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Home > Blogs > Butler County News and Issues > Archives > 2008 > May
May 2008
Updates
Some reading material:
Here’s the story about local minority groups’ opposition to some proposed bills dealing with immigration issues. The story includes perspective from Rep. Courtney Combs, R-Hamilton, and Sen. Gary Cates, R-Butler County.
Here’s the story about Butler County commissioners back-tracking on a salary freeze for county employees enacted May 12. It seems the union contracts don’t allow that.
And here’s an update of efforts to reform Butler County Children Services since a foster child died a gruesome death in care in 2006. Children are still being abused.
And here’s a new one. GE may consider relocating a major plant to Butler County, or it may move the couple hundred jobs it has here elsewhere.
Feel free to comment on whatever you like.
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Combs says bill will improve county purchasing power
Just received this press release from state Rep. Courtney Combs’ office:
COLUMBUS— State Representative Courtney Combs (R- Hamilton) this week announced the Ohio House voted to approve Senate Bill 268, which authorizes a county to use competitive sealed proposals for purchases and leases of products and services instead of competitive sealed bidding when the contracting authority determines the use of competitive sealed proposals would be advantageous to the county.
“Counties, townships, and schools will now be able to streamline the purchasing process and save valuable dollars as well,” Combs said. “The bill would extend to all political subdivisions the same joint purchasing authority as counties and townships currently have.”
Sub Senate Bill 268 would permit a county contracting authority to negotiate the best price, finalize contract terms and conditions, and establish a final project plan or scope of work that is in line with industry standards. This bill would be particularly helpful in instances where the county is purchasing high technology items or complex systems where standard commercial items do not meet the needs of the county and when a detailed scope of work cannot be finalized except through negotiations between the county and the vendor.
Existing law generally requires county contracting authorities to use an “invitation to bid” or sealed competitive bidding process whenever they purchase goods or services at a price in excess of $25,000. Competitive sealed bids are firm, fixed price contracts where vendors bid on written bid specifications and where negotiations with a vendor are not allowed.
Senate Bill 268 was sponsored by Senator Bill Seitz (R- Cincinnati) and was carried in the Ohio House by Representative Courtney Combs. The bill was approved by the Ohio House and now moves back to the Ohio Senate for further consideration.
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Commissioners will honor union contracts
The decision by Butler County Commissioners earlier this month to freeze all employee salaries during an ongoing compensation study was met with suspicion by the county’s three unions.
Commissioners said salaries for the public sector in Butler County were out of whack. The study, done by personnel director Douglas Duckett, will determine just how out of line local salaries are. (Read that story here.)
But, after revisiting the idea on Thursday with the county’s personnel director Douglas Duckett, commissioners said they will honor existing contracts with bargain unit employees, meaning if they qualify for a raise during the hiatus, they’ll get one.
Officials from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, Local 3396 — which represents workers in Job and Family Services, the Environmental Services Department — said they were keeping an eye on the situation. (Read that story here.)
Said Commissioner Donald Dixon: “We will honor our union contracts.”
That’s just what union members were hoping to hear.
Meanwhile, every other employee will be subject to the pay freeze until further notice. Commissioners said they expect the salary study to be complete sometime next month.
Question: Should union members be exempt from the salary freeze?
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Groups to oppose immigration enforcement law
Immigration rights groups are gearing up for a fight tomorrow. See the press release below:
What: Press Conference—Opposition to Ohio HB 477 & SB 260
Who: NAACP & LULAC
When: Friday, May 30, 2008 @ 10:30am
Where: Office of Marilyn Zayas-Davis, LULAC Legal Counsel, Cincinnati
We (the NAACP) received word late on Wednesday from the ACLU that the Ohio Senate intends to amend SB 260 onto HB 477 and essentially pass them both as one piece of legislation.
The State Senate & Local Government Committee intend to meet on Thursday at 9am (South Hearing Room) where they will most likely vote it out of committee. The measure would then need to go to the full Senate for a floor vote & the House will need to concur on the amendment this week before the Assembly adjourns for the summer.
The NAACP, LULAC, and numerous community organizations around the state stand in firm opposition to each bill; moreover, we are shocked to learn the about the sponsor’s intentions to carelessly combine these bills.
About House Bill 477
• Requires, with some exceptions, the use of the English language in the official records of, and in the actions and proceedings of, state agencies and political subdivisions.
About Senate Bill 260
• Authorizes a county sheriff, at the direction of the board of county commissioners and upon the request of federal immigration officials, to take custody of persons being detained for deportation or who are charged with civil violations of federal immigration law.
• Authorizes a county sheriff to render assistance to federal immigration officials, upon the request of those officials, in matters (1) related to the investigation, apprehension, and detention of aliens who violate criminal or civil provisions of federal immigration law and (2) related to the investigation of businesses suspected of employing aliens who violate criminal or civil provisions of federal immigration law.
