St. Rep. Retherford Encourages Constituents to Attend Committee Hearing at Butler County Fair

Release:

COLUMBUS—State Representative Wes Retherford (R-Hamilton) is encouraging constituents in the 51st Ohio House District and other areas of Butler County to attend a special agricultural subcommittee hearing of the Ohio House of Representatives.

The meeting is being held from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 25th at the Butler County Fairgrounds. All are welcome to attend as committee members hear from fair officials, the Butler County Farm Bureau, junior fair board members and others.

“This is a terrific opportunity for state representatives and our community members to learn more about why county fairs are so important for the future of the agriculture industry and the development of young people,” Rep. Retherford said. “I’m pleased to be participating in the subcommittee and look forward to visiting with many people at the Butler County Fair.”

Becker at Day of Resistance in Butler County

Release:

West Chester—State Representative John Becker (R-Union Township – Clermont Co.) spoke to a crowd at The Square at Union Centre during a “Day of Resistance” rally. Supporters of gun rights in southwest Ohio rallied as part of a national campaign aimed to strengthen opposition against proposed new gun laws from the Whitehouse.

St. Rep. John Becker addresses the crowd.

“Many will have you believe that gun-related incidents are on the rise. This is a myth. The yearly number of firearm-related accidents is down an astonishing 79 percent, from a high of 3,200 in year 1930 to 680 in year 2008. In fact, accidental firearm-related fatalities are at their lowest rate since 1903 when record-keeping began.”

Becker himself has been a member of the NRA for about 20 years and works closely with Buckeye Firearms Association on gun issues.

He left the crowd with these words. “Let’s talk about accidental deaths. Every death is a tragedy. Let’s look at numbers: 39,000 accidental deaths from poisonings, 2,000 drownings, and only 600 gun deaths! Let’s talk about banning swimming pools, bathtubs, and household cleaners before we go after guns!”

Becker, a friend of the show here at the TIB Network, also gave us his entire speech:

I’m John Becker, State Representative from Clermont County.
Is anybody out there from Clermont County?

When I was campaigning for this office, I ran on a very simple platform:
ProLife, Pro-Gun, Limited Government and Lower Taxes.
Does any of that sound good to anybody?

We’re here today to talk about the gun issue.
First, a little background information on me:
I’ve been a Life member of the NRA for 20 years or so.
And I’m a concealed carry license holder.
I’d also like to give a shout out to Buckeye Firearms.
They are the people I work most closely with on gun issues.

Gun violence has been the topic in the news lately.
I disagree with the NRA on one point:
We do not need a federal police force inside our schools!

I like the idea of no cost options.
Let’s allow school personnel who wish to carry to have that option.

If you are to remember anything at all about this speech, I want you to remember what to do when confronted by a bad guy with a gun:
It is only two simple words: “Shoot back!”

Along those lines, I have some ideas for legislation and I want to give you one of them:
“Allow all public employees who have Concealed Carry Permits to lawfully carry inside any (non-secured) public building.”
This would include teachers, janitors, administrators, etc.
They will know how to “shoot back.”

Let’s talk about the numbers:
Many will have you believe that gun-related incidents are on the rise. This is a myth. The yearly number of firearm-related accidents is down an astonishing 79 percent, from a high of 3,200 in year 1930 to 680 in year 2008. In fact, accidental firearm-related fatalities are at their lowest rate since 1903 when record-keeping began.

I have a few FBI murder statistics
In the most recent year available, 323 murders occurred with any type of Rifle including the so-called “assault rifles.”
That’s a bad thing.
But let’s put it in perspective:
500 murders were from Blunt Objects (baseball bats, crow bars, hammers)
1,700 murders from knives
And again, only 323 murders from rifles!
Let’s talk about registering baseball bats and kitchen knives before we start talking about rifles.

Let’s talk about Accidental Deaths.
Every death is a tragedy.
But again, let’s put things in perspective:
39,000 accidental deaths from poisonings
2,000 drownings
And Only 600 gun deaths!
Let’s talk about banning swimming pools, bathtubs, and household cleaners before we go after guns!

