WestChesterBuzz.com

Sheila McLaughlin reports:

After at least three years of slashing expenses, layoffs and stagnant pay, Butler County’s budget woes seem to be easing up.

Commissioners are expected to approve a 2013 general fund budget of just more than $79 million, about the same as 2012.

They’ll vote Dec. 27.

A $1 million across-the-board cutback in county offices in September kept the county in the black for this year.

“I said a year ago that I thought we hit the bottom and were trending up. I think that’s true, although we have to keep a vigilant eye on expenditures,” Commissioner Don Dixon said Thursday after the budget proposal was presented.

Commissioner Cindy Carpenter credited the sacrifices of office holders and employees, many of whom are doing two to three jobs with no increase in pay.

Projected casino revenue for the 2013 budget stands at about $4 million. The county will maintain its 10 percent cash reserves, Budget Manager Tonyia Burnett said.

County commissioners have trimmed the budget from $94.7 million in 2008.

Posted in: Government, News |

Tags: Tags: Butler County Commissioner Cindy Carpenter, Butler County Commissioner Don Dixon, Butler County Commissioners, Cindy Carpenter, Commissioner Cindy Carpenter, Don Dixon

Sheila McLaughlin reports

Charles Young, the former Hamilton deputy city manager, became Butler County’s new administrator on Thursday.

Without a hitch, and despite infighting over the appointment, commissioners unanimously gave Young the $125,000-a-year job.

Even Commissioner Chuck Furmon, who objected in Monday’s meeting against the way Young’s hiring occurred, voted in his favor.

“I’ve never been against him” Furmon said after Thursday’s meeting. “I didn’t approve of the way (Commissioners Don Dixon and Cindy Carpenter) did it. They had everything all laid out, the contract and everything and all this was done last Friday prior to the Monday meeting. I was not informed,” Furmon said after the meeting.

Young, 53, started the job immediately. According to his contract with commissioners, he has the job for two years but can be fired without cause because he serves at the whim of commissioners.

Besides his salary, the county will pay Young a $500-a-month car allowance but he has to provide his own car and insurance.

Young becomes Butler County’s fourth administrator since 2008, when former long-time administrator DerekConklin resigned amid a scandal involving a $209,000 early-retirement buyout deal for his county-employed wife.

Young was commissioner’s fourth choice for the hire in a process that took more than a year and involved a $23,000 contract with the search firm, Mercer Group.

Posted in: Government, News |

Tags: Tags: Butler County administrator, Butler County administrator Charles Young, Butler County Commission President Chuck Furmon, Butler County Commissioner Chuck Furmon, Butler County Commissioner Don Dixon, Chuck Furmon, Cindy Carpenter, Commissioner Chuck Furmon, Commissioner Cindy Carpenter, Don Dixon, Hamilton deputy city manager Charles Young

Sheila McLaughlin reports

Picture three people who argue frequently.

One has been accused of screaming obscenities at workers. One accuses the others of hiding important meetings from him. The third solicits signed statements from staff to prove the other wrong in the press.

Now imagine they’re all your bosses.

These are Butler County’s elected commissioners, and it took them a year to find a county administrator, the fourth in four years at a time of significant budget challenges. The search was marked by months of infighting that revealed itself in public earlier this week.

The discord past and present led one job candidate to call Butler County “a political environment that’s anything but stable.” Even one commissioner agrees there are, as he put it, “elements of dysfunction.”

Accusations are still flying about disagreements that slowed down the hiring process even though Charles Young, a former deputy city manager in Hamilton, is expected to be appointed today as the commissioner’s fourth choice for the administrator’s job.

Three candidates who earlier received offers from among more than 29 applicants walked away for one reason or another.

One of them, Michael Hinnenkamp, who is the administrator in Springfield Township, said commissioners couldn’t offer him enough money.

He said he asked “north of $150,000” a year. County officials said it was more like $175,000 and a car. Hinnenkamp makes $135,000 annually in his current job. Young will be paid $125,000.

“It never made sense financially to … leave for the same (money) and have to drive up there and deal with a political environment that’s anything but stable,” Hinnenkamp said this week. “They’ve got some difficult challenges and personalities. It’s a long, long culture (of infighting) there.”

Commissioner Chuck Furmon refused to vote on Young’s job offer earlier this week. He said the number of qualified applicants fell short of what he expected.

