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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 > 2011 > August > 01
Monday, August 1, 2011
Commissioners hire law firm for representation in apparent worker’s comp default
HAMILTON — Butler County Commission hired a Columbus-based law firm to represent the county at the Aug. 17 hearing concerning an apparent worker’s compensation default.
Following an executive session meeting Monday morning to discuss personnel, commissioners hire Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease, LLC, to make the county’s claim about why its worker’s compensation payment — which was $877,820 — was almost a month late.
One estimate claims the county’s missed payment — which was due on May 15 and paid on June 9 — could cost the cash-strapped Butler County $1 million a year, but no one has been able to say how or why. Butler County Assistant Prosecutor Dan Ferguson had previously said he doesn’t believe that figure to be accurate, though he couldn’t provide one that would be more accurate.
No one has been able to say why the payment was made late, other than a letter to the Ohio Bureau of Worker’s Compensation attributing it to understaffing. But emails seem to point to a clerical error.
A late payment, according to Ohio Bureau of Worker’s Compensation officials, would put the county in default and puts at risk the county’s discount rating. If the hearing’s verdict goes against the county, state officials said Butler County could be ineligible for future discounts.
Government entities are required to pay 45 percent of their annual payment by May 15 each year. However, since 1989, the county has been participating in a rating program by paying the entire amount in full by May 15 to receive a .0005 percent premium rebate for each day before the Sept. 1 due date for the payment balance.
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Permalink | Comments (17) | Post your comment | Categories: Butler County, County Commission, County Prosecutor, County budget
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