• Clarifies that state and local employees, when rendering assistance to federal immigration officials, may assist in the investigation, apprehension, and detention of aliens who violate criminal or civil provisions of federal immigration law.
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Dixon declares potential conflict in Board of Elections votes
Butler County Commissioner Donald Dixon abstained from voting on five resolutions pertaining to the Butler County Board of Elections this morning — paying for furniture and change orders for the building under construction and sending the agency’s staff on a training trip to Columbus.
Dixon said he shied away from the vote to “eliminate any impression of potential conflict.”
Dixon is engaged to be married to Board of Elections Director Betty McGary. The two live together.
Dixon said he didn’t believe he would’ve done anything wrong by voting on the measures — as he’s done countless times in the past — but he wanted to stay far from accusation of impropriety.
Do you think this is a conflict? Or should Dixon be allowed to vote on measures impacting his fiance?
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Sheriff Jones blasts DeWine as AG nominee
Gov. Ted Strickland picked a temporary replacement today for the state Attorney General’s office (read the story here). This does little to quell discussion of who the parties will put up to run for the job.
One name on most Republican lists is former U.S. Sen. Mike DeWine (Read that story here).
But Butler County Sheriff Richard K. Jones thinks DeWine would be a bad choice. Here’s the text of a letter Jones sent to Ohio GOP Chairman Bob Bennett:
Chairman Bennett: I have recently read correspondence stating that the Ohio Republican Party is considering selecting Senator Mike DeWine to run for the State of Ohio Attorney General’s position. It is my opinion, as the Sheriff of Butler County, Ohio, that if Senator DeWine is chosen to run for this position, it will adversely affect law enforcement throughout the State of Ohio. Surely there is a more qualified candidate than to bring someone back who was voted out of office by the people of Ohio. Senator DeWine would be considered a recycled politician without the best credentials for the position, and would not be my choice. Again, I feel that if Senator DeWine is chosen it would adversely affect law enforcement in this county and throughout the State of Ohio. We need someone with new ideas and the Republican party needs a change.
Who do you think should replace Dann?
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Elections board still has ‘serious concerns’
The Butler County Board of Elections responded recently to an investigative report by Premier Elections Solutions, the Texas-based company that local officials said was responsible for voting-counting mishaps in the March Primary.
During the official number crunch after the Primary, Butler County workers noticed two inconsistencies. Although it didn’t affect the outcome of the election, the mistakes drew ire among local elections officials and the Ohio Secretary of State. (Read that story here.)
According to the report issued by Premier Elections Solutions, the errors were caused by a combination of human error and a failed interaction between the counting hardware and Butler County’s antivirus software, McAffee. (Read that story here.)
Betty McGary, the county’s elections director, disagreed with Premier’s investigation and urged the company to continue its efforts to determine exactly what went wrong.
“It is unfortunate that Premier could not identify a definitive root source for the discrepancies,” McGary said in the letter to Premier dated May 23, 2008. “We find your report to be highly speculative and reject your assumption of human error. Your overall report leads us to continue to have serious concerns.”
Premier officials responded, saying they conducted additional testing since their investigation and found the same errors.
Meanwhile, representatives from Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner’s office said they are eying the situation in Butler County closely and share in the local concern. Dozens of other counties in Ohio use the same machines made by Premier Elections Solutions, however none had any similar issues.
McGary said her office will request a formal report from Premier that explains the conflict with McAffee. She said they will also continue to research the problem and hopefully set up a meeting with Premier officials in the coming weeks.
Thoughts on this?
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Cincy preparing water takeover bid?
A public records request for correspondence between Butler County and Greater Cincinnati Water Works (they’re talking about the city taking over the county’s water, read the story here) turned up this e-mail in planning the most recent meeting:
Nearly all the discussion will be about operational issues, so I just wasn’t sure how valuable it would be for the prosecutor’s staff. What I want to discuss with the group is how, under a complete operation scenario, we would be providing services, what additional services we would be providing, some pretty major changes in how water is moved with in Butler County to implement our strategy for boxing Hamilton in so that we can push for a reduction in their rates, how we would transfer your bonded debt to us and/or cover your debt payments, plans to transition the Butler County employees to GCWW, some essential contract terms that would be necessary to make the economics work, and then how much rates can be reduced under the scenario. From your group I would like to get from the discuss what they feel works operationally and politically. Basically I want to make sure we are not off in left field proposing something that would cause Butler County problems. From the meeting we would then submit a written proposal Let me know what dates work for you all, and we can get rolling on this. Thanks David
It’s from GCWW Director David Rager to Butler County Environmental Services Director Sue Vance. While county leaders say the takeover is only a concept, it looks like they’re making plans.
What do you think? Should Cincinnati take over Butler County’s water department?
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Local GOP prominent to help pick challenger for Dann’s seat
Ohio Republicans are counting on star power and scandal to help them re-win the Ohio Attorney General’s office, according to former Butler County GOP Chairman Carlos Todd.