I’m John Becker, State Representative from Clermont County.
And I want to thank you all for being here today.

BUTLER COUNTY: Message from Treasurer Nancy Nix

Facebook Post:

To Butler Co. homeowners in Trenton and a small part of Middletown:

Today it was discovered that due to a corrupt electronic data file, 6,000 tax bills in your areas were not mailed last week with the other 139,000 county tax bills. We are mailing your bills out in the next two days, and the due date is Feb. 28. We apologize for the delay with your bill and for this inconvenience. To see your bill online, you can click on "View my tax bill" on the Treasurer's website: www.butlercountytreasurer.org. Thank you for your patience.

BUTLER COUNTY: AUDITOR’S OFFICE SECURES TYLER TECHNOLOGIES FOR ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING SOLUTION

Release:

HAMILTON, OH - Butler County Auditor Roger Reynolds has announced that the Auditor’s Office has secured a contract with Tyler Technologies, Inc. to provide a new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) financial solution for Butler County. The decision was the result of a committee comprised of county employees from several offices that studied the need for an integrated financial system.

Tyler Technologies is a national and highly respected company which specializes in ERP solutions for the public sector. Having a one-system, ERP solution has the potential of saving the county millions of dollars over the next five years.

“Our success is measured by operational efficiencies for county offices. Tyler’s ERP solution eliminates waste, reduces duplication, improves online access and utilizes electronic transactions in place of paper for county departments and fiscal officers,” said Auditor Roger Reynolds. “We chose Tyler’s system because it is complex enough to meet our demands as a full service county government, yet agile enough to meet our specific needs without extensive maintenance or IT support.”

“The county system has been a piecemeal operation that duplicates resources, adds a tremendous amount of paperwork, and complicates our payment process. Tyler is a perfect fit for what we sought to achieve. I was targeting a system that is fully integrated and government specific, and Tyler has that system,” Reynolds said.
“The ERP system will provide the tools for a faster, cleaner, and more responsive system, such as electronic payments that will eliminate over 60,000 paper checks annually; budgeting with more accurate information; and electronic time keeping that will reduce costly data entry expenses.“

“In essence, the ERP solution provides tremendous upgrades, specifically in five key areas: Internal controls, reporting, asset tracking, record storage, and grant management. The improvements will be numerous: County information won’t be splintered; reports won’t be bogged down in multiple computer systems; the use of paper and work hours will be greatly reduced; record storage space will be downsized; information will be gathered quickly and in one software program; resources will be shared; and the county will be harmonious and efficient in its reporting methods. These are tremendous advantages,” according to Reynolds.

BUTLER COUNTY: Audit of Butler County Port Authority

The Auditor of State's Office recently published their report on an audit conducted regarding the Butler County Port Authority (PDF).

Here is the part that I found interesting (page 49):

The Port Authority is a taxing unit that did not levy a tax, and the Port authority did not adopt an operating budget for 2010. Also, for 2010 and 2011 the Port Authority did not certify beginning balances on or about the first day of each fiscal year; certify revenue available for appropriation; and adopt appropriations within available resources. Therefore, the Port Authority was unable to certify the availability of funds prior to incurring obligations and limit expenditures to appropriations for each fund.

We recommend that the Port Authority prepare the budgetary documents required by Ohio Rev. Code Section 4582.39 and 5705.28(B)(2)(b) and that the Board regularly monitor actual expenses and receipts against appropriations and estimated receipts and make modifications as needed.

The report includes this response:

The Port Authority has determined that starting for fiscal year 2013 it will follow the ORC guidance as related to the budgetary requirements of certifying the respective revenue and available balances as the fiscal year 2012 date has passed. The Port Authority will pass a 2013 budget in the June 2012 meeting.

What I find interesting about this is that this is not the first time this issue has come up during an audit of the Port Authority. A 2009 audit also revealed non-compliance with this regulation. (Documentation of this particular audit does not appear to be online, but is referred to in the Schedule of Previous Findings on page 51 of the current audit report.)