“They’re going to be smart enough to do their research. There’s been elements of dysfunction and just nitpicking and what have you,” Furmon said. “I’m sure it’s in the back of their minds.” (more…)

Posted in: Government, News |

Tags: Tags: Butler County administrator, Butler County administrator Charles Young, Butler County Commission President Chuck Furmon, Butler County Commissioner Chuck Furmon, Butler County Commissioner Don Dixon, Chuck Furmon, Cindy Carpenter, Commissioner Chuck Furmon, Commissioner Cindy Carpenter, Don Dixon, Hamilton deputy city manager Charles Young

Sheila McLaughlin reports

A special meeting on Monday to approve an offer for a new county administrator erupted into a squabble and accusations that lame duck Butler County Commissioner Chuck Furmon was intentionally snubbed from an executive session when his colleagues changed the usual meeting place without telling him.

Chuck Furmon. Photo taken during the Republican primary race for Butler County commissioner by Joseph Fuqua II. Furmon lost the primary in March.

At the end of the day, however, Commissioners Don Dixon and Cindy Carpenter decided to offer the administrator’s job to former Hamilton deputy city manager Charles Young.

They also clarified the county’s pay scales to accommodate a $125,000-a-year salary for Young. That figure was $44,000 more than what commissioners approved when a consultant put together a pay study and recommended wage scales last year.

“You know as well as I do everything is all precast. It’s a dog and pony show,” Furmon charged at his fellow commissioners, adding that resolutions involving Young’s hire were drawn up before the meeting and he wasn’t privy to them.

The meeting was marked by interruptions from Dixon and Carpenter to go to a vote on the salary as Furmon tried to express his opinion about the job offer to Young.

Twenty-nine people applied for the administrator’s position and two applicants received job offers but turned them down. The job has been vacant for just more than a year.

“For someone who didn’t attend all the meetings for the interviews in the past, I find it kind of ironic that you want to have a discussion,” Dixon chastised Furmon.

“I’ve attended 99 percent of those meetings,” Furmon fired back.

“I disagree,” said Carpenter.

Furmon’s final words: “The whole thing’s a joke.”

Furmon voted against going into executive session, but lost out. (more…)

Posted in: Government, News |

Tags: Tags: Butler County administrator, Butler County administrator Charles Young, Butler County Commission President Chuck Furmon, Butler County Commissioner Chuck Furmon, Butler County Commissioner Don Dixon, Chuck Furmon, Cindy Carpenter, Commissioner Chuck Furmon, Commissioner Cindy Carpenter, Don Dixon, Hamilton deputy city manager Charles Young

Candidates in the Butler County Commission and Butler County Clerk of Courts races participated in a voting forum at the Lakota West Freshman Campus in West Chester Thursday night.

The event attracted a good crowd and featured Republican primary commission candidates including current county Commissioner Chuck Furmon, state Rep. Courtney Combs and political newcomer T.C. Rogers.

Also taking the stage in the commission race forum was Democrat Jodi Billerman and Libertarian Daryl R. Olthaus. Both, Billerman and Olthaus, will run in November against the winner of the Republican primary March 6.

During the forum, all candidates answered the same questions that included how they would lower the county’s debt, if the county airport should be sold, if the county can justify giving raises to its employees, if they agree with the county sheriff’s immigration policy, how can the county fund the Liberty Town Square retail development project, among others.

• Find out what is on the ballot March 6 on the Butler County Board of Elections page
• Information on the Butler County Commission race

All of candidates provided what their approaches would be in lowing the county debt, which forum host and West Chester Township Trustee George Lang said was at $90 million.

Rogers recently criticized Furmon, saying there is a “mountain of reckless spending” in Butler County government. During the forum, Furmon defended recent expenses.

As far as the airport was concerned, all of the candidates agreed that it was an asset. Only Olthaus was open to selling it, noting that it could be better run privately instead of by the government. Rogers thought it would be a good time to market the airport after seeing reports that the airport in Blue Ash will likely close. According to Rogers, another airport couldn’t be built within 200 miles of the airport in Butler County.

In regards to the pay freeze, Furman acknowledged that there is one currently – saying, “We are not issuing raises, that is not what we are about.” Although no single candidate appeared to be in favor of handing out raises, Billerman said that there should be a good compensation structure and would not favor a select few raises unless they deserve it. (more…)

Posted in: Election, Events, Government, News, Political events, Tea Party |

Tags: Tags: Butler County Commissioner electiion, Butler County Commissioner primary, Butler County Commissioners, Chuck Furmon, Courtney Combs, Daryl R. Olthau, Don Dixon, George Lang, Jodi Billerman, Lakota West Freshman Campus, Mary Swain, T.C. Rogers, West Chester Tea Party, West Chester Township Trustee, West Chester Township Trustee George Lang, West Chester Trustee George Lang

The West Chester Tea Party announced that there would be a voter forum for the March 6 primary race for the positions of Butler County Commissioner and Butler County Clerk of Courts in the Lakota West Freshman Auditorium at 7 p.m. Thursday.

