two important bills sponsored by State Senator Gary Cates (R-Butler County), which seek to reduce the tremendous strain illegal immigration has placed on local, state and federal resources, while establishing the opportunity for a key partnership between the federal government and local law enforcement to detain those who have violated immigration laws.
Earlier this year, concerned about inaction at the federal level to address the growing problem of illegal immigration in this country, Sen. Cates introduced Senate Concurrent Resolution 16 to “urge the President of the United States and the United States Congress to secure our nation’s borders and to aggressively enforce all existing federal immigration laws.” SCR 16 received unanimous approval in the Senate today and will now move to the Ohio House for further consideration.
Cates explained that the influx of illegal immigrants has placed a tremendous strain on limited local and state resources, including our schools, social programs, courts, law enforcement and prisons, and it is the basic duty of the federal government to secure the borders and enforce the law, so states do not get stuck paying the bill for these added services.
“Unfortunately, the escalating number of illegal aliens coming into this country demonstrates a lack of strong laws and enforcement measures at the federal level to stop people from crossing our borders,” said Cates. “It is time that folks in Washington take action to address this growing problem.”
At the same time Sen. Cates is calling on Congress and the President to act, he is also working to expand local law enforcement’s authority to help investigate and enforce federal immigration laws.
“While the problem of illegal immigration is a national issue, the failure of our federal government to enforce our immigration laws and secure our borders has placed an undue burden on local law enforcement. These dedicated men and women witness on a daily basis the toll illegal immigration has taken on many communities in Ohio; however, they have limited ability, under current law, to do anything about it,” explained Cates.
Senate Bill 260, legislation Sen. Cates introduced in November 2007, would grant local law enforcement additional tools to help federal officials enforce the law and deal with the challenges that illegal immigration poses for local governments. Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones and Butler County Prosecutor Robin Piper brought the idea for SB 260 to Sen. Cates attention, and both men testified in support of the bill before the Senate State and Local Government Committee in January.
According to an Attorney General’s opinion commissioned by Prosecutor Piper, under current law, a county sheriff has the authority to arrest and detain illegal immigrants, who violate a criminal provision of federal immigration law. However, this authority does not extend to civil provisions in the law, which includes matters of deportation.
SB 260 would authorize a county sheriff, upon the request of federal immigration officials, to also assist in the investigation and apprehension of illegal aliens, who violate civil provisions of the law. The bill passed with overwhelming bipartisan approval this afternoon, and has also received backing from the County Sheriffs Association, the County Prosecutors Association and the County Commissioners Association.
“I would like to thank Sheriff Jones and Prosecutor Piper for their dedicated work on this effort and for the great work they do every day to uphold the laws of Ohio and keep the people of Butler County safe,” said Cates.
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TweetAdvocates for children, families honored
Just received this press release from Butler County Children Services:
The Celebrating Families Committee, a collaborative group of professionals from human service organizations in Butler County, will present six awards to Outstanding Advocates for Children and Families during the Celebrating Families Community Breakfast on Friday, April 25, 2008. In recognition of National Child Abuse Prevention Month, the fourteenth annual event takes place from 8:30a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at Receptions Banquet and Conference Center, 5957 Boymel Drive in Fairfield, Ohio.
The Outstanding Advocates for Children and Families award recognizes the exemplary efforts of individuals and groups, in a volunteer or professional capacity, who help improve the lives of children and families in Butler County. This year’s outstanding advocates are:
Kristy Collins: Hamilton Police Dept. Tasha Frame: Epilepsy Support Group Kathy Helm & Beth McQueen: Kinship Program Eric Pohlman: Butler County Challenger Baseball Jean Wesseler: Fairfield Police Dept. 4-H Food & Fashion Board
The Celebrating Families Committee is comprised of professionals from human services organizations who share in a mission to strengthen families and protect children. Participating organizations include: Alcohol & Chemical Abuse Council of Southwestern Ohio, Butler County Board of Developmental Disabilities, Butler County Children Services, BCESC Head Start Program, Butler County Family & Children First Council, Help Me Grow, Catholic Social Services, Lifespan, MALACHI, Ohio State University Extension Butler County, SELF, The Family Resource Center in Oxford, Butler County Department of Job & Family Services.
