By K

January 23, 2011 7:19 AM | Link to this

I am very disappointed in Don Dixon, but not surprised by Carpenter. Disgust is the word for both of them. They knew they were wrong. so what else is new! Carpenter trying to keep her promises.

By K

January 23, 2011 7:20 AM | Link to this

I am very disappointed in Don Dixon, but not surprised by Carpenter. Disgust is the word for both of them. They knew they were wrong. so what else is new! Carpenter trying to keep her promises.

By YBother

January 23, 2011 8:11 AM | Link to this

What difference does any of this make. Similar back-room deals have been the way things are done for years. The few times they’ve been caught, there’s a fuss for a couple of weeks and then the voters lose interest and forget all about it and reelect the same folks over and over. All that matters is the big ‘R’ next to their name. I sure wish voters would prove me wrong.

By Bob Weber

January 23, 2011 8:34 AM | Link to this

Both commissioners involved should resign! We need leaders who understand what the terms cronyism and nepotism mean. Butler County voters are sick and tired of placement of unqualified political friends and inept buddies into positions that have great pay and benefits - and usually have few real job responsibilities. This continual practice has led our county to the dire fiscal situation we now enjoy. Public sector employment is supposed to be a transparent process that gives all truly qualified candidates an equal shot. Is that so difficult to comprehend?

By Wearyof itall

January 23, 2011 8:44 AM | Link to this

Ms.Carpenter is not fit to govern due lack of knowledge,education, appropriate experience and style. Mr. Dixon’s style is not conducive to cooperation. Can’t wait til the next election.

By Wearyof itall

January 23, 2011 8:44 AM | Link to this

Ms.Carpenter is not fit to govern due lack of knowledge,education, appropriate experience and style. Mr. Dixon’s style is not conducive to cooperation. Can’t wait til the next election.

By Slightly Right

January 23, 2011 8:44 AM | Link to this

Backroom deals work! How do you think we got “Obamacare”?

By bvarnell

January 23, 2011 9:49 AM | Link to this

Be clear….what happened was transition planning……That’s what needed to happen. With a county administrator who wants to retire and a Finance Director who is looking for new job, it would be irresponsible if leads were not followed for replacements. Remember, nothing was “aborted” and no “coup” occurred. With a predicted $7 million dollar shortfall, talking about the folks who you in this position was the right thing to do.

By hamc

January 23, 2011 9:54 AM | Link to this

I am glad that the law enforcement to the townships wasn’t cut. I hop ethey scare the administration every year to keep supporting public safety.

By keep thinking

January 23, 2011 10:08 AM | Link to this

A private meeting means that confidential or personal information may be discussed. Changing administrative staff certainly seems like it should be a confidential situation. Had any discussions occurred between two Commissioners, it would have had to have been in an executive session (private). With a financial crisis looming, clear assessments needed to be made. You are reporting that a confidential review of the administrative staff occurred and a decision was made to hold the course. How is this front page news?

By am thinking

January 23, 2011 11:42 AM | Link to this

1)confidential review of staff was done without Commissioner Furmon input. Therefore, the review was incomplete. 2)doesn’t say where performance evaluations were reviewed. My guess is they were not. 3)replacement of direct reports to the County Administrator were not discussed with the current administrator. This is standard org development procedure.

By Bob

January 23, 2011 12:06 PM | Link to this

Private meetings have in politics unfortunatly have become the norm. What better way to seek an agenda that is usually unfavorable to the masses and beneficial to the few? Perhaps it has trickled down from recent practices in Washington. Just maintain a good memory and remember, the revolution takes place in the voting booth.

By Carl

January 23, 2011 12:37 PM | Link to this

What happen to Dixons call for openness and the advertising of all job openings? It’s bad when someone can’t follow the rules that they call for. If one of Mr. Dixon’s employees had screwed up this big he would call for them to resign and that failing he’d fire them. Mr. Dixon as your employer (a Butler County Taxpayer) I call on you to resign, I have lost all faith in your ability to lead our county.

By New Leadership Needed

January 23, 2011 3:42 PM | Link to this

Geez, folks, you might want to look a little bit closer at Mr. Beckett. He was a Butler County employee as the fiber obtics scandal was taking root; Fox and Conklin and crew parked him in Job and Family Services until he headed south to Hamilton County. Interesting that, now that the thing has blown up on Dixon and Carpenter, he doesn’t seem to know how to hold his tongue and is spewing to anyone who asks anything. Finally, this guy didn’t run anything bigger then his mouth when he was down here - what in the workd were his qualifications to serve as the chief executive officer of a county of 350,000 people?

