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Home > Blogs > Butler County News and Issues > Archives > 2009 > November > 02 > Entry
Jolivette: ‘We’re in for a hell of a confrontation’
“We’re in for a hell of a confrontation,” Butler County Commissioner Gregory Jolivette said at the end of a budget meeting today, Nov. 2.
This was in response to budgets still trickling into the county commissioners office after the deadline Friday Oct. 30. The budgets from other elected offices around the county were supposed to include cuts to address a recession-wrought deficit estimated at $6.6 million.
Many of them did. But some officeholders with the largest budgets refused to make the cuts. Others increased their budgets.
County Finance Director Pete Landrum said today the Board of Elections appears to be asking for a $1 million budget increase, instead of the $305,193 decrease requested from the agency.
“I don’t know if it’s something with special elections, or several of them next year,” he said. “Even compared to other years of that kind (including a gubernatorial election) it’s above (average).”
This followed an announcement Friday that Butler County Sheriff Richard K. Jones — whose budget accounts for more than a third of the ailing general fund — is refusing to make the more than $2.5 million budget cut requested from his office.
County Prosecutor Robin Piper — one of the other large budgets in the county — is one of many departments still crunching numbers, slowed by a new computer system the county enacted this year.
But he said the closer he gets to the $428,774 cut requested by commissioners — worth up to 10 jobs, he said — the more he worries about the impacts to services.
“Any time I’m not there to help law enforcement, any time I’m not there to aggressively prosecute cases, that’s not a good thing for the community,” Piper said. “The ultimate result of that is jeopardizing the safety and well being of the citizens in the community.”
“I’ve heard rumblings that not everyone is complying (with proposed cuts),” Jolivette said today. “What are we going to do about it?”
The answer from his fellow commissioners was unclear. The ad-hoc county budget commission — formed this year by elected officeholders to advise commissioners on addressing the budget crisis — has suggested sending back budgets that don’t comply.
But Commission President Donald Dixon only expressed frustration that the county hadn’t already come up with a plan in the past few months — and years.
“Six out of the last nine years, you spent more money than you took in,” said Dixon, who joined the commission in 2007.
“No matter how much money we gave them (other offices), Don, that wasn’t enough,” responded county Administrator Tim Williams.
Permalink | Comments (13) | Post your comment | Categories: County budget
Comments
By null
November 2, 2009 3:46 PM | Link to this
If it were not for the crooked politics played by all of our elected officials, our county would not be facing budget cuts (at least to the extreme being proposed). How many indictments have been handed out involving our elected officials? How many of our elected officials have been in the cen ter of controversy involving friends and family members? Yet, the same offices held by these clowns are demanding cuts be made affecting our safety and everyday services. Here’s an idea…let us elect a regular citizen that has no Real Estate ties, family members feeding them with a silver spoon, breach and/or discipline of past positions and etc. Get off your knees and clean up Butler County and the city of Hamilton rather than cleaning our faces from elected officials careless deposits.
By greatly concerned
November 2, 2009 3:50 PM | Link to this
Take a look at the use of volunteers by Greene County to assist with elections, then ask yourself why Butler County Board of Elections not only can’t meet its budget, but now needs over $1,000,000 more? Something smells fishy.
By Dirtbag
November 2, 2009 4:39 PM | Link to this
he shuld be ashamed because he said Hell, we don’tt need not politichuns saynig obscene talk like thet if front of cjhildrens , he not godfearing
By Piper Exposed
November 2, 2009 6:02 PM | Link to this
Piper needs to understand you first have to turn the computer and then have someone actually operate it before claiming it is too slow. Maybe take some of the $1000 you spent on Lyon’s trustee race to man the PC’s.
By ssgt usmc
November 2, 2009 6:11 PM | Link to this
Befor Sheriff Jones cuts to many jobs, He should spend some time checking for illegals working at golden corral there are too many non english speaking workers.
By Robert Z Wagoner
November 2, 2009 9:41 PM | Link to this
To Null and all other readers. I recently had the opportunity to meet with a young man named Wes Retherford who is running next year for the commissioners spot. He isn’t getting a lot of attention cause he isn’t a Good Ol Boy insider. You need to give him a shot. He’s got the right ideals and values and is truly concerned about the people. He is a regular citizen and working man with a family that actually knows what it is like to worry about bills and putting food on the table. He’s a good guy from what I can tell and he will be a lot better than any of the other crooks or insiders the Butler County Good Ol Boys club is putting up for election
By Lois
November 2, 2009 9:59 PM | Link to this
I completely agree with Null and Mr. Wagoner! It’s time to let a “real Joe” take the reigns. Everyday working folks who have REAL budgets and work REAL jobs will be able to do a much better job than these life long politicians who are selfish, spoiled and self serving. It’s high time for the double dippers and crooks to go! Take back our city folks and vote for a regular person and quit voting for the “familiar” names!
By upset
November 2, 2009 10:31 PM | Link to this
Jolly needs to quit and give his salary to the Sheriff’s Dept. It would be money better spent than in his crooked lazy being.
By Get Facts Straight
November 2, 2009 10:37 PM | Link to this
Dear Greatly Concerned: You would not have to be concerned if you got your facts straight. Green County DOES NOT HAVE “VOLUNTEERS” working as poll workers in their elections. Go to Green County Ohio and check it out you boob !
By JMB
November 2, 2009 11:31 PM | Link to this
The Butler County government has to make what ever cuts are needed to balance the budget. It can not and should not be done through political manipulation as the GOP is doing now. To get rid of a Commissioner and replace him with a weaker person as they are attempting to do is a disservice to all citizens in the county. All departments should act responsibly and share equally in budget reductions. Not reducing the larger department budgets puts a greater burden on the rest. Grow up people the public has been making budget sacrifices for months now. Maybe we the public should get rid of the uncooperative department heads and elect better managers. The budget mess is not the Commissioners alone.
By bob weber
November 3, 2009 8:26 AM | Link to this
You have a regular citizen who is not connected! Although I did not join the endorsement process, I still have a primary petition and can run in the primary election!
By Kelly
November 3, 2009 9:15 AM | Link to this
This budget thing with the Sheriff, Board of Elections and Prosecutor is all be lead by Don Dixon. No way are these three acting independently? Dixon has protected and provided these three with funds to expand their budget ever since he joined the commission. He voted to cut all departments but when it came to these three he voted NO. This has more to do with the endorsement process Thursday night than the wise use of taxpayer money.
By Heavy paychecks
November 3, 2009 4:43 PM | Link to this
No wonder the Board of Elections is asking for $1M more. Take a look at the 2008 salaries for their secretaries: Piper, Nancy L Board of elections adminassistant $60,737 Slaughter, Xanthippe Yvonne Board of elections adminassistant $66,894 Wow!