EXIT QUESTIONS: How does a county agency function without a budget? Is this how the county winds up in the hole? How did the county commission arrive at their budget numbers for this agency if the agency didn't have a budget of their own?

NOTE: The Auditor of State's website has a treasure trove of reports that I am hoping to go through and this might become a regular feature here on WMD. My purpose here is not to embarrass the good people who are doing fine work at the Port Authority, but rather to make sure that word gets out on accountability issues. Unfortunately, local media is being gutted so stories like these are not necessarily getting the kind of coverage they should. Sunlight is the most effective disinfectant for corruption, and I intend to shine some light to ensure integrity remains in our local government(s). Should anyone from this agency wish to follow-up on this report, please feel free to contact me via email at wmdtvmatt - at - yahoo - dot - com

BUTLER COUNTY: Commissioners Go to Back Room for Deal

If there is a need for even more evidence that the Butler County Commission is corrupt and out of control, I can't think of a better exhibit than this. Once again, we find that Cindy Carpenter and Don Dixon are incapable of doing the right thing even when the result of any vote is a forgone conclusion.

Citizens don't ask much of their government, but transparency and a willingness to do the community's business the right way is certainly chief among them. These two clowns are not acting in the county's best interests. They do whatever they want and they don't care about what you, the little people who pay taxes in this area, think about anything.

Members of the Butler County Republican Party, you folks should be outraged and yelling from the rooftops about how absurd these two buffoons are making the party look. This is NOT what represents the best of what our party should be offering and it is on YOU, the Butler County GOP, that we have these pathetic people representing us. Do a better job next time and maybe we won't have to be the laughing stock of the state. Seriously, only Cuyahoga County's shenanigans out do the nonsense we have to tolerate here. And that is a real shame...

Butler County Republicans are serious people, but allowing these tools to be our standard bearers make us out to be idiots. Don't be their sycophants, speak out. And speak LOUDLY...

BUTLER COUNTY: Cindy F'n Carpenter is an Embarassment

The latest in a long series of examples can be found here.

Cindy, if you can't buy some class, maybe you should at least consider renting...

BUTLER COUNTY: Disturbing Trend Emerging

Maybe Sheriff Spotlight skipped the press conference the other day because he needed to attend to busting crime. Most of the sheriff's deputies are completely trustworthy, but this one could use a spotlight shined on him.

A Butler County sheriff’s deputy has resigned amid allegations he misused Fraternal Order of Police funds he was responsible for as the group’s treasurer. Deputy Kenneth Ritchie, 37, of Trenton is accused of bank charges that are “inconsistent with FOP business,” according to Jeff Gebhart, president of FOP Lodge 101, which represents the sheriff’s office.

That charges have not been filed yet is disturbing especially since this isn't the first time this particular deputy has had a problem with this particular crime.

No charges have been filed against Ritchie, but this is the second time the deputy has been accused of mismanaging funds with a nonprofit group. Ritchie was suspended by the sheriff’s office in September 2011 after being accused of mismanaging funds as treasurer of the Edgewood Youth Baseball and Fastpitch Softball Association.

I've heard of second chances, but the third time is a cover up.

Commissioner Carpenter Strikes Again

Cindy Carpenter is a real piece of work. As far as I know, we're still in a financial crisis in this county and she's worried about employees snacking while working. Oh, don't think I didn't notice that Don Dixon missed yet another meeting...seems like that guy has about as many vacations as Michelle Obama...at least we aren't paying for his...at least, we better not be paying for them. Looks to me like the only guy focused on the county's business is Chuck Furmon...you know, the one that just got thrown out of office for whatever reason... Somebody ought to ask the Stuttering Tea Party Savior of Butler County what he thinks of all of this nonsense...