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TweetLiberty Twp. seeking new fiscal officer
Liberty Twp. has an interim filler and is accepting resumes to replace Roger Reynolds as township fiscal officer now that Reynolds is county auditor. See a short story here.
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Tweet‘The 54th District is safe’?
Now that Roger Reynolds is Butler County’s new auditor (see the story here) — and they updated their Web site — what does this mean for state Rep. Courtney Combs? The Democrats?
Democratic Chairman Ron Wardrup says they still don’t have a candidate for the auditor’s office. But they do have a candidate challenging Combs for his 54th District seat: Hamilton business owner Ken Keith.
Combs spoke to this last night while courting votes for auditor from the county GOP. “The 54th District is safe,” Combs said. “Whoever we pick to take my place…will hold that office.”
Combs noted that Keith challenged him in 2006, taking 42 percent of the overall vote.
But Keith now has more ammo, and will undoubtedly jump on Combs for trying to leave the job he’ll seek re-election votes for in November.
So is Combs’ seat safe?
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TweetUpdate from Tori Station 3
The Butler County Republican Party elected Roger Reynolds as the county’s next auditor with 63 percent of the vote.
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TweetUpdate from Tori Station 2
All three candidates for Butler County auditor have given their speeches, about 5 minutes each.
Bob Weber said he’s a moderate and that’s what voters will look for in November.
Roger Reynolds said he has experience as a CPA and the ability to raise money for the general election.
Courtney Combs discounted concerns about seat-swapping, and said he was the candidate with the name recognition to win in November and independence to do the job.
They’re now answering questions from the public.
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TweetUpdate from Tori Station
The Butler County Republican Party has just opened its meeting to decide who the county’s next auditor will be (See below for background). It started with a Bible quote asking God for the wisdom of Solomon, and the Pledge of Allegiance.
The party just voted on whether to both appoint an auditor and name the party’s nominee to run in a November election to see if their appointee holds the seat, or just name the new auditor and wait for the nominee.
They unanimously decided to name both tonight. Nearly all of the party’s 259 member Central Committee is in attendance.
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TweetStay posted: Auditor elected tonight
Tonight at 6:30 p.m., the roughly 260 members of the Butler County Republican Party will meet at Tori’s Station in Fairfield and elect Butler County’s new auditor.
I’ll be there, hopefully updating this blog throughout the meeting and informing you first of who the victor is.
The candidates: state Rep. Courtney Combs, R-Hamilton; Liberty Twp. Fiscal Officer Roger Reynolds; and Miami University professor Bob Weber. The GOP will pick the new auditor because former auditor Kay Rogers, a Republican, stepped down March 4 after pleading guilty to two felonies.
Their platforms: I blogged about that previously here.
Tune in later for more.
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TweetThe GOP Central Committee roster
The Butler County Republican Party Central Committee is no secret society. Its members are elected by registered Republicans, and their names are public record.
Below is the list of the 259 people who will vote Tuesday, April 15, on who the next county auditor is (you’ll notice some big names, including nearly every elected local official). For a recent story on the auditor’s race and its political implications, go here.
If you’re a Republican and would like some input, give them a call. Here’s the list, organized by the precincts they represent (Click on CentralCommittee.htm below):
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TweetIn the Conklins’ defense
Neither County Administrator Derek Conklin nor his wife, Job and Family Services Assistant Director Karen Conklin, have fielded media questions since they resigned amid controversy last week.
They’re now one subject of an Ethics Commission probe into pay increases for county employees related to officeholders and administrators (read the story here). The other subject is Commissioner Charles Furmon (more on that here).
But while the Conklins are mum, several people have contacted me in their defense. First was an anonymous letter:
“Before you beat up on Derek and Karen Conklin for taking sizeable buyouts from Butler County, you should be aware that quietly behind the scenes these two avid animal rights advocates are preparing to personally make a $500,000 contribution to help fund the cost of the new animal shelter.”
