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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 > October > 18
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Jolivette gives apology deadline
Butler County Commissioner Gregory Jolivette is incensed over allegations from auditor candidate Jack Zettler that Jolivette got a special deal on his property value appraisal this year.
The commissioner is demanding an immediate, public apology. Said he:
“He has until election day to publicly apologize to me and after that he might as well not waste his breath because it’s not going to mean anything…I will continue to have complete and utter disrespect for his character. I’ve spent 25 years as a public servant and never have been accused of doing something wrong. I might have someone who doesn’t like my votes or my policies but never accused me of doing something dishonest, and I won’t stand for it. It (an apology) is not going to mean a hill of beans if he does it after the election.”
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TweetZettler answers questions on appraisal
Jack Zettler, Democratic candidate for Butler County auditor, would only answer some of my most recent questions with a prepared statement. Here are the questions and his answers:
I understand that you are arguing that (incumbent Republican Auditor Roger Reynolds) had a lower property value then raised it after the editorial board meeting. But what proof do you have that Gregory Jolivette got any special deals or that Roger gave sweetheart deals to anyone?
RESPONSE: If two of Jolivette’s contiguous neighbors got over a 20 percent increase in tax valuation, when Mr. Jolivette got a decrease, then that is a sweet deal for Mr. Jolivette and a sour deal for his neighbors. Our postcard shows the homes. There appears to be little differences in the type of home involved. Readers should take a look and judge for themselves.
The tax value decreases realized by many of his political allies are certainly not consistent, but there are plenty of them who did get a decrease while there was an average six percent increase countywide at time real values are down significantly. Even State Representative Corky Combs said that home values in Butler County have declined 10 percent. Our interim auditor, however allowed flawed reappraisals to take effect anyway. I never said every one of his political allies got a break, neither have I said that every well known Democrat got an increase. I just know that the average homeowner in Butler County had to live with unfair appraisals. I believe Reynolds could have done more to fight the unfairness. I would have not certified the flawed appraisals. Doing it all again next year, as Reynolds plans to do, will just mean more wasted tax dollars. He should have done it right the first time.
How do you account for the fact that 5 of the 10 properties in Zettler’s name have gone down in value? As have the homes of Daniel Gattermeyer and John Holcomb, two of the most prominent local Democrats?
RESPONSE: Rogers picked and chose five of my properties that went down, but my overall increase averaged over 20 percent!
And why would Roger lower the value on his house either $1,280 or $22,720 while raising the value on his other properties a combined $123,300?
Response: I only was concerned with his personal residence. I assume he lowered the value of his personal residence because he wanted a tax break. He changed the values of his personal residence on the website and therefore I don’t know if he’s changed the values of any of his other properties. Neither do taxpayers now. I guess it is too late for anybody to find out now anyway.
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