BUTLER COUNTY: Spotlight and the Fired Chief

Two stories got my attention over the last few days that I want to share some perspective on for the locals... First up: Is Sheriff Spotlight Ill??? Chief Deputy Anthony Dwyer occupied the most dangerous place in Butler County (that being between Sheriff Jones and the media) to take the heat for the latest screw up that Jonesy is trying to blame County Commissioners for instead of accepting responsibility. Seriously? Somebody check in with the Sheriff and make sure he's alright because I've never known him to skip a chance at getting some face time with the press...for ANY reason..... Second story: Fairfield Township Fires the Fire Chief I have to admit, I really don't know much about this story as I have only been half paying attention to it but I do find it interesting that the trustees do this when the Chief was (as I understand it) out of town with an Honor Flight to DC. That's pretty cowardly... But, I have to draw some parallels to Sheriff Spotlight for a minute. If Chief Downie was cut loose for having said some negative things to and/or about trustees, and people are okay with that; Sheriff Spotlight ought to be done because he has done, pretty much, the same thing. The only reason why Jones gets to keep his job is that he was elected. Sure isn't competence or respect for authority..... Someday, the good people of Butler County will recognize that they aren't being well served by this man and will take appropriate action at the ballot box.

BUTLER COUNTY: Auditor Announces Large Scale Imaging Project

Release:

HAMILTON, Ohio – A countywide property-imaging project will be underway in Butler County beginning March 26, 2012.

Roger Reynolds, Butler County Auditor, has contracted Tyler Technologies, Inc. of Dayton, Ohio to provide detailed, high-resolution street level images for the county’s 2014 general reassessment. Tyler Technologies field staff will photograph properties from customized white vans that will be clearly marked with signs indicating they are conducting an imaging and address verification project for the county.

The imaging crews are expected to be in the area for approximately 14-16 weeks. During that time they will be in constant communication with the Auditor’s Office. Information concerning their routes will be provided to 911 dispatch centers.

The digital photographs will improve the quality of visual data used by Butler County appraisers during and after the reassessment, as well as assist in the verification and correction of addressing discrepancies. The photos will be helpful for emergency management recovery reports that are necessary for state and federal assistance. With recent and accurate images, the auditor’s office will be able to further assist homeowners and business owners by providing “before” pictures if ever they need to file a property loss claim, in addition to supporting up-to-date and accurate property valuations.

For further information, please contact the Auditor’s Office at 513-887-3154.

T.C. Rogers Wins the Provisionals

The Journal-News is reporting that newcomer T. C. Rogers has won the recount for Butler County Commissioner by a margin of just 14 votes.

This is a pretty significant victory for the Tea Party movement in Butler County. Now hopefully, those groups will pass the hat and get this guy some public speaking lessons because the PR chick the Democrats are running against him in the general will CRUSH him in any appearance that they might end up doing together.

Exit Question: What will Corky Combs do now? He was beat by Roger Reynolds for Auditor and now beat by someone nobody had heard of prior to this race for Commissioner.

UPDATE: Apparently, the J-N has mislead us...this was the counting of the absentee and provisionals and not the actual recount. Apparently, we have to drag this thing out even longer... So...I have changed the headline from "Recount" to "Provisionals"

Butler County Auditor Releases Triennial Values for 2011

Release:

HAMILTON, OHIO – Butler County Auditor Roger Reynolds announced today the results of the recent triennial property value update.

Homeowners will be most interested in how residential property values
faired. Countywide, home values declined an average of 4.3 percent.

In addition to the decline in residential values, commercial and industrial also fell. However, agricultural values bucked the trend and moved higher in value. If not for the state’s recent increase in agricultural values, the overall total taxable property value decline in the county would have been greater.
Soon, property owners will see a mailer from the Auditor’s Office that includes their 2011 valuation.

This triennial update, conducted by the Auditor’s Office and mandated by the State of Ohio, was based on a sales/market analysis of valid sales in conjunction with a similar study by the state. The revaluation does not include foreclosure, sheriff or bank sales.

“In 2009 we opted to reduce residential property values even though it was not a mandated revaluation year. It was an unprecedented move which turned out to significantly soften the blow on the 2011 trienniel reductions,” Reynolds said.

“Without the reductions in 2009 we would be facing double digit
declines this year.”

