Butler County commissioners today blessed a new union contract between Butler County Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities and one of the agency’s unions that amount to a 2 percent pay increase for some agency staffers.
Another contract for a larger union at the agency is expected to look about the same when put forward in coming weeks. Altogether, the agency is projecting the cost of paying its employees will go up roughly $200,000 next year.
But the agency is keeping its total $29.1 million budget roughly the same next year, due to expense reductions elsewhere.
Other agencies are also getting union increases as the county looks to cut its budget
Also today, commissioners approved a 3 percent across the board pay increase for Butler County Job and Family Services, as required by that agency’s union contract.
Commissioners have said they are not giving pay raises to any non-union positions, due to a projected revenue shortfall next year.
See a previous story here that I did on unions and their effect on employee pay in Butler County government.
More recently, the sheriff’s office budget is going up $1.9 million this year because of union contracts, though they’re trying to cut spending across the county. In the post about that, I pose this question:
How can government offices cut their budgets as revenues drop when they say their hands are tied by union contracts?
I ask that again now.
Here is the names, positions and salaries of every employee in Butler County MRDD:
Living in Cleveland and working in Washington D.C., U.S. Sen. George Voinovich doesn’t make it to Butler County much, his aide admits.
But the Ohio senator will hear the concerns of county leaders and everyday folks after a public meeting Tuesday, Dec. 2, with his district director, Nan Kohnen Cahall.
Hamilton officials, two county commissioners, the county engineer and a couple residents attended. Their concerns were far-ranging, but Cahall said she will present them all to Voinovich Friday, Dec. 5.
How could the federal government make your life better?
Pleas made Tuesday include one from Hamilton Economic Development Specialist Chris Xeil Lyons for the federal government to renew a program that allows the city to allocate up to $12 million in federal tax incentives every year.
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency is loaning Butler County $3.2 million to replace sub-par underground water pipes, the agency announced Tuesday, Dec. 2.
The polybutylene pipes have been a soggy thorn in the county’s side since developers installed them between 1988 and 1996 in Fairfield, Liberty and West Chester townships.
They were supposed to last until 2040, but roughly 700 of them break or fail every year, according to Bob Leventry, deputy director of Butler County Water and Sewer Department.
The county sued Shell Oil, which developed the pipe material under the brand Blue Max, and settled in 2005 for $10.45 million. Local leaders called the settlement one of the largest of its kind, according to JournalNews archives.
But there were more than 14,000 water main connections using Blue Max, and they cost roughly $2,000 each to replace, Leventry said. The county budgets $1.5 million every year to replace failing pipes and there are roughly 7,000 left.
See the press release below from Ohio Sen. Gary Cates, R-Butler County. Do you think these are needed measures?
The release:
COLUMBUS—State Senator Gary Cates (R-Butler County) today gave sponsor testimony on two important bills designed to address major challenges facing school districts in Butler County and across the state.
In the Senate Finance and Financial Institutions Committee this afternoon, Sen. Cates urged his colleagues to support Senate Bill 363, legislation that would help ease the financial impact on fast-growing school districts like Lakota in Butler County, which is one of 19 districts across the state that see growth of 100 or more students per year.
Currently, the state school funding formula does not account for this jump in enrollment, so districts must scramble to find funds to pay for these extra students. SB 363 would help alleviate this funding gap by paying school districts, which experience growth of more than 100 students in a year, an additional transitional aid amount in fiscal year 2009.
I checked with the Federal Elections Commission, and it appears Rangel indeed gave thousands of dollars to Driehaus’ campaign. Though it was a tiny fraction of the $1.2 million total war chest.
Driehaus, whose district includes Morgan, Reily, Hanover and Ross townships, unseated incumbent Republican Steve Chabot with a slim majority, and lost Butler County by a landslide.
Do you think Driehaus should give back the money? Do you think he has been “conspicuously silent,” as Republican allege?
The GOP release:
Driehaus Backer Caught Making Sweetheart Deals
Will Steve Driehaus Condemn His Benefactor or Keep Taking His Dirty Money?
Washington - It’s no secret that Steve Driehaus’ recent bid for a seat in Congress was bankrolled by the ethically tarnished New York Congressman Charlie Rangel. And now, Driehaus’ financier is in even more hot water - Rangel has been called upon to step down from his position as House Ways and Means Chair by yet another major editorial board for his appalling disregard of the most basic ethical standards.
The Washington Post takes Rangel to task for a possible quid pro quo deal with a major donor:
“[The] latest revelation of Mr. Rangel’s ethical tin ear is the most galling yet. While he remains innocent until proven otherwise, he should step aside as chairman while the ethics committee expands its inquiry.
“The New York Times reported on Tuesday that Mr. Rangel helped preserve a valuable tax loophole for an oil and gas drilling company while the company’s chief executive, Eugene M. Isenberg, was pledging $1 million to the Charles B. Rangel School of Public Service at City College of New York. Mr. Rangel insists that the mutual favors were entirely coincidental. And quite a coincidence it seems to have been. On Feb. 12, 2007, the Times reported, the day the tax legislation was being considered in his committee, Mr. Rangel met in New York City with Mr. Isenberg to discuss the businessman’s support of the Rangel School. Then Mr. Isenberg escorted Mr. Rangel across the room to his lobbyist, Kenneth J. Kies, who wanted to make sure Mr. Rangel would not close the loophole.” (Washington Post, 11/29/08)
Press release from the Butler County Auditor’s Office:
The Butler County Auditor’s Office will be selling 2009 Dog Tags beginning Dec. 1 through Jan. 31 for $14 on the fourth floor of the county Administration Building, 130 High Street. After Jan. 31 a late fee kicks in and the tag increases to $28.
It is the law in Ohio that ALL dogs three months of age and older be licensed through the auditor’s office. When an animal control officer finds a licensed dog running loose they can look up the information and make sure the dog is returned safely home. If a dog is found without a current license the animal may be impounded.
This year, for the first time, tags can also be purchased Online through our office Web site. The site accepts American Express, Discover, MasterCard and Visa. There are also 52 agents across Butler County who sell official county dog tags.
A complete list of agents and their locations can be found at the auditor’s Web site, www.butlercountyauditor.org.
The Auditor’s Office has mailed renewal forms to more than 27,000 county residents who registered approximately 36,000 dogs in 2008. The form includes information on how to renew or cancel a tag in addition to adding a new dog.
Josh Sweigart 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 Josh at jsweigart@coxohio.com.
Josh Sweigart
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