HARRY STEGER TIMELINE
June 25, 2013: Miami Twp. trustees approve the hiring of Finance Director Harry Steger at an annual salary of $77,130. He replaces Joe Fowler, who retired.
Oct. 8, 2013: Township trustees approve a 2 percent raise for Steger after he receives an "excellent" rating on his three-month performance review.
Jan. 14, 2014: Township trustees approve a 2 percent raise for Steger after he receives an "excellent" rating on his six-month performance review.
June 10, 2014: Trustees send a letter to township Compliance Officer Mukesh Singh notifying him of their decision to appoint Steger to fill in for Administrator Greg Rogers, who is on leave. Steger serves from June 7-29 and during that time is granted an increase in pay as per township policy.
Sept. 9, 2014: Trustees approve a 4 percent raise for Steger after he receives an "excellent" rating on his annual performance review dated July 1. His annual salary increases to $84,711 retroactive to July 1.
July 27, 2015: Civil claim against Steger filed in Butler County Common Pleas Court alleges he has defaulted on more than $16,000 in credit card debt.
Aug. 14: Butler County grand jury hands down sealed indictment alleging Steger committed seven counts of gross sexual imposition, a third-degree felony, involving two juveniles.
Aug. 19: Steger is taken into custody by Butler County authorities while he is working at the Miami Twp. Government Center.
Aug. 20: Steger is arraigned on Butler County criminal indictment. He is released on his own recognizance and the case is continued until Sept. 27. Miami Twp. trustees vote to place Steger on unpaid administrative leave.
Aug. 25: Butler County Common Pleas Court Judge Keith Spaeth grants Steger authority to seek a court-appointed attorney after Steger signs affidavit declaring himself indigent. Miami Twp. trustees hire C. Clay McCord to serve as interim finance director.
Sources: Miami Twp. and Butler County Common Pleas Court.
Fourteen months ago, Harry Steger was Miami Twp.’s acting administrator. Today, he is suspended from the township without pay, says he cannot pay to defend himself against child sex crime charges and faces a lawsuit that claims he defaulted on thousands of dollars in credit card debt.
The legal issues facing Steger are in sharp contrast to township records that show “strong” leadership and an “excellent” record since his June 2013 hiring as finance director, where his last pay increase boosted his annual salary to $84,711.
The West Chester Twp. resident’s superior performance reviews note his ability to cut costs from the budget and build “good relationships” with co-workers and external customers.
Because of Steger's high level of work performance — and his lack of a criminal record — his Aug. 19 arrest, the indictment on seven counts of gross sexual imposition involving preteens and the civil claim involving more than $16,000 in credit card debt blinded-sided — even "shocked" Miami Twp. officials.
The events surrounding Steger have also drastically changed his lifestyle. Records show Steger has not filed for bankruptcy and has no liens against him. However, the owner of a four-bedroom home in an affluent suburb recently told a judge that he is estranged from his wife, living in a Carlisle apartment and in need of a court-appointed attorney.
Steger, who is free on his own recognizance, is now being represented by Lawrence Hawkins III, according to the Butler County Clerk of Court’s Office. Attempts to reach Hawkins Monday were unsuccessful.
Steger’s supervisor, Fiscal Officer Ann Barhorst, said she was “shocked, completely caught off guard” when learning about the charges against Steger.
The criminal accusations against Steger “didn’t seem consistent with the Harry we knew,” said board Vice President Robert Matthews, who was elected after Steger was hired.
Those charges include acts committed on or about May 1, 2014 through the early hours of May 20 of this year, when West Chester police responded to his Allendale Drive home on a report of gross sexual imposition, records show.
Steger was taken by Butler County authorities from the Miami Twp. Government Center on Aug. 19, five days after a sealed indictment was handed down. Trustees voted unanimously Aug. 20 to place him on unpaid leave and five days later hired C. Clay McCord as interim finance director.
Township officials knew Steger — who formerly worked as a deputy auditor in Butler County, and as finance director for the cities of Milford and Loveland — for steady leadership and his ability to quickly grasp budget issues, records show.
Three performance reviews between October 2013 — three months after he was hired — and July 2014 indicate “excellent” ratings.
“His ability to work under pressure was immediately put to the test; and he has been able to handle multiple challenges with confidence,” according to an October 2013 performance review. “His many years of government experience and his ability to add value immediately upon arrival have been of definite benefit to the township.”
A performance review written three months later indicated Steger had an eye for detail that helped cut costs.
“He continuously looks for opportunities to save the township money,” it stated. “He questions everything that passes his desk, and has many times caught errors on (purchase orders), and is currently working on getting a rather large refund from one of our primary vendors for errors in billing that go back long before he came on board.”
It was in the spring of 2014, court records show, that the crimes Steger is accused of began. The gross sexual imposition charges stem from incidents that allegedly began roughly five weeks before Steger would serve as acting administrator.
Given the information trustees had at the time, approving Steger to fill in while Administrator Greg Rogers was on leave was not a difficult choice, Matthews said.
“He had good performance. We did not have any big issues with him,” he said. “So while Greg was out for a short time, we thought he was the appropriate person to do the job.
“We had nothing to indicate the nature of the things that might be going on in his personal life outside the township,” Matthews added. “As far as his work in the township, it was fine. So it was no problem at all in appointing him for just a short time for that.”
The process of hiring Steger involved narrowing a sizable list to about eight candidates, who went through two rounds of interviews with a selection committee consisting of township staff and “neighboring elected officials,” Barhorst said.
At that point, Steger remained as one of the top two candidates and Barhorst said she recommended his hiring.
“He had the most experience that we were looking for and he seemed the most qualified candidate for the job,” she said.
In moves unrelated to Steger’s hiring, Miami Twp. has beefed up its policies and procedures, she said. Following a February 2014 internal audit, trustees approved a new personnel manual in July of last year, said Rogers.
Some of those changes involved hiring practices, Barhorst said.
The township takes extensive measures during the hiring process, Matthews said.
“The township does everything it can to make sure the people we hire are above board, reliable and good at what they do,” said Matthews. “There is very little more I think we could have done on Harry or anyone else.”
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