While some home owners will see their property taxes drop as a result of lower values, others will not because of newly voted levies. In areas where new levies were passed, such as the Fairfield City School District’s 6.5 mill school levy, taxes will most likely increase even though values declined.

An analysis of the auditor’s appraised residential values versus actual valid, arms-length sales the past three years shows that the office is being conservative. The average sale price of these 9,020 properties was $136,620 and the average appraised price by the Auditor’s Office was $133,606.

The entities that saw the largest residential decline in value include Middletown (8.0%), Hamilton (6.9%), and St. Clair Township (5.9%).

The decline in values will save most property owners a few dollars off their next tax bills. The decline will also impact local government funds. When base values are lower, the inside millage (10 mills can be collected as a levy without being voted on by the people in the taxing district) is lower, thus the general funds of the government will be lower. However, the impact will be less dramatic than in many
Ohio counties, and could have been much more severe. Reynolds’ decision to implement the 2009 property revaluation created a gradual adjustment instead of a one-time shock to local government.

As always, the County Auditor acknowledges that the revaluation is open for property owners to challenge with evidence of real discrepancies. “There is a county Board of Revision for home owners who may not agree with their appraisal, and we encourage them to have their property value reviewed if this is the case. They have until April 2 to apply for revision, and can do so by calling our office or visiting our website.” Reynolds said.

Reynolds acknowledged the challenges in conducting the 2011 triennial brought on by the tumultuous real estate market. “The decline in real estate values over the past four years has everyone frazzled. The record-numbers of distressed properties in the urban areas are clearly driving the market. As such, we have retooled our appraisal processes in order to properly value these neighborhoods,” Reynolds said.
“Overall, we were fair, accurate and diligent to reflect the true property values in Butler County. It was an arduous task, but worth the effort to bring values in line with market conditions and protect county taxpayers,” Reynolds said.

Residential Values
11TY
10TY
Middletown
% Change
432,077,810
469,671,850
-8.0043%
Sharonville
34,386,520
37,030,210
-7.1393%
Hamilton
608,755,500
653,755,290
-6.8833%
St Clair Twp
50,631,440
53,818,490
-5.9218%
Lemon Twp
13,171,720
13,893,680
-5.1963%
Fairfield Twp
381,071,380
400,667,020
-4.8908%
Oxford Twp
45,598,210
47,925,360
-4.8558%
West Chester Twp
1,194,440,030
1,254,775,380
-4.8085%
Seven Mile
10,472,960
10,991,150
-4.7146%
Milford Twp
56,595,750
59,262,780
-4.5003%
Liberty Twp
692,756,670
721,586,340
-3.9953%
Hanover Twp
141,117,950
146,884,220
-3.9257%
New Miami
18,078,860
18,809,150
-3.8826%
Wayne Twp
66,166,170
68,560,730
-3.4926%
Ross Twp
150,863,000
155,458,030
-2.9558%
Fairfield Corp
580,660,850
598,328,270
-2.9528%
Trenton
144,395,760
148,647,750
-2.8604%
Jacksonburg
750,110
770,360
-2.6286%
Madison Twp
130,795,030
133,403,190
-1.9551%
College Corner Corp
1,516,610
1,544,780
-1.8236%
Somerville
2,789,370
2,836,530
-1.6626%
Millville
10,164,710
10,255,060
-0.8810%
Monroe
194,272,710
195,277,310
-0.5144%
Reily Twp
48,583,190
48,773,840
-0.3909%
Morgan Twp
111,191,460
111,596,620
-0.3631%
Oxford Corp
192,882,010
191,570,490
0.6846%
County Value (Res Only)
5,314,185,780
5,556,093,880
-4.3539%
Overall Value
11TY
10TY
% Change
Middletown
629,063,320
690,790,990
-8.9358%
Hamilton
828,698,560
895,754,320
-7.4860%
Sharonville
43,299,200
46,478,210
-6.8398%
West Chester Twp
1,784,700,760
1,890,480,730
-5.5954%
Fairfield Corp
954,532,440
1,005,752,750
-5.0927%
Seven Mile
11,656,490
12,256,520
-4.8956%
New Miami
20,912,270
21,781,790
-3.9920%
Lemon Twp
29,644,870
30,786,950
-3.7096%
Fairfield Twp
418,946,220
434,826,150
-3.6520%
Liberty Twp
774,245,730
803,357,650
-3.6238%
St Clair Twp
126,052,070
130,606,330
-3.4870%
Trenton
171,652,080
177,143,210
-3.0998%
Hanover Twp
217,914,080
224,458,830
-2.9158%
Monroe
299,496,430
307,881,670
-2.7235%
Jacksonburg
776,530
796,300
-2.4827%
Ross Twp
184,339,060
188,422,510
-2.1672%
Somerville
3,054,340
3,105,920
-1.6607%
College Corner Corp
2,333,590
2,357,620
-1.0192%
Oxford Corp
294,859,530
296,364,250
-0.5077%
Madison Twp
218,286,490
219,294,290
-0.4596%
Milford Twp
77,659,520
77,807,220
-0.1898%
Oxford Twp
64,384,720
64,386,830
-0.0033%
Morgan Twp
173,152,430
172,884,990
0.1547%
Wayne Twp
89,333,340
88,991,610
0.3840%
Millville
11,859,070
11,807,470
0.4370%
Reily Twp
70,464,270
67,292,570
4.7133%
County Value (inc *PUPP)
7,501,317,410
7,865,867,680
-4.6346%
* PUPP = Public Utility Personal Property