Todd was appointed last week to a 26-member committee to pick a party champion to challenge the seat vacated by Marc Dann. (Read about Dann’s downfall here)
Ohio Republican Party Chairman Bob Bennett: “Our goal is to find a Republican leader who can restore honor and integrity to the Ohio attorney general’s office and bring back the high legal standards that once made this office a model for the nation before Democrat Marc Dann got his hands on it.”
The front-runner for the GOP’s nod is reportedly former U.S. Sen. Mike DeWine. (Read an analysis and who the Democratic and other Republican favorites may be here)
Rep. Chris Redfern, chairman of the Ohio Democratic Party: “If there’s anyone who represents the past and not the future, it’s Mike DeWine,” Redfern said. “His pitiful record in the Senate is one of the reasons why the voters threw him out a couple years ago.”
What do you think? Did Dann lose the office for the Democrats?
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Cates takes on county reform bill
State Sen. Gary Cates, R-Butler County, is trying to head off an effort to spur dramatic reforms in Cuyahoga County. He proposed an amendment taking the effort out of the county commission’s hands:
From Cates’ office:
“The amendment allows the county commissioners of any county with a population in excess of 1.2 million to put before the voters a county government restructuring plan designed to promote a more efficient form of government. This is permissive language that requires voter approval.”, Senator Cates wants an amendment that would require such restructuring plan to be a citizen initiative placed on the ballot with a required minimum signature requirement of 15% of the total votes cast for governor in that county in the last gubernatorial election.
See blog below for more on this.
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Butler County cited as example of need for county government reform
During discussion of a bill allowing dramatic reorganization of Cuyahoga County, Ohio Democratic Party Chairman Chris Redfern, D-Catawba Island Twp., tried to slip an amendment opening the option to all counties.
His justification: Butler County.
“If we’re going to point the self-righteous finger at some, we should point it at others,” he said. The Democratic Party chief cited county government scandals in Butler County, a Republican-dominated area, as an example of how other counties could benefit from reforms.
The proposal is far-reaching, either getting rid of some elected offices or making them appointed. It’s backed by House Speaker John Husted, R-Kettering, and House Democrats say it’s just an attempt to undermine a Democrat-controlled county.
Do you think this is just party politicking, or do you think the plan has muster?
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Can Cincy save local water customers money?
The ball is rolling for future collaboration between Butler County and Greater Cincinnati Water Works (read the story here):
The plan: save Butler County water customers money.
Now some context:
- Butler County just made some painful staff cuts to lower water bills (read about that here).
- The county dealt a blow to the city of Hamilton in September by buying more water from Cincinnati (Read a story pulled from our archives below).
- Cincinnati says their water is way cheaper than the county’s (Click on “CincyRateStructure.pdf” below to see how the rates compare. It’s on page 2).
Do you think the county would be better served by Cincinnati? ,
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From Sept. 29, 2007:
Water bidding war lowers county’s rates
Butler County utility buying more water from Cincinnati, which offered lower prices per thousand gallons than Hamilton.
By Josh Sweigart Staff Writer
HAMILTON — Butler County officials say they’re buying more water from Greater Cincinnati Water Works, and less from the city of Hamilton.
This is the result of a bidding war the county prompted between the two cities to get the best rate for its roughly 37,000 customers.
The Hamilton City Council offered Wednesday to extend the $1.23-per-thousand-gallon “tier B” rate through June 2008 to allow more time for negotiations. That cost used to be $1.07.
By contract, the county must buy eight million gallons a day of water from Hamilton for $2.42 per thousand gallons. Any additional water costs the tier B rate.
But Cincinnati officials agreed earlier in September to lower their rates even further. Cincinnati charges $1.44 per thousand gallons and give discounts as more is purchased.
The utility previously charged penalties if the county bought more than four million gallons a day. It raised that to 12 million gallons a day.
“Quite frankly, we have been increasing our reliance on Cincinnati water,” said Sue Vance, director of Butler County Department of Environmental Services. “The name of the game here is the lowest total cost of water.”
Contact this reporter at jsweigart@coxohio.com.
Competition to supply water helps lower cost to residents
In case of hot weather, Butler County still will need to buy water from Hamilton.
By Josh Sweigart Staff Writer
HAMILTON — Butler County may be getting a better deal on water from the Greater Cincinnati Water Works, but officials said Hamilton water is still needed.
During this summer’s record-breaking heat, the county paid Hamilton up to $8,610 a day for “Tier B” water — any water purchased in addition to the 8 milliongallons-a-day the county is contractually required to buy.
Now the county gets all of that water from Cincinnati.
“Maybe that allows them (Hamilton officials) to rethink their position of not wanting to discuss things with us,” said Butler County Commission President Gregory Jolivette. “I think we should sit down and re-open the whole contract.”