The voter forum will be a chance for the electorate of Butler County to ask questions and hear from the Commissioner and Clerk of Courts candidates. West Chester Township Trustee George Lang is hosting the forum.

Don Dixon, who is running unopposed for one of the Commissioner openings, accepted an invitation to the forum.

In addition, invitations were accepted by Courtney Combs (Rep.) and T.C. Rogers (Rep.) who are running against Chuck Furmon (Rep. – incumbent) in the primary for the second Commissioner position.

• Find out what is on the ballot March 6 on the Butler County Board of Elections page
• Information on the Butler County Commission race

Candidates Jodi Billerman (Dem.) and Daryl R. Olthaus (Lib.), who will be competing in the November election against the winner of the Republican primary, have also accepted the invitation.

Both Clerk of Court Republican primary candidates will be in attendance, current Clerk of Courts Mary Swain and former interim Clerk of Courts Jeff Wyrick.

The event is free to attend and open to the public. The Lakota West Freshman Campus is located at 5050 Tylersville Road in West Chester.

Posted in: Board of Trustees, Election, Events, Government, News, Political events, Tea Party |

Tags: Tags: Butler County Commissioner electiion, Butler County Commissioner primary, Butler County Commissioners, Chuck Furmon, Courtney Combs, Daryl R. Olthau, Don Dixon, George Lang, Jodi Billerman, Lakota West Freshman Campus, Mary Swain, T.C. Rogers, West Chester Tea Party, West Chester Township Trustee, West Chester Township Trustee George Lang, West Chester Trustee George Lang

The West Chester Tea Party recently announced that there would be a voter forum for the March 6 primary race for the positions of Butler County Commissioner and Butler County Clerk of Courts in the Lakota West Freshman Auditorium at 7 p.m. Feb. 9.

The voter forum will be a chance for the electorate of Butler County to ask questions and hear from the Commissioner and Clerk of Courts candidates. West Chester Township Trustee George Lang is hosting the forum.

Don Dixon, who is running unopposed for one of the Commissioner openings, accepted an invitation to the forum.

In addition, invitations were accepted by Courtney Combs (Rep.) and T.C. Rogers (Rep.) who are running against Chuck Furmon (Rep. – incumbent) in the primary for the second Commissioner position.

• Find out what is on the ballot March 6 on the Butler County Board of Elections page

Candidates Jodi Billerman (Dem.) and Daryl R. Olthaus (Lib.), who will be competing in the November election against the winner of the Republican primary, have also accepted the invitation.

Both Clerk of Court Republican primary candidates will be in attendance, current Clerk of Courts Mary Swain and former interim Clerk of Courts Jeff Wyrick.

The event is free to attend and open to the public. The Lakota West Freshman Campus is located at 5050 Tylersville Road in West Chester.

Posted in: Board of Trustees, Election, Events, Government, News, Political events, Tea Party |

Tags: Tags: Butler County Commissioner Chuck Furmon, Butler County Commissioner electiion, Butler County Commissioner primary, Butler County Commissioners, Chuck Furmon, Commissioner Chuck Furmon, Courtney Combs, Daryl R. Olthau, Don Dixon, George Lang, Jodi Billerman, Lakota West Freshman Campus, Mary Swain, T.C. Rogers, West Chester Tea Party, West Chester Township Trustee, West Chester Township Trustee George Lang, West Chester Trustee George Lang

Butler County commissioners on Thursday abolished automatic pay raises for 240 non-union employees under their control in a measure that is expected to save $3 million over five years, according to a report on Cincinnati.com.

Reporter Sheila McLaughlin cover the story for the Cincinnati Enquirer:

The new system – developed by Clemans Nelson and Associates, the Loveland firm hired to conduct the $100,000 pay study for commissioners – eliminates annual “step” increases and creates unified pay scales so that workers with comparable jobs are paid similar wages.

Workers will receive raises based on general percentage increases approved by commissioners or through performance-based raises for exceptional work.

Clemans Nelson first presented the plan to commissioners in February but since has revised the report after collaborating with county human resources officials to adjust some job descriptions.

Commissioner Don Dixon, who proposed the pay study in 2009 as the county continued to grapple with budget woes, called the change “exciting.”

“It takes us from a step every year increase if you’re just here,” Dixon said. “It’s a monumental step. It will completely change the way we do business. But the whole world has changed from the way we used to do business.”

For the entire story, visit Cincinnati.com’s post “Butler Co. to nix some pay raises to save $3M.”

Posted in: News |

Tags: Tags: Butler County Commissioners, Clemans Nelson & Associates, Don Dixon, merit raises, raises, step raises