BUTLER COUNTY: Carpenter Crap and Jolly's Follies

Two stories worth mentioning this morning.

The first is that as reported here yesterday, it does indeed appear that Greg Jolivette has some problem with his petitions. That hearing will be today, so we should know more about that situation as it develops.

And now on to the Main event...

Cindy Carpenter is, in my opinion, a dangerous and vindictive manipulator. I've tried to give her second and third chances, but she can't seem to stay off my radar. Stories like this one isn't improving her image:

The employee agreed to make controlled, recorded calls to Carpenter as part of the investigation.

During the first phone call, the woman told Carpenter she was in kind of a “pickle” because she told a coworker “about what you said that night over at the IHOP,” according to the investigation report.

When Carpenter asked, “What thing?” the woman answered, “About when you were suggesting that I just screw up the files and stuff.”

Carpenter replied, “Uh-huh and reiterated ‘that I suggested to you that you screw up the files?’”

The woman said, “Yea, because I had some problems actually that same week with the files and they were questioning me what was going on.”

Carpenter, who was not interviewed separately by BCI agents, answered, “So you didn’t say you did it on purpose.”

The woman replied, “No, I was trying to cover, didn’t want them mad at me ... I was trying to get myself out of a situation.”

The woman agreed to a follow-up controlled telephone call. In the conversation, the woman told Carpenter she was concerned the restaurant conversation would come back to her since there was an investigation.

According to the documents, Carpenter said, “Since that was a table full of 18 people, goofing off and joking, that’s not a conspiracy by any stretch of the imagination.”

way to go, Butler County! You managed to elect yet another corrupt lunatic!

BUTLER COUNTY: 2012 Dog Tags Now Available

Release:

HAMILTON, Ohio – Butler County Auditor Roger Reynolds announced that dog tags for 2012 are on sale now, from Dec.1 until Jan. 31, 2012. Tags are $14 per dog and are valid for all of 2012. After Jan. 31, 2012, there is a late penalty to buy tags.

Renewal applications are now in the mail for previously tagged dogs. The Auditor’s Office has also sent out a mass e-mail reminder to many current registered dog owners – those who previously purchased tags online. Renewal forms postmarked by Jan. 31, 2012, will not be considered late. Those persons receiving a renewal notice who no longer own a dog may disregard the form.

Dog tags can be purchased online at www.butlercountyauditor.org. The site accepts MasterCard and Visa. Tags are also available in the Auditor’s office in downtown Hamilton and at over 50 other locations throughout the county. The list of businesses that sell licenses is also available on the Auditor’s website.