And today I got a call from a lady who used to rent a condominium from Derek Conklin. Her name is Kim Snyder, and she said, “Those (the Conklins) were absolutely the nicest people anybody could ask for.” She said Derek Conklin is taking the fall for asleep-at-the-wheel commissioners. “Everything Derek did had to be approved by commissioners,” she said.
If the ethics commission finds a problem, who do you think is to blame?
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TweetApril 14 meeting
Butler County commissioners are meeting Monday. View the agenda below. This is as detailed as it gets, so if you want more info, I would suggest going to the meeting and asking.
Or, if something big breaks, visit our Web site.
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TweetDems demand investigation of Furmon
A letter just obtained, sent to the Ohio Ethics Commission from the Butler County Democratic Party.
April 10, 2008 David Freel Executive Director Ohio Ethics Commission 8 East Long Street 10th Floor Columbus, Ohio 43215 Dear Mr. Freel: The Butler County Democratic Party is requesting your office to investigate several situations in Butler County government. County Commissioners recently voted 2-1 on an early retirement incentive program for a select group of county employees. This program would have cost Butler County taxpayers almost $4 million and we believe it was passed only to benefit one employee (news articles enclosed from the Journal-News). We also request that you investigate pay raises that have been provided to James Hamlin, a county employee in Emergency Management and the ex son-in-law of county Commissioner Chuck Furmon. We have documentation,
enclosed, from the Butler County Auditor’s office noting pay raises for this individual (during a 2-month period) January 7, 2000 through March 3, 2000, amounting to a total of a 29 percent in pay increases. On Sept. 1, 2000 was given another 4 percent pay increase bringing his total pay raises to 33 percent in a 7-month period. The document further indicates that the following year, on Jan. 13, 2001, Mr. Hamlin received a 3 percent raise and another one five weeks later, Feb. 24, 2001, of 23 percent (a total of a 26 percent in pay raises) in a five-week period. From Jan. 16, 2004, through April 17, 2005, this same (now) ex son-in-law received a total of 25 percent pay raises. These numbers name only a few of the increases this employee has received throughout his tenure working for the Butler Count Commission. In 1996, he was first hired at an annual salary of $18,574.40 and today his salary is at least $76,000.00 a year. We do not believe all t these pay raises were voted on, and documented openly in a County Commission public meeting, as the Ohio Revised Code requires. As the past has proven, by your investigation into the county treasurer, Carole Mosketti’s unethical behavior, Republicans in Butler County cannot investigate their own Republican Office Holders and the public have trust that the entire possible wrong doings have been throughly and fairly investigated. For these reasons we respectfully request the Ohio Ethics Commission investigate these matters. If you have further questions, you may reach me at (513) 518-3336. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Ron Wardrup, Chair Butler County Democratic Party
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Tweet‘Gold Elephant’
I recently got my invite to the 2008 Lincoln Day dinner.
The Butler County Republican Party’s centerpiece fund-raiser isn’t cheap; $25,000 for a table of 16 and hole sponsor at the golf outing, $500 for a “Gold Elephant” reception and dinner for two; but it’s always well attended.
And with this year’s topic being “The Presidential Campaign,” rumors are circulating that local GOPers are trying to score Arizona Sen. John McCain, the Republican Party’s nominee for U.S. president, as keynote speaker.
Did they succeed? Butler County GOP officials won’t confirm or deny, but they did entitle the event: “An Evening of Presidential Politics, Star Power, and Unity.”
Cocktail reception starts at 5:30 pm at the Savannah Center, 5533 Chappell Crossing Boulevard, West Chester.
If the invitation applies to him, McCain will have to RSVP by May 1.
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TweetCan voting machines be trusted?
Turns out Butler County’s traditionally smooth election process ran into some bumps on election night with voting machine quirks. Read the story here.
The Secretary of State’s Office says this is what they’ve been warning about all along. You can read the findings of Jennifer Brunner’s highly publicized EVEREST report here, and Premier Election Solutions’s response here.
So what do you think? Can these machines be trusted?
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TweetStill no Democratic candidate
While Butler County Republicans will pick an incumbent April 15 to run for the county auditor’s job (vacated after Kay Rogers pleaded guilty to two felonies), the Democrats can’t get anyone to commit.