When the weather’s wet and cool, water use for the county can drop to 12 mgd. But it spikes above 20 mgd in the heat, meaning the county still needs that Tier B water.
“We do need both of our suppliers. That’s why we have them both,” said Butler County Environmental Services Director Sue Vance.
When Hamilton and the county get back to the table, county officials said they will look for the city to justify its rates. City Manager Mark Brandenburger said the one-year extension gives time for this.
“(We can) show everyone how capital improvements being done or not being done affect the price that is needed to be charged to pay for those improvements,” Brandenburger said.
“We need to determine exactly how our county is going to use our system and set a rate that is appropriate, depending on how they are going to use it,” he said. But the county is still exploring its options with Cincinnati.
“We’d like for you to consider exploring other partnership opportunities with Butler County in the area of water service that could result in greater savings to our ratepayers,” commissioners wrote to the Cincinnati utility in September.
They’re awaiting a response.
Contact this reporter at jsweigart@coxohio.com.
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Jolivette brings back consolidation debate
County Commissioner Gregory Jolivette again pleaded with area cities and townships to take a stronger look at creating a countywide dispatch center.
Jolivette closed the Thursday, May 22, meeting by pointing to the recently publicized financial troubles in the city of Hamilton as an opportunity to join dispatch forces. (Read about the recent financial report here.)
“I sympathize with their situation,” Jolivette said. “This may be a time to reexamine the idea of combining the dispatch centers in the county.”
Jolivette said other counties, such as Montgomery, and law enforcement agencies like the Ohio Highway Patrol, have successfully combined their individual call-answering centers into one mega operation. He said the same tactic could save individual cities and townships, as well as the county, money and improve efficiency.
He also pointed to the county’s impending creation of an 800 Mhz system that is expected to be operational by the end of this year or the beginning of next, which will force all agencies to communicate using the same codes.
Commissioner Charles Furmon said he agreed that a change is necessary, but he said the call should come from individual cities and townships.
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Auditor testifies in Columbus
Press release just received from the Ohio Senate:
COLUMBUS — Butler County Auditor Roger Reynolds testified in the Senate Ways and Means and Economic Development Committee this morning in support of Senate Bill 306, legislation designed to expand eligibility for Ohio’s Homestead Exemption program.
The bill, which State Senator Gary Cates, R-Butler County, co-sponsored, would extend property tax relief to senior citizens and disabled Ohioans living in housing cooperatives, as well as seniors who have created irrevocable living trusts, many of whom are currently excluded from receiving benefits.
In House Bill 119, last year’s state budget bill, the General Assembly approved an expansion of Ohio’s Homestead Exemption to include all Ohioans age 65 or older, as well as disabled Ohio residents, regardless of their income level. However, a number of residents in this group were denied property tax benefits because of their living arrangements.
Under current Ohio law, only residents of housing cooperatives — condominium-like complexes where each resident owns the deed to his or her own unit — with more than 250 units qualify for the Homestead Exemption. SB 306 would redefine housing cooperative to include groups of two or more units.
In addition, older Ohioans, who have created irrevocable living trusts, in which all rights to transfer assets or make changes are permanently surrendered to the grantor of the trust, are also excluded from receiving property tax relief under the current Homestead Exemption law. At the same, creators of revocable living trusts do qualify for benefits. SB 306 would remove this disparity, allowing creators of both revocable and irrevocable living trusts to participate in the program.
“The idea of the original legislation was to help those who own and occupy their homes regardless of their estate planning arrangement,” explained Auditor Reynolds. “SB 306 would allow the exemptions for homesteads held in irrevocable trusts and, thus, grant previously intended, but currently excluded, citizens to take part in the tax relief.”
“I appreciate Mr. Reynolds coming to testify on a bill that will further expand property tax relief to the citizens of Butler County,” said Sen. Cates.
SB 306 was approved by the Ways and Means Committee today and now awaits a vote from the full Senate.
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Humane society president: Delay ‘a comedy of errors’
Spoke this morning with Rick Fox, president of the board of Animal Friends Humane Society.
Fox summed up the past 12 to 14 months regarding delays in building Butler County’s new animal shelter like this: “This whole thing has been a true comedy of errors.”
Fox said he disagreed with Commissioner Donald Dixon’s comments in a story that appeared in Wednesday’s JournalNews. (Read that story here)
He said it wasn’t, in fact, the humane society’s “unrealistic” hopes for amenities for the new shelter. Instead, Fox said they were “just as shocked” to learn of bells and whistles added by the architect on the project, Hamilton-based Robert Treadon and Associates.
Fox said the bigger issue in the cause for the delay was miscommunication.
“I felt like they (the architect) were hearing what we said, but they weren’t listening,” Fox said. “It was like the Abbott & Costello thing, you know, ‘Who’s on first.’
“We told them, ‘This doesn’t need to be the fanciest building in the world,” Fox added. “And we sure as hell didn’t need Pella windows.”