“It is important that dog owners purchase a license,” says Auditor Reynolds. “If a dog escapes or gets lost, the license is a means of identity. A license may be the only way of retrieving a lost pet. Also, licensing a dog is an issue of public safety.”

“It may be a bit of an inconvenience, but the fact is that just a few dollars and a limited investment of time will license and protect a dog. And, of course, licensing our dogs is the law.”

There were 38,032 licenses sold in 2011, an increase over the 37,683 tags sold in 2010.

BUTLER COUNTY: Furmon Deserves Butler County GOP Support for Re-Election

Seeing this reminded me that I needed to jump back in here after my extended holiday weekend to reiterate that The Butler County Republican Party really owes Chuck Furmon a debt. If not for Furmon's action in calling law enforcement attention to the Dynus scandal, the scandal-plagued corruption and filth from that era would not only still be surviving, but thriving.

While I may not agree with every decision the commissioner has made over the years, I have come to know him as a thoughtful and considerate man who has the best interests of the county at heart. He has always acted with the highest levels of integrity and decency. These are qualities that are to be supported and encouraged when found in politicians because they are as rare as any precious metal.

I fully support and endorse Chuck Furmon for re-election and it is my sincerest wish that the BCGOP would do the same.

UPDATE: This just came in to the mailbox from a reader. I wanted to pass it along because this is just another reminder of the kind of guy Chuck Furmon really is:

Saw your recent posting about Commissioner Furmon and I must say I agree 100% with what you said. Having had the opportunity to work with Commissioner Furmon for 20 plus years, I to had disagreements and differing opinions from time to time with him but he was always willing to talk, LISTEN and discuss my concerns. What I found was a man who really had the best interest of Butler County in mind. Most importantly I found a man who appreciated all of the county employees and the hard work they do. I hope the Executive Committe has the wisdom to see what you and I see when they make their endorsement.

BUTLER COUNTY: Clerk Returns $1M to County

Sheriff Spotlight could take a lesson or two from Mary Swain (and Roger Reynolds) in regards to managing the finances of county government. Streamlining operations without losing capabilities is efficient and fiscally conservative.

Real conservatives walk the walk. Sheriff Spotlight just talks the talk. And then whines to the 527 media when he doesn't get his way. I continue to be amazed at the really good people Sheriff Spotlight has working for him, and think it is a real shame that he gets most -- if not all -- the credit.

Anyway...

Kudos to Mary for getting the job done and doing it right!

BUTLER COUNTY: 3 Good Apples Update

Denise G. Callahan 
and Lauren Packput together a good lengthy article for the Journal-News on the debacle in Fairfield, so read it all here.  I want to take a few excerpts and expound on a few points...

A complaint filed by Butler County Prosecutor Mike Gmoser with the Ohio Elections Commission outlines an elaborate arrangement in which Burer had friends and family donate their money to the Moms on a Mission political action committee during the 2009 election. Then Burer would reimburse their contributions.

According to the complaint, the contributions were later given to the campaigns of Ko, Dan Murray and Mark Morris, both who are current board members.
...
About $26,000 was given to the PAC through Burer’s employees and relatives. The organization gave Ko, who was a principal of Moms on a Mission, approximately $15,500 in cash and in-kind contributions, according to campaign finance reports. Her running mates, incumbents Murray and Morris — they dubbed themselves the “3 Good Apples” during the campaign — each received $5,355 worth of in-kind contributions, according to their campaign reports.

That campaign bugged me.  NEVER trust a group of people who claim to be "for the children" and "good apples" because they usually are hiding something.

“Tom Burer chose a candidate in targeting Engel for defeat,” Gmoser wrote in the complaint.

Burer Garage, LLC entered into a three-year contract with the Fairfield School District in June 2009 worth $1.5 million to provide vehicle maintenance. Further, Burer’s company was also to be paid $3,421 for each additional bus and $547 for additional road vehicles added to the fleet. The contract expires on Aug. 17, 2012.