Democratic Party Chairman Ron Wardrup candidly admits he wants Jack Zettler, a local attorney who sits on the board of elections, challenged Rogers for the post in 2006 and lost with 48 percent of the vote. Zettler said he’s weighing a run, which promises to be time-consuming and expensive.
It’s an important post, and rumors are even surfacing that the state Democratic party is considering an influx of cash if they think the candidate is right.
Any other names floating out there for the job?
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TweetThe Conklin saga
We have put up a free archive of the stories chronicling the controversial early retirement package that led to County Administrator Derek Conklin’s and his wife’s resignation. It’s available here.
The latest twist: County Prosecutor Robin Piper says a preliminary investigation has found no evidence of criminal wrong-doing. That story is here.
What do you think?
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TweetDon’t mark your calendar
Unless you’re one of the 260 members of the Butler County Republican Party Central Committee, you’re not invited to the April 15 meeting that will decide who the next county auditor is.
Central Committee meetings are closed to the public, which is allowed by state law. This means no one but party leaders themselves will hear the campaign speeches, or witness the vote breakdown.
But the public is invited to vote on whether the appointed auditor stays in office in November. See this blog for a rundown of what the candidates are offering, in their own words.
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TweetThe state of the county
The resignation of County Administrator Derek Conklin and his wife (read the story here), marks the second and third high-profile resignation, amid controversy, of a county leader.
Don’t forget former county auditor Kay Rogers, who resigned last month after pleading guilty to two felonies.
Should this be cause for concern? Is the county in turmoil? Do you think there’s more to come?
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TweetConklins resign
Both County Administrator Derek Conklin and his wife, Job and Family Services Assistant Director Karen Conklin, have resigned amid controversy.
See the story here.
“We did not find any evidence of criminal wrongdoing,” said county Personnel Director Douglas Duckett, though he said his investigation was cut short by the couple’s resignation.
He also said it was limited to whether commissioners approved all of Karen Conklin’s pay raises, not whether Derek Conklin used his position to help her secure those raises.
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TweetThe Conklins
Butler County Commissioners have been in executive session behind closed doors since 9:30 a.m. discussing the findings of an internal investigation into whether County Administrator Derek Conklin played any role in pay raises and a retirement incentive plan that benefits his wife, Job and Family Services Assistant Director Karen Conklin.
See the story here.
They’ve just ordered lunch, and will hold a public meeting at 1:30 p.m. to take any action they deem necessary. Rumors are circulating, but nothing we feel is substantiated to print at this point.
I am sitting outside the meeting and will post an update as soon as something verifiable is known.
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TweetSprawl fears fuel connector fight
OXFORD — When Oxford Twp. passed its comprehensive plan recently, there was no mention of a road connecting U.S. 27 and Ohio 73. The line wasn’t on the map.
Township trustees and residents say they wanted a plan that emphasized maintaining rural character and environmental protection. The road, they fear, would spur sprawl and damage waterways such as Four Mile Creek.
But the comprehensive plan doesn’t decide whether the road gets built. The money is already allocated via federal earmark and the Ohio Department of Transportation is moving ahead with an environmental study.
Every public meeting has brought out dozens of opposed Oxford Twp. residents. Oxford Twp. resident JoAnn Martin has assembled hundreds of names on a petition urging, “more effective solutions to the traffic problems in our area.”
But can the township stop such a large project? Yes, according to Oxford Twp. Trustee Larry Frimerman.
Frimerman and other township leaders are urging planners to consider alternatives: roads bypassing Oxford to the west, limited access roads to channel traffic to Yager Stadium, weigh scales leading into the city.
Miami University officials, one of the largest proponents of the project, say they’re “open to alternatives” as long as they don’t require more money or slow down the process, according to Stephen Snyder, executive assistant to the president.
The township’s proposal would undoubtedly do both, as money and a timetable are already in place for the connector. And the fight continues.
“This has got to stop,” said Frimerman. “There is no point in having citizens fighting government and government fighting government,” he said.
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TweetDousing the flames
Received this e-mail from Utawna Leap:
I’m sure you’ve heard about the 2 firefighters killed in a house fire this morning. A fire sprinkler system would have saved their lives.