By New Leadership Needed

January 23, 2011 3:42 PM | Link to this

Geez, folks, you might want to look a little bit closer at Mr. Beckett. He was a Butler County employee as the fiber obtics scandal was taking root; Fox and Conklin and crew parked him in Job and Family Services until he headed south to Hamilton County. Interesting that, now that the thing has blown up on Dixon and Carpenter, he doesn’t seem to know how to hold his tongue and is spewing to anyone who asks anything. Finally, this guy didn’t run anything bigger then his mouth when he was down here - what in the workd were his qualifications to serve as the chief executive officer of a county of 350,000 people?

By New Leadership Needed

January 23, 2011 3:42 PM | Link to this

Geez, folks, you might want to look a little bit closer at Mr. Beckett. He was a Butler County employee as the fiber obtics scandal was taking root; Fox and Conklin and crew parked him in Job and Family Services until he headed south to Hamilton County. Interesting that, now that the thing has blown up on Dixon and Carpenter, he doesn’t seem to know how to hold his tongue and is spewing to anyone who asks anything. Finally, this guy didn’t run anything bigger then his mouth when he was down here - what in the workd were his qualifications to serve as the chief executive officer of a county of 350,000 people?

By Process

January 23, 2011 3:47 PM | Link to this

Geez, folks, you might want to look a little bit closer at Mr. Beckett. He was a Butler County employee as the fiber obtics scandal was taking root; Fox and Conklin and crew parked him in Job and Family Services until he headed south to Hamilton County. Interesting that, now that the thing has blown up on Dixon and Carpenter, he doesn’t seem to know how to hold his tongue and is spewing to anyone who asks anything. Finally, this guy didn’t run anything bigger then his mouth when he was down here - what in the world were his qualifications to serve as the chief executive officer of a county of 350,000 people?

By Everett

January 23, 2011 7:38 PM | Link to this

Can Carpenter or Furmon ever really trust Don Dixon again? Can the employees of the county ever thus Don Dixon again? Can the people of Butler County ever really trust Don Dixon again. It might be time for Mr. Dixon to go back into private life, his ability to work on the county commission is so damaged that it can’t be repaired.

By Charles

January 23, 2011 7:42 PM | Link to this

Ms. Carpenter, don’t you realize that Greg Jolivette tried to be the yes man to Dixon and got a knife in the back. Never turn your back on old Donald.

By Scott

January 23, 2011 7:56 PM | Link to this

How can any of these county employees keep working for these people? I’d leave before my reputation could be damaged any worse by these two dirty politicians.

By Darrell

January 24, 2011 8:19 AM | Link to this

Commissioner Dixon, you have lost the trust of your fellow commissioners, all county employees and the people of Butler County. You no longer have the ability to lead. Resign Now

By Hanover Resident

January 24, 2011 10:57 AM | Link to this

Today’s County Commission meeting was “Awkward” . Once again Chuck Furmon proved to be the bigger man and extended his promise to work with the other two commissioners. Now the big question is can Dixon and Carpenter ever trust each other to work together?

By Didn't Take Long, Did It?

January 24, 2011 10:58 AM | Link to this

Carpenter has been on commission a month and already causing controversy. Jollivette wasn’t any better. Can’t we get people to sit behind that commissioners desk that will just do the right by the people without all the political drama? Bradford Beckett says if this was a private company it would have constituted an oral contract. Bradford, got news for you son. I’ve worked for 8 corporations in over 40 years and there is no such thing as an “oral contract”. Written contracts are offered to higher executives only. The rest of us peons work under the rule that the company can get rid of you anytime they wish and you can leave anytime you wish. Apparently, you don’t have a clue how private companies operate. The three ring circus that is Butler County politics continues to provide entertainment, albiet, disgusting in nature.

By Bstrong

January 24, 2011 1:11 PM | Link to this

You people keep voting this self guided, selfish, fool in office, NOW along with his pupper Carpenter. Vote them out one by one! Dixons angles are all self gaining and always have been, not for the betterment of we middle class residence!!