Still, Fox said he was extremely pleased with progress made during a meeting Tuesday between Treadon, the humane society and county officials. Fox and Treadon both said they are getting closer to the $3.4 million mark on the new shelter.
Question: What do you think about the delay on the animal shelter.
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Cates ushers Crohn’s disease awareness bill
This press release just came in from state Sen. Gary Cates, R-Butler County:
COLUMBUS—The Ohio Senate this afternoon passed House Bill 150, legislation sponsored by State Representative Jim McGregor (R-Gahanna), which establishes a “good Samaritan law” to encourage Ohio retailers to provide access to private restrooms for customers who suffer from certain gastrointestinal diseases and other related medical conditions. State Senator Gary Cates (R-Butler County), who introduced a companion measure in the Ohio Senate—Senate Bill 154—on behalf of a constituent, carried HB 150 on the Senate floor.
Cates explained that he introduced SB 154 after talking with a constituent from Butler County, who has Crohn’s Disease and had been denied the use of a restroom at some retail establishments. Crohn’s is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that causes chronic irritation of the digestive tract. It is estimated that some patients with severe IBD may need to use the restroom as many as 20 times per day.
“I always enjoy the opportunity to present legislation that reflects the needs of my constituents and works to make a real difference in their lives,” said Cates. “HB 150 is a much-needed bill that will impact thousands of Ohioans.”
HB 150 was amended in the Senate with a provision that works to bring more awareness to Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis and other inflammatory bowel conditions. The amendment designates May 23rd as “Crohn’s and Colitis Awareness Day” in Ohio, which coincides with World Crohn’s and Colitis Day.
HB 150 has received support from such business organizations as the Ohio Retail Merchants and the Ohio Grocers Association. The bill now moves back to the Ohio House for concurrence.
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County pay - Children Services
In keeping with a recent theme, below is the salary information for employees in the county’s Children Services department. Together with Environmental Services and Job and Family Services, this accounts for most of the employees who work for the county commission.
The file is called CSPay.pdf. Click on it below to open it.
The first three columns are the dates the pay is effective (see the file headers in yesterday’s post), followed by each employee’s name, title and annual salary.
Do you believe these positions are paid fairly? Too much? Too little?
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County pay - Job and Family Services
UPDATE: I was informed that the numbers I was originally given were incorrect. The document below has been updated.
The question of whether Butler County employees are paid fairly or overpaid is still unanswered, county commissioners say. Pay raises and promotions are still on hold for all offices reporting to the county commission (Read that story here).
I previously posted all the salary information for employees in the county Environmental Services division (read that here). Commissioners have since announced layoffs in that department, saying they’ll cut water rates as a result (read about that here).
Below is the salary information for Job and Family services, one of the county’s other largest departments (it’s called JFSPay.pdf below).
An initial review of that agency’s pay and positions appears to show that employees in Job and Family Services make somewhat less than those in Environmental Services. Does anything strike you about these numbers? Do you think they’re too much? Too little?
Tomorrow, I’ll post the same information for employees in Children Services, and I’ll continue to post for other departments in the county.
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Elections report
Click here to read the story that ran Saturday, May 17.
Here’s the actual report from Premier Elections Solutions.
Question: Are special instructions given to local boards of elections enough to make you comfortable voting this November?
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Shelter gets rolling … Again
A year ago this month, ground was broken on Butler County’s new animal shelter … And the ruffled dirt has remained untouched ever since.
But on Thursday, May 15, county commissioners made the next step in renewing their promise of building a state-of-the-art facility for local strays — and they said this time the project will move forward on budget.
In 2006, volunteers and workers from Butler County Animal Friends Humane Society introduced the idea of a 0.5-mill levy to support the move from a 55-year-old facility in Trenton to a new building off Princeton Road.
While voters approved the levy, the only work that’s been done on site was a groundbreaking on May 3, 2007, featuring golden ceremonial shovels.
County officials are saying now, though, real shovels — and other equipment — could be hitting the dirt there within the next month with this week’s approval of a $288,000 bid to Brochear Contractors to begin clearing the site for construction.
The bid is $30,000 less than a bid months ago for the same work, according to Interim Administrator Tim Williams, and they may go a long way in speeding up the process. If all goes as planned this time around, the new facility could be operational by springtime next year.
Commissioners said the process thus far has been frustrating, especially given previous bids for work that have come back more than a million dollars above the $3.4 million they expected to pay. Read more about that story here.
“We have $3.4 million to spend on the animal shelter, and we’re going to build it for $3.4 million,” said Commissioner Donald Dixon.
Others remained concerned about holding steadfast on that number.
“It might not be enough,” said Leland Gordon, executive director of Animal Friends. “We have to wait and see what the bid says when it comes back. But if there is a gap in funding, we hope that somebody in the community will step up and fill that gap.”
Still, Gordon said, “It’s better late than never.”