I remember this contract being an issue during the campaign, but Engel was never really able to make the issue "sexy" enough for the 527 Media in this county to care. They care now...

Rubenstein said he doesn’t know why his client did not just make campaign contributions in his own name.

It is called "Pay to Play" and your client was smart enough to realize that if he did contribute directly, ethical questions regarding the contract would become a legitimate and serious issue going forward. He got caught. Let's not pretend he had no idea what he was doing.

The complaint states that Ko told FBI agents she knew the money was coming from Burer. It does not explain Murray’s and Morris’ involvement. Both could not be reached for comment and Ko has declined to answer questions.

They will answer questions eventually when they run for re-election. Or they will become irrelevant should they decide not to run again. Either way, these two need to go too, in my opinion.

In a letter to the editor printed in the Feb. 25, 2010 edition of the Fairfield Echo, Engel wrote, “The election was bought and paid for by the Moms on a Mission”

“The top contributor to the three tax and spenders (Morris, Ko and Murray) was the Moms on a Mission. Their finance report showed seven contributions that totaled $26,338.37. Five of the seven were contributions between $2,852.60 and $8,923.78. So, here is the $64,000 question, we should all be asking. Just what was it that motivated the top five contributors to spend thousands of dollars to support the candidates who all but promised to raise our taxes?” Engel wrote in the letter.

Apparently, the Mission these Moms were on was to raise our taxes and make sure that UTS got a contract renewal. Something to remember for next time...

BUTLER COUNTY: Fairfield Board of Education Edition

When I first heard about the mysterious resignation of Sharon Ko last week, I suspected that there was going to be more to the story than just wanting to spend time with family.  Turns out, I was right.  Cincinnati .com is reporting that Ko's resignation and a plea deal by a local business man are related.<blockquote>Tom Burer, owner of Universal Transportation Systems LLC which does business under several names, pleaded guilty to the charge Tuesday. He was released on his on recognizance. He will be sentenced Sept. 27 in Butler County Common Pleas Court.

School board member Sharon Ko, who was elected as the top vote getter in a six-person field that included two incumbents, resigned Aug. 25 citing personal reasons. She declined to comment about it at the time.</blockquote>She ousted incumbent Arnold Engel.  Engel is a fiscally conservative Democrat who probably has more in common with the Tea Party than any other Democrat I've ever encountered in politics.  I mention it because school board elections is one of those areas where party affiliation should not trump ideology.  It pains me to say that I suspect Republicans have a weak bench when it comes to fiscal conservatives, but we have to start listening to what candidates say and then make sure that they are who they say they are.

We'll learn more particulars about this case as time goes on and my prediction is this: we elected somebody who campaigned on "For the Children" but who in office was "All About the Benjamins".  I think we've had enough of that sort of thing in politics.

UPDATE:  Related?  Sorta: "School Board should Embrace Issue 2 and Drop 6.5 Mill Levy " by my good friend Richard Inman.

UPDATE 2: WCPO gives a little more detail.<blockquote>Prosecutor Michael Gmoser says Burer was giving other people money to make contributions to Ko. Burer is a major contractor with Fairfield Schools transportation department, according to Gmoser.</blockquote> He got caught trying to fudge the paperwork.  I can only assume that she knew about this scheme and didn't do anything about it.  Wouldn't be too much of a stretch to think she may have orchestrated it...but we'll have to see what comes next.

BUTLER COUNTY: Kay Rogers to be Sentenced Tomorrow

Let justice be done.

 Disgraced former Auditor Kay Rogers is to finally be sentenced tomorrow for her role in the Dynus scandal. Some details and related thoughts from Michael Pitman here.

My thoughts? Let justice be done. It is well past time we put this behind us and move on to a brighter day, but let justice be done.

Kay Rogers, and others like her from that era of Butler County government, managed to tarnish her name, her office, her party, and government itself.  While, I expect the judge will take in to account her cooperation with authorities investigating the scandal, I also expect that Rogers ought to be made an example.

Don't want to do the time?  Don't do the crime.