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Saturday, March 7, 2009
Fox to retire March 31
Butler County Children Services Director Michael Fox plans to end his epic and controversial career March 31, he said in an exclusive interview Friday, March 6.
In more than two decades as a state lawmaker, several terms as a county commissioner and nearly two years as Children Services director (read a brief bio of Fox I previously posted on this blog here), Fox as been reviled by some, elected by the populace 15 times and scrutinized by the FBI for years,
Fox said Friday he’s “tired,” and can do more good as a private activist than an agency director.
“I plan to continue being an advocate for children and families and doing whatever I can to make the system better,” Fox said. “I think at this point I can be more effective outside the system.”
Fox has pushed through a raft of reforms since he stepped down from the county commission to take over the agency in 2007. Reeling from the death of 3-year-old Marcus Fiesel in foster care, the agency’s director had been fired and governing board disbanded.
Within months, Fox increased screening of foster parents, decreased caseloads for social workers and increased unannounced visits of homes in the system. And he has balanced the agency’s budget by focusing on family preservation over foster placement.
“Child welfare in Butler County is much better than it was 20 months ago,” Fox said. “I’m going to miss the opportunity to be directly involved in directing that change.”
“Child welfare is a long way from being where it needs to be,” he added.
But every step along the way was hard-fought with criticism, including two recent policy changes that drew fire from commissioners. The first gave caseworkers the ability to ignore agency rules if they thought it was in the best interest of a child. The second gives traditional families preference in foster and adoption placements.
Meanwhile he has juggled personal financial problems — including a foreclosure filing against his house — serious health concerns, and an ongoing FBI investigation into his role in a fiber optic contract that led to the county auditor pleading guilty to bank fraud.
Fox, 60, currently makes $116,603 and has 44 years in the Ohio public employee retirement system. He said he plans to do some writing, working on a couple of screenplays and a children’s book about a Canada goose who doesn’t fly south for the winter.
“I’m going to try to simplify my life as much as I can,” he said.
Commissioner Charles Furmon said the county will conduct a national search to find a new director once Fox submits his retirement notice.
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