Question: Are you frustrated by the delays?
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County department outlines staff cuts
At this morning’s commissioners’ meeting, officials from the Department of Environmental Services shed more light on how they plan cutting local water bills by up to 10 percent.
And just as was rumored earlier this week, the plan is expected to be carried out thanks to nearly two dozen staff cuts and paying down existing debt.
Sue Vance said that 22 1/2 positions will be cut, split between union and non-union positions. The reduction is equal to about 16 percent of the department’s workforce.
“We have had some very difficult decisions to make particularly as they involve employees,” Vance said this morning.
Customers are expected to realize an average decrease of 10 percent on water bills and 15 percent on sewer bills, effective in 2009, Vance said.
Commissioner Don Dixon’s first response: “Wow.”
“You followed our instructions (to reduce bills and streamline the department) specifically,” Dixon said.
Commissioners said the biggest hurdle in trying to lower bills for their customers has been the unwillingness of the city of Hamiton to work with them on decreasing county rates. For more on that story, click here
“I think we should take another run at the city of Hamilton,” said Commission President Chuck Furmon. “As it stands now, we’re limited on our choice.”
Commissioners said they will table the issue for at least another 30 days to give them that opportunity.
“My heart goes out to anyone who feels like they’re on the bubble right now. It’s a most difficult day in our department,” Vance said.
Is your water bill worth local jobs?
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Important, secret announcement for rate payers
This press release just came in from Butler County Environmental Services (it appears to confirm rumors we were hearing earlier today):
The Butler County Board of Commissioners and the Butler County Department of Environmental Services will announce at their board meeting tomorrow, May 15, 2008 at 9:30 a.m. information that will help Butler County water and sewer customers. For several months, the Board has been examining ways to provide rate relief for its customers. The Board anticipates a presentation by the Department of Environmental Services. The Board meets at the Government Services Building at 315 High Street, Commissioner’s Chambers in Hamilton.
County leaders remain tight-lipped, quickly echoing “no comment” when asked about the announcement.
What do you think or hope commissioners’ message tomorrow will be?
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Humane society demands China’s whereabouts
Press release from Leland Gordon, director of the Animal Friends Humane Society (For a story on what he’s talking about, go here):
Where in the world is China?
Humane Society officials announced today that they are concerned with the welfare of China the dog.
Recently, after getting a cruelty complaint the dog warden and probation department visited China. Otis Clark Jr. was found to have violated two terms of his probation. If the probation department visited Otis Clark Jr. as they were supposed to pursuant to Judge Lyons’ original sentencing they must have missed these violations.
For instance, China did not have a 2008 license on her which was required by January 31 of this year. Clark had also not taken China to regular vet visits which were also required under the sentencing terms of his 2007 animal cruelty conviction.
These missed probation terms would not have been missed had Judge Lyons assigned dog wardens to monitor the dog and not probation officers. In addition, China was found dirty, living as an outdoor dog in a pen. Shortly after the surprise visit, Clark allegedly sold the dog.
We have been trying to assess the welfare of China. However, the Butler County Adult Probation Department has been unwilling to release the address of where China is living or allow an animal control officer to check on the dog. A probation officer did tell the Humane Society that China is living with an elderly woman in Hamilton County. At this point China could be chained to a tree, living outside in a pen, or be a family pet. The dog could also be living with relatives of Otis Clark Jr. We are also not sure if the probation department has even seen China in her new home. A probation department representative stated “they had no authority to search the house or grounds for the dog”. That same representative also stated that this matter is “resolved”.
Judge Lyons’ sentencing clearly stated that Clark was to forfeit the dog if he did not meet the terms of his sentencing. In addition, the Humane Society has learned that Clark paid $80 as a result of his latest violation and it seems like there will be no jail time. Once again, even with multiple probation violations it seems Judge Lyons has let Otis Clark Jr. off the hook.
We are hoping that the new owner of China will appreciate how many people at the Humane Society and in our community care about China. The Humane Society is also hoping that they will get a call from the new owner and be allowed a visit China. A visit to China and confirmation of good living conditions will help bring closure to this saga.
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More staff cuts coming?
Butler County leaders have remained tight-lipped about an impending presentation by environmental services officials scheduled for tomorrow’s (May 15) commissioner’s meeting.
However, sources have told us to expect more personnel cuts, this time in the Department of Environmental Services.
We’re looking into exactly how many BCDES staffers will get the ax, but we’re told it will likely enough to lower water rates for county water users.
Earlier this week,
county commissioners discussed reducing employee numbers as a result of merging four departments — children services, job and family services, child support enforcement agency and Workforce Development — starting with 20 from JFS. Read that story here. No word yet from members of the union representing BCDES.
Union members have already expressed concern regarding the commissioners’ decision last week to freeze all pay raises and promotions in order to study levels of compensations. Read that story here.
