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BUTLER COUNTY

High salary for auditor's new hire under scrutiny

Reynolds defends his hire for office director

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By Josh Sweigart, Staff Writer Updated 5:48 PM Wednesday, November 25, 2009

HAMILTON — Nine days before the application deadline for an office executive director, Butler County Auditor Roger Reynolds hired the former president of a company he used to work for.

Jim Oswald, former president of Summit Solutions Inc., was hired Sept. 30 for a salary of $99,499, according to county records.

Reynolds worked for the Dayton-based company as a finance director from 2006 until shortly after he took over the auditor’s office last year. He lists the company as a source of income on his financial disclosure statement filed with the Ohio Ethics Commission in March.

Reynolds said he didn’t report to Oswald — “He was not the guy that was paying me,” he said — and hired him because he was the most qualified for a much needed position.

“I found the guy that I wanted and once I identified the person that fit the need, we made the decision to move forward with him,” he said. “There was no need to wait.”

The job listing — posted in county buildings and on the county Web site — solicited applications from Sept. 21 to Oct. 9.

Reynolds said he followed through on his pledge to advertise all open positions, though he didn’t interview the other two people who applied for the job, and stopped taking applications early.

Reynolds made that pledge shortly after taking over the office from Kay Rogers, who resigned last year after pleading guilty to federal bank fraud charges.

At that point, Reynolds said, the office was “clearly in a mess.” He said he knows Oswald’s salary “seems high, but to get a high-end executive to help get this office back on track was the right decision.”

Hiring draws criticism amid county budget woes

Reynolds’ high-dollar hire of an office director has drawn criticism from some fellow officeholders as the county looks at ways to trim its budget in the face of a $6.6 million budget deficit next year.

“I think that a few of the officeholders are concerned with the new hire coming in at that level of salary while our budget work group is looking at ways to bring those top salaries down,” said Clerk of Courts Cindy Carpenter, who is a candidate for county commission next year.

Reynolds said the newly created position “is definitely necessary to take on the challenges we have in here, which is an overhaul of the office, of the entire office.”

Jim Oswald — former president of a company Reynolds used to work for — was hired Sept. 30 as an executive director, nine days before the window to submit resumes closed.

His starting salary is $99,499, according to county records. Reynolds said that is less than that of a deputy auditor he never replaced.

The job description includes overseeing much of the roughly 50-person office, which has shrunk in size through layoffs and attrition to save money since Reynolds took over.

“The guy is top notch. He’s a military academy graduate with honors, held the rank of lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force, has been a high-end consultant professionally. He is exactly what this county needs,” Reynolds said.

“We need some more Jim Oswalds.”

Reynolds took the post last year amid heightened concerns of nepotism and patronage in county government. The Ohio Ethics Commission had confirmed ongoing investigations into what role, if any, a county administrator and commissioner had played in securing raises for family members.

“I’m going to advertise positions and hire the most qualified,” Reynolds said shortly after being appointed to replace former auditor Kay Rogers, who resigned after pleading guilty to bank fraud charges. “That’s the least I can do to ensure we hire quality people working in the Butler County auditor’s office.”

Reynolds has been elected by voters since his appointment, and says he has stuck to that pledge. “My point is, I’m going to hire the most qualified people to do the work,” he said. “I’m not going to hire the uncles, the soccer coaches, the daughter’s boyfriends, the neighbors. I’m not going to do that.”

He said his office still has no formal hiring policy, which is one of the things he wants Oswald to help create.

Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2175 or jsweigart@coxohio.com.

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Check out Summit Solutions, Inc. Et Al. Plaintiffs v. James "Jim" Oswald, Et Al. Defendants in Montgomery County, case number 09-7356 where both Reynolds and Oswald are defendants in this case and both agreed to an injunction.

Concerned
8:47 AM, 12/1/2009

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WHEN IS IT GOING TO END FOR THIS COUNTY? DO WE LIVE IN ILLINOIS?

Gerald Wood
8:41 PM, 11/28/2009

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Greatly concerned... EXACTLY. Great points. He wants the best candidate for Butler County and fortunately that person just happened to be his old boss, a campaign contributor and available just when Reynolds was looking ??? For Reynolds to act like this was an above board hiring process is absurd. Reynolds must really think Butler Countians are complete idiots to believe his version of this hire. Laughable. JOSH, do some research this is not the first time he has done this as Auditor !!!!

greatlyconcerned2
5:04 PM, 11/27/2009

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For Reynolds to purposely limit the scope of a job opening/posting of this scale is at the very least unethical, and at most criminal. If a position only warrants a hallway posting, it certainly isn't valued at $99K/year! A $99K/year position should attract 100's of qualified candidates. At least while the FBI is awaiting the Fox trial, they will have something to do with their time investigating this influence peddling as well.

greatly concerned
12:46 PM, 11/27/2009

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reynolds has not come up with anything significant to help solve the budget crisis at the county. anybody hear him add one good idea as part of the recently formed budget committee - no ! he could not manage the license bureau so he gave it to the state; he cannot manage the auditors office so he hires his former boss for 99,500.00 to do his job. Can you say INCOMPETENT ! Reynolds says we need more Jim Oswalds - well one thing is obvious we do not need a single roger reynolds.

sickofit
9:51 PM, 11/26/2009

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