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Home > Blogs > Butler County News and Issues > Archives > 2010 > March > 15 > Entry
Furmon calls out payments to township trustee’s business
Butler County has been paying a company with ties to a local politician nearly $1,000 a month for more than a year without any contract or resolution authorizing the payments, according to Commissioner Charles Furmon.
And he says he can’t get anyone to do anything about it.
The company is Performance Benefit Solutions, owned by West Chester Twp. Trustee George Lang and his wife. The company provides flexible spending accounts to county employees using another company called Hauser Corporate Solutions.
In a letter to the Auditor of State requesting an investigation, Furmon argues that the 2008 resolution allowing PBS to offer products to county employees says they’ll do so “at no charge to Butler County.”
Yet despite a lack of a contract, Furmon says the county paid PBS and HCS $1,000 a month for a year and a half before he stopped the payments late last year.
Here is a copy of Furmon’s letter, and a letter sent to the county prosecutor on the same issue asking for an Attorney General’s opinion:
Analysis:
“No program documents exist, and no documents of any kind explain the pricing structure for what is being paid on a regular monthly basis,” Furmon wrote.
In the letter, dated Feb. 23, Furmon expresses frustration that “I find myself in the rare situation of being unable to mobilize my county prosecutor or county auditor to do anything about (the issue).”
Furmon says the prosecutor’s office told him the payments were valid because one for $12,000 was authorized by commission resolution in March 2009 — though there is still no contract or language in the resolution referring to ongoing payments.
“Somehow it was pushed through a back door,” Furmon said by phone. “If you push any kind of contract through a back door and it gets partially paid, does that mean you have to pay it the rest of our lives? That doesn’t make sense to me.”
“The county auditor has simply not responded to my inquiry,” Furmon wrote in his letter to the state.
PBS is one of two companies authorized to offer FSAs to county employees under the 2008 resolution. The other is Chard Snyder, which charges $4.50 per participant and $400 set up and renewal fees.
Prior to 2008, PBS was the only company to offer the service. They did so at no charge, in exchange for the exclusive right to offer other insurance products to employees. A former Lang business partner told this newspaper in 2008 that “political pad money” was helpful in getting that arrangement. Lang has denied getting any special treatment.
The process was opened to bidding when other companies cried foul. Furmon says Chard Snyder won the bid and was going to get exclusive access, partly because employees weren’t happy with PBS’s performance.
But PBS was allowed to stay on, Furmon wrote, “because several elected officials provided letters of support for PBS (probably because the husband of the principal of PBS is a prominent township trustee and active in Republican party politics in Butler County).”
Permalink | Comments (7) | Post your comment | Categories: County Commission
Comments
By change butler
March 15, 2010 6:47 PM | Link to this
Chuck, If you’re unable to mobilize the county prosecutor or county auditor to do anything about George (the $300K introduction man), then encourage voters not to elect either one of them.
By Caught Ya
March 15, 2010 9:58 PM | Link to this
Once again Commissioner Furmon is trying to play the role of the “man who wasn’t there.” The truth is, he voted to give Lang the contract every time it has been before the commissioners going back years, just like he voted to give the infamous Dynus a contract with the county. Funny how when the political winds shift Furmon throws up a smoke screen, skeddales, and acts like he had nothing to do with it. Well Furmon, the gig’s up, and the truth’s out.
By Caught Ya
March 15, 2010 10:02 PM | Link to this
Once again Commissioner Furmon is trying to play the role of the “man who wasn’t there.” The truth is, he voted to give Lang the contract every time it has been before the commissioners going back years, just like he voted to give the infamous Dynus a contract with the county. Funny how when the political winds shift Furmon throws up a smoke screen, skedaddles, and acts like he had nothing to do with it. Well Furmon, the gig’s up, and the truth’s out.
By Jeff
March 16, 2010 12:01 AM | Link to this
The City of Hamilton is crumbling to pieces and has huge problems, and this is what he’s worried about? What a shame. Time for the citizens of Hamilton to show these folks the door and be done!
By Not a Hamilton resident
March 16, 2010 11:06 AM | Link to this
He was elected by the voters of all of Butler County, not just residents of Hamilton. The commissioners are SUPPOSED to represent the whole county.
By granny
March 18, 2010 4:20 PM | Link to this
Jeff - please learn the difference between the city of Hamilton and Butler County!!!!!
By BCBC Watcher
March 18, 2010 4:24 PM | Link to this
Intersting this didn’t comeup at todays shouting session (commission meting). Donnie is for cutting just not cutting is Buddy Georgie Lang.