By County Employee

January 24, 2011 1:16 PM | Link to this

This message is to Commissioner Don Dixon-PLEASE DO NOT EVEN CONSIDER RESIGNING. The readers in and writers in this blog that are calling for you to do so are people in county government who want you gone because you know too much and you know which rocks to look under where their slimy tails are hiding. Many of us employees on the inside have decided to let you know where there are some more rocks for you to turn over. Stay the course Mr. Dixon!

By DWD

January 24, 2011 2:22 PM | Link to this

Dear County Employee, as a former county employee I think one of those rocks has hit Dixon in the head as he sure is suffering a brain malfunction. Just wait, he’ll eventually be after your job.

By wake up

January 24, 2011 11:11 PM | Link to this

Reynolds who comes in in the 11th hour with a finding for recovery….wait till the auditor’s office Real Estate fund is broke and Reynold’s will have done it by moving people who are his friends and former coworkers to be paid from this fund instead of General Fund which the public sees!

By dc

January 25, 2011 12:40 PM | Link to this

mr. dixon has taken a bite out of “the forbidden fruit.”as a registered republican i feel justified in crossing over this election and voting for butch, an apparent man of character. dc

By auditorwhat

January 25, 2011 4:52 PM | Link to this

reynolds is the master of disguise. he will find a way to misrepresent how the real estate fund is used but as long as the GOP control continues we will have to deal with this 2 faced opportunist that backed his way into office. remember no one is crying in liberty twp. that reynolds is gone. more of his summitt qwest friends will be hired and he will continue to fabric his own reality and sell it to the public. kay rogers was an ego maniac true but this guy absolutely is the king of narcissism. no one loves roger more than roger. if he could give himself a performance award he would.

By our hero

January 25, 2011 5:12 PM | Link to this

he comes mr. reforming government himself. have you ever heard anymore narcissistic statement than that. the ever increasing ego maniac will continue to spew his bullcr*p as long as the public will listen. using the real estate fund and others as he pleases, giving out performance awards, wasting tax payer money on incompetent former summitt qwest buddies, misrepresenting savings in his administration, cutting special appraissals for his friends and political pals. this guy is about as versed in the old way of doing government business as we have seen in butler county, there is no reforming of anything in the auditors office. what a joke, what a jerk. if he could take time to stop slapping himself on the back and do some real work butler county would really be better off.

By Jean

January 26, 2011 6:39 AM | Link to this

It doesn’t matter if it is Republican’s or Democrats. Back room deals should never happen. And whoever posted “How do you think we got Obamacare” is 100% correct. There are to many underhanded deals done in Cities,States and especially Washington. If your not hiding something then why the secret meeting?

By Jean

January 26, 2011 6:39 AM | Link to this

It doesn’t matter if it is Republican’s or Democrats. Back room deals should never happen. And whoever posted “How do you think we got Obamacare” is 100% correct. There are to many underhanded deals done in Cities,States and especially Washington. If your not hiding something then why the secret meeting?

By Jean

January 26, 2011 6:39 AM | Link to this

It doesn’t matter if it is Republican’s or Democrats. Back room deals should never happen. And whoever posted “How do you think we got Obamacare” is 100% correct. There are to many underhanded deals done in Cities,States and especially Washington. If your not hiding something then why the secret meeting?

By Jean

January 26, 2011 6:39 AM | Link to this

It doesn’t matter if it is Republican’s or Democrats. Back room deals should never happen. And whoever posted “How do you think we got Obamacare” is 100% correct. There are to many underhanded deals done in Cities,States and especially Washington. If your not hiding something then why the secret meeting?

By Alan

January 27, 2011 10:35 AM | Link to this

Carpenter and Dixon are looking for so called experts in the fields to help pull Butler County out of impending disaster. So they Turn to Brad Beckett to be the chief executive? Brad Beckett who was a Mike Fox lackey? What exactly is his level of expertise? What positions has he held to demonstrate it? Oh wait, Cindy carpenter is a Mike Fox lackey too…so it all makes sense. Dixon and Carpenter will just keep rehashing bad county politics until the county fails completely. No surprise, they’re a big part of that same history. Maybe they’ll get lucky and Kay Rogers and George Lang will avoid jail by squealing on Mikey Fox and then they can both be hired as Butler County “Expert” employees. Somewhere in here there’s a job for Rawnica “crash and burn” Dillingham and her convict husband. Way to go Butler County, you make us proud!