Leap is a major advocate of residential fire suppression sprinkler systems in new construction. You can read her story here.
Fire officials say it’s only a matter of time before these systems are required in all new home construction.
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TweetKaren Conklin’s pay history
Butler County commissioners are looking into whether County Administrator Derek Conklin had anything to do with pay raises for his wife, Job and Family Services Assistant Director Karen Conklin.
You can read the story here.
Here’s a breakdown of Karen Conklin’s pay raises from the Butler County Auditor’s Office (Link below):
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TweetOxford road project draws ire
Some Oxford residents are steaming about a proposed connector route between U.S. 27 and Ohio 73 southeast of Oxford. The Ohio Department of Transportation has scheduled a public meeting for Thursday, April 10, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Marshall Elementary School, 3260 Oxford-Millville Road, Oxford.
As a preview, here’s an e-mail we received from a landowner out there:
What You Need to Know About The Oxford ByPass: The 27/73 Connector and Thoroughfare Plan
You may be following debates in Oxford about the Bypass. The 27/73 connector and the thoroughfare plan will create a loop road around Oxford on township land, against the wishes of many residents of Oxford and Milford townships. These roads are being defended by Oxford City as a way of relieving traffic in the downtown area and improving safety. But, there is no evidence that they will effectively do so.
The 27/73 Connector is the first leg of the bypass. The connector has been funded by legislative earmarks passed by the 109th and 108th Congress. Earmarks are the source of what are commonly called “pork barrel funding”. The connector funding was obtained through the efforts of the City of Oxford and former Ohio Senator Mike DeWine. Typically earmarks are not debated and are exchanges of political favors.
The funding was justified on the basis of a study carried out in 2003 by a joint Ohio Kentucky Indiana commission, but at that time the Connector was part of a larger project which would connect SR 73 to SR 732. The Bypass plan keeps morphing and changing, but in the end it remains a loop road around Oxford. There are many reasons why this is a bad idea!
Fairness: Whose Road Is This?
Why are the City of Oxford and Miami University planning, and most likely partly funding, major roads that are not under their jurisdiction? Planning on Township land should be driven by the Townships, NOT the university and NOT the city. If Township residents have concerns it’s very difficult for them to have their voices heard. The decision makers are not elected by the citizens of the townships and therefore have no accountability to us.
Current plans are for the 27/73 Connector/Bypass to be maintained by the county with our tax dollars. This is a road lobbied for by the City of Oxford, to be built by the State with Federal Money to be taken over and maintained by the County. Does this make sense?
Questions about Safety:
The last substantial study of truck traffic through Oxford found that 76% of the trucks on the roads in Oxford were making local deliveries. According to the NW Butler Transportation study only 9% of accidents on 27, 73, and 732 involved trucks.
The roads contemplated would create a 100 foot-wide corridor. Studies show that wider roads actually encourage faster speeds and thus generate more accidents.
Planners for the road claim that the 27/73 connector will enhance safety at the intersection between Paterson and 73 in Oxford. Planners are making their case using dubious statistics, ignoring other more dangerous intersections in the city, and refusing to consider other solutions.
Economics: Dollars and Sense
Planners site continual and long-term growth in the region as a justification for the roads. In fact the data shows that the City of Oxford has been growing at the rate of 1-2% per year and growth in the townships is even lower.
Overestimating growth encourages over-development which, if you are a property owner, decreases the market value of your property, and roads facilitate sprawl.
Our Communities: Our Quality of Life
In 1950, Butler County had 84% farmland. In 2002 we had 46% farmland. That’s a 37% decrease, more than most other Ohio counties, except those around Columbus.
The townships have developed distinct communities that incorporate a mix of rural and residential land use patterns. We have all chosen to invest in this specific style of community yet these roads do not include a green belt and invite commercial and residential developments. Planners term this “leap-froging” patterns of development. It is a pattern that destroys rural communities.
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Tweet“politics of patronage”?
In a position piece decrying the $3.8 million early retirement incentive program recently offered to Butler County employees, Commissioner Donald Dixon made an interesting reference.
Dixon: “(The retirement incentive) makes a bet that somehow the politics of patronage that has long dominated hiring practices in Butler County government will somehow change.”
