Crazy Like a Fox...Mike Fox

As promised, here is the latest from Butler County Commissioner Mike Fox courtesy of the Cincinnati Enquirer:

Long-time Butler County Commissioner Mike Fox plans to announce Wednesday that he will resign his elected political post to pursue a job as executive director of the county’s embattled children services agency.

This is kind of a "good news/bad news" sort of thing. The good news is that we'll finally get rid of Fox at the County Commission; the bad news is that he wants to take over an agency in crisis.

Fox can say things like this all he wants...

“I’ve tried every way imaginable for 20 years to reform and restructure children services … throughout my legislative career and as a commissioner,” Fox, 57, said. “I’ve tried to do it from the commissioner’s seat and was accused of micromanaging. The only thing I haven’t tried is running it myself and I think I’ve reached that point.”

...but the perception is out there that Fox is nothing more than an opportunist who used the Marcus Fiesel tragedy for personal gain. Personally, I think there is some merit to that depiction.

Best case secenario: Fox resigns from Commission and a great candidate steps up and gets the job he has coveted for so long.

Former children's services Executive Director Jann Heffner says it best:

“People say ‘Well that’s politics Butler County style. It’s not just political, it’s ruthless. It’s uncommonly ruthless. And I doubt you would see anything like this happening in any other metro county.”

And looks like Scott Owens has to consider putting together a meeting to discuss yet another position...

Scott Owens, executive director of the Butler County Republican Party, said he was aware that Fox planned to resign his commission seat, and had heard rumblings that Fox wanted the children services job.

The local Republican party will have 45 days to appoint a replacement on the commission. That person will have to run to keep the seat in 2008, Owens said.

I'm sure the threat of Commodore Decker's Planet Killer and Barack Obama will be much more pressing matters though...

UPDATE: VikingSpirit weighs in...