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Find cheap gas
This article is a must read. It includes links to help you find the cheapest gas in the county.
Go now! Before it goes up again!
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County jobs
The union representing Butler County workers is none too happy about county commissioners’ decision to suspend pay raises and promotions to all employees. Read that story here.
For links to the back story, go here.
But employees worried about raises perhaps should keep an eye on their jobs. A merger of some of the county’s largest departments could lead to layoffs. (Read that story here)
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Boehner: GOP benefits from Democratic contest
Republican House Minority Leader John Boehner is happy to see the Democratic hopefuls for the White House slug it out indefinitely, he said at the Butler County Lincoln Day Dinner Friday.
Read the story here.
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The voting machine glitch
Butler County Board of Elections officials say they’ll know sometime this week what was behind the glitch that left some votes uncounted on election night. Read about that here.
Read more about differing views on voting machines here.
Do you think the county should keep voting machines, or go back to a paper ballot?
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County: Pay is all contract driven
While Butler County commissioners are freezing pay increases and promotions for county employees, fearing pay is excessive (read the story here), human resource directors in county departments say it’s all in the union contract (read that story here).
Not to pick on Environmental Services, but I also have the pay histories for employees in that department. They’re posted below as pdfs in alphabetical order. Any thoughts on these?
,,
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The county beat
Things have been pretty busy at the Butler County desk lately, and I’ve been lucky to have help from some great fellow reporters.
- Read about progress at the new Board of Elections building here. Spoiler alert: it’s still behind schedule.
- Read about the impact a weakened economy will have on sales tax yields here. It was a major topic of conversation at a chamber of commerce meeting Friday, I’m told.
Go team!
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County pay - Environmental Services
Butler County commissioners froze pay increases for county employees yesterday. Read the story here.
I happen to have the pay of employees in Environmental Services laying around, along with their job titles and start dates. You can read that below at EnviroSvcs.htm.
Do you think this is on par with the private sector?
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The Dynus court documents
It’s like a puzzle coming together in pieces, the sequence of events that led to a multi-million dollar company’s collapse and the downfall of the county auditor and several executives.
Read the stories here, including two pieces and a timeline posted yesterday.
Much of the clues are scattered throughout the court documents, the indictment of Orlando Carter and plea agreements with James Smith and Karin Verbruggen. Here they are (pdfs below: Smith plea agreement, Verbruggen plea agreement and Carter indcmt):
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Three charged in Dynus investigation
The FBI’s investigation into the now-defunct Dynus Corp. — accused of fraudulently taking out a multi-million dollar loan in Butler County’s name for unapproved fiber optics contracts — has resulted in charges against three more people.
A federal grand jury returned an 11-count indictment of former Dynus owner Orlando Carter today, May 7.
Carter, 42, of Mason, is charged with making false statements to secure more than $10 million in loans and lines of credit for personal real estate and the operation of his business.
The court also unsealed guilty pleas against former Dynus President James Smith and project manager Karin Verbruggen. Both pleaded guilty to bank fraud in late 2006 and Smith pleaded guilty to an unrelated count of failing to file a tax return.
Investigators say the company took out a $4 million loan in 2005 in the county’s name without county commissioners’ approval.
County Auditor Kay Rogers resigned in March after pleading guilty to bank fraud for falsely represented to National City Bank that Smith was authorized to do business with the county and had completed work that she knew was not done.
Court documents say Rogers received $9,500 from Smith in January 2005, and paid the money back in September 2005 after learning of the FBI investigation “in an effort to conceal the receipt of the $9,500.”
Carter’s list of charges includes several not related to Dynus, such as bankruptcy fraud. Senior United States District Judge S. Arthur Spiegel will preside over the case and set a date for Carter’s initial appearance.
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Seniors and Money
Just got this press release from Butler County Treasurer Nancy Nix:
Senior citizens in Butler County are invited to learn about protecting their financial health at a free Seniors and Money workshop. In partnership with Ohio Treasurer Richard Cordray, Butler County Treasurer Nancy Nix is bringing this free seminar to Butler County. The workshop was created by the Ohio Department of Aging and Ohio Treasurer of State Richard Cordray’s office.
The seminar will focus on personal finance issues specific to seniors, including credit and debt management, identity theft and tips to avoid financial scams. Senior fraud and identity theft is a growing problem. According to the Federal Trade Commission, nearly one fourth of the victims of identity theft are over 50.
When: Friday, May 30, 2008 - 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Where: Middletown Area Senior Citizens Center 3907 Central Avenue, Middletown, Ohio 45044
When: Friday, May 30, 2008 - 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Where: Hamilton Senior Citizens 140 Ross Avenue, Hamilton, Ohio 45013
Topics: Credit and Debt Management Identity Theft Tips to Avoid Financial Scams
Recognizing the need to inform and protect our elder population, Ohio Treasurer of State Richard Cordray, the Department of Aging, and Butler County Treasurer Nancy Nix are pleased to bring this program to Butler County seniors and their families.