What do you think? If you have any stories about apparent patronage in hiring or promotion within county government, I’d like to know.
In fact, feel free to call me about this or anything else: (513) 820-2175.
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TweetMU: Student safety top concern
OXFORD — For a recent statistics class, fourth-year Miami University business major Brian Schummer recently had to count the vehicles passing through the intersection of U.S. 27 and Ohio 73.
“I saw a lot of semis,” Schummer said, adding that U.S. 27, which drives through the heart of the Miami University campus, is “busy, but if you watch yourself on it, it’s not a problem.”
School officials agree that accidents are rare, but they say the potential is always there, as it was several years ago when a graduate student was killed when her bicycle was struck by a truck.
“If you have 60,000 crossings there per day, there are lots of opportunities for things to happen,” said Stephen Snyder, executive assistant to the university president.
“This is a safety issue for our faculty, staff and students,” Snyder said, flatly denying allegations that the school is trying to improve traffic flow to Yager Stadium or some other selfish aim.
Student body president Mike Scott agrees. “It is by the sheer act of god that no one’s been hurt, or worse, killed, crossing that road,” he said.
To justify their position, school officials point to a two-year study of transportation issues in northwest Butler County. It ended in a compromise, Snyder said, with the school abandoning a bypass it wanted around north Oxford for the connector.
Snyder said he’s open to alternatives, but that the safety issue is pressing and any options that keeps pedestrians at risk on campus indefinitely is unacceptable.
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TweetChallenges to crossover votes vary by county
If you’re interested in the Democratic surge mentioned below, you should read this story in the Columbus Dispatch.
It says Butler County was more diligent than many others in requiring voters switching parties in the primary to sign a form declaring he or she “desires to be affiliated with and supports the principles of the political party whose ballot the person desires to vote.”
Some counties just handed out ballots, and Democratic votes shot up 76 percent over the 2004 primary.
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TweetDems surge in polls
Anyone who’s following the presidential race this year has undoubtedly heard that Democratic turnout has been way up, and Republican turnout has been either static or down in most states.
But it’s particularly poignant in this graphic map display, courtesy of Cox news partner the Dayton Daily News. Click around and check it out. Interesting stuff if you’re into stats.
And the March 4 primary had an interesting effect on Butler County’s demographics. The story our paper ran is here.
Do you think these are notable changes, or just statistical anomalies?
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TweetThe blogosphere
It would be remiss of me to pretend that I’m the only one pasting cyberspace with news nuggets about Butler County. There are indeed other blogs that have been at it much longer than I.
Blogs are traditionally a soapbox, so I can’t vouch for the impartiality of any other bloggers out there. But they are all part of the Great Debate. Here’s a smattering:
- Weapons of Mass Discussion has a great name and a strong Republican bent. It’s updated constantly with interesting rumors about local and statewide news.
- The Butler County Bugle is updated less frequently, and appears to focus a lot on U.S. Rep. John Boehner’s views and actions.
- Fairfield Republicans, another GOP site, is hyper-local with some commentary on countywide, statewide and national issues.
- For the sake of parity, Buckeye State Blog appears to be a more liberal site with statewide commentary, and some talk about Butler County issues.
…I’m sure there are others…
And other Cox Ohio reporters are also busily blogging about politics. They include Josh Rinaldi, with his blog Hamilton News and Issues, and Ed Richter’s blog Middletown News and Issues. You can see a full list of Cox Ohio’s blogs here.
Any other Web sites you recommend for local news and commentary?
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TweetBut who would replace Combs?
So state Rep. Courtney Combs, R-Hamilton, wants to be the next county auditor. But if he’s the Butler County Republican Party’s pick, the state GOP would have to find someone to replace him.
While the state party caucus makes the decision, the local party generally makes a recommendation on such matters. And names are already being bandied about by party insiders. They include:
- Local businessman Dan Acton
- Local attorney and former Hamilton City Councilman David Davidson
- Fairfield Mayor Ronald D’Epifanio
- Butler County Auditor’s Office Communication Manager Joe Statzer
Any other names that should be added to this list?
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Tweet
