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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 > 2010 > June > 10
Thursday, June 10, 2010
County OMB says delay on budget cuts could be costly
As Butler County commissioners continue wrangling over how to patch a $4 million budget hole, the cost of delaying a decision will soon start adding up.
A report this week from the county’s Office of Management and Budget says the deficit will start growing by $150,000 every two-week pay period commissioners go without making cuts.
Commissioners haven’t acted on the issue since they were presented with five options on May 24, in part because one or another of them was out of town for personal reasons.
“I was prepared to vote from square one,” said Commissioner Charles Furmon, the only one that hasn’t left town. He said he favored the option that included cuts of various percentages from county offices.
The largest cuts under that option would come from the sheriff’s office, which would face a $1.5 million, or roughly 5 percent, cut. The commissioners office would follow with a $270,287 cut.
Commissioners on Thursday, June 10, discussed how to deal with shortfalls expected in future years, and whether to impanel an advisory committee of business leaders to outline a plan.
Commission President Gregory Jolivette suggested using such a group to analyze a quarter percent sales tax increase to get the county back in the black.
But an ad hoc advisory work group — which recently completed its work and offered to serve as commission-appointed committee — just finished a report that said Butler County’s per-resident expenditures are higher than similar counties.
Commissioner Donald Dixon, meanwhile, is considering bringing in an outside consultant to look at contracts, lease space, benefits, workers compensation, and more.
“I think there’s still a lot of issues that need to be looked at…as far as what can be cut other than personnel,” he said. “I’m not going to rush in and start axing personnel departments, when I know I haven’t looked at everything else.’
OMB Director Pete Landrum is suggesting the county cut $3.5 million from its $85 million budget for this year, and pull $500,000 from reserves. It will be nearly impossible to do this without cutting personnel, he said, because that accounts for more than 93 percent of its discretionary budget.
And union contracts require the county give employees 30 days notice before a layoff.
“With the time that is apparently passing by, it is compounding the problem,” Landrum said.
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TweetBoehner challenger endorsed by national veterans organization
Press release from the campaign of Justin Coussoule, the Democrat challenging U.S. House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-West Chester Twp., in November:
Citing his West Point officer training and laudable military service the national organization Veterans’ Alliance for Security and Democracy has enthusiastically endorsed Justin Coussoule for the 8th Congressional District seat currently held by Minority Leader, John Boehner.
Both Democratic candidate Coussoule and his wife Amanda are 1997 Graduates of West Point with family values and backgrounds which emphasized public service. Justin’s grandfathers were firemen and policemen, while his own father and the father of Amanda both had military careers and served with distinction during the Vietnam war era.
As a result, Mike Donatelli of VETPAC, informed Coussoule this week that they had endorsed his candidacy for Congress and that “veterans from across the nation will be joining him” in his campaign for progress because of shared values and alignment on the key issues of national security, democracy and veterans affairs.
VETPAC is a federal political action committee formed by American Veterans to promote the principles and values for which members of the U.S. Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Merchant Marine, National Guard and Reserved Forces have served our country, fought and died.
The emphasis of the Veterans’ Alliance for Security and Democracy:
The mission and defining commitment of VETPAC is to bring the unique perspective of America’s veterans to issues of security, democracy and justice, a perspective born out of patriotism, forged in service and in battle, and paid for in blood. We will keep faith with our fallen comrades by continuing to fight for the ideals and values for which they sacrificed.
Equality is a core value of Democracy but equality demands special care for those who bear unequal sacrifice in defense of our nation and its values. When a nation goes to war, it incurs a sacred obligation to care for those who serve, especially those who bear the physical and mental wounds of their service. Care for veterans must include Reserve and National Guard forces, assistance to families and accessibility to those in rural areas.
A West Point Graduate and former Army captain, Coussoule is the Democratic candidate for Congress in Ohio’s Eighth Congressional District. Following his honorable military service, Coussoule practiced law and created a small business before working in management for a global consumer products company in Cincinnati. Coussoule lives in Liberty Township with his wife, Amanda, and their two young children
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