Reserve your place for this FREE seminar by calling 1-800-228-1102
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Dynus and George Lang
While rumors are now circulating that West Chester Twp. Trustee George Lang might be one of the next to be caught in the FBI’s net concerning Dynus, some of those rumors are overblown.
Contrary to scuttlebutt, for example, Lang’s former business partner says he did not have an extended conversation with the FBI recently. The only one confirmed in that predicament is Michael Fox.
But Lang did play a prominent role in the Dynus debacle.
Currently in his second term as West Chester Twp. trustee, George Lang owns several West Chester businesses. In March 2005, he started as president of the now-defunct Dynus Financial services.
The same month he was hired, Lang was placed at a meeting where the loan was supposedly discussed.
“I was only there at the beginning of the meeting,” Lang said about the meeting at his Dynus Financial office in West Chester Township. “I made some introductions and I did leave early … before any significant discussion took place.”
In September 2005, he denied rumors that he pressured County Auditor Kay Rogers to sign documents assisting Dynus Technologies, a fiber optic division of Dynus Corp., to secure loans in the county’s name.
“Did I pressure her? No. I didn’t even know those documents existed until two weeks ago,” Lang said. “All I did was make introductions between Dynus and Butler County officials.”
“If someone from Dynus has acted criminally, I can assure that Dynus will deal with that individual appropriately. I welcome an FBI inquiry or investigation,” Lang said.
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While I was out
Things move fast in this business. I was out of town Friday through Monday, and here’s what I missed (I’m listing them here in case you missed them as well):
- The Government Services Building in Hamilton was evacuated when fire alarms went off. Fellow reporter Joshua Rinaldi covered for me with a story here and a blog here.
- Speaking of Rinaldi, he and I put an age-old question to rest last week and the story ran Sunday. Read the story here, my personal tale of triumph here and Rinaldi’s shame here.
- On a more serious note, Rinaldi did a great job covering a farm protection program here and a Children Services plea for foster parents here.
For obvious reasons, it’s now Rinaldi’s turn to take a vacation.
Anything else I missed?
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Strickland: Step down Dann
Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland and other prominent Democrats are demanding state Attorney General Marc Dann’s resignation. Read a comprehensive package of stories, with a timeline, video and more here.
Below is the letter from the governor to Dann (sorry I’m a couple days late on this; I was out of town):
Sunday May 4, 2008
Attorney General Marc Dann State of Ohio Rhodes State Office Tower 30 East Broad Street Columbus, OH 43215
Dear Attorney General Dann,
We write to you tonight to ask that you resign your position as Attorney General of the State of Ohio.
We believe that your actions have irreparably harmed your ability to effectively serve the people of our great state.
The work of the Office of the Attorney General matters more, and is far more important, than any one person. In many, many cases it is all that stands between the people and the powerful. Sadly, we no longer have even the most remote hope that you can continue to effectively serve as Attorney General and that is why we are asking for your resignation.
We also want to make you aware that if you do not choose to resign, Democratic members of the Ohio House of Representatives will immediately introduce a resolution seeking your impeachment. We sincerely hope that this action will not be necessary and that you will act in the best interest of the people of Ohio by tendering your resignation Monday morning.
Sincerely,
Gov. Ted Strickland
U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown
Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher
Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner
Treasurer Richard Cordray
Senate Minority Leader Ray Miller
House Minority Leader Joyce Beatty
Ohio Democratic Party Chairman Chris Redfern
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Michael Fox
With the FBI looking into the dealings of Children Services Director Michael Fox — presumably into his actions when he was a county commissioner during the ill-fated Dynus deal (read the story here) — it’s worth noting that he is one of Butler County’s most controversial figures.
The mixed feelings about Fox are pretty clear from the comments below the above article, also:
- At some point, a Web site was created solely to attack Fox. You can see it here, though it looks like it’s been abandoned since 2006.
- Read Fox’s story in his own words at a former campaign Web site here.
- He even has a Wikipedia entry. See that here.
What are your thoughts?
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China the dog
In the spirit of making source documents available on this blog whenever possible, see ChinaReport.pdf below for the investigative report into China the dog.
Read the story here.
What do you think the judge should do to the dog’s owner?
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A day of influential eating
Local politicos will have full bellies by day’s end May 9.
U.S. House of Representatives Minority Leader (and West Chester Twp. resident) John Boehner is the keynote speaker at the Butler County GOP’s May 9 Lincoln Day Dinner.
This “evening of presidential politics, star power and unity” will focus on “The Presidential Campaign, a Celebration From the Heartland.” With a theme like this, (now refuted) rumors were that the local party was trying to bring in Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain.
On a more local level, the Butler County Chamber is hosting a legislative breakfast the same day. At that event, local business leaders will question Butler County commissioners about the issues of the day.
What will they do for lunch?
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