County employee pay

By Josh Sweigart | Friday, March 19, 2010, 07:30 AM

Considering all the talk about a pay study for Butler County employees, it’s worth pointing out we have posted our annual list of the top paid public sector employees from across the county. It includes cities, school staff, etc.

Here is the list.

What do you think? Any surprises?

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County pay study clash - Furmon’s argument

By Josh Sweigart | Thursday, March 18, 2010, 05:33 PM

A discussion on public employee pay raises turned personal today, March 18, with Butler County commissioners trading accusations of who and what was responsible for ballooning pay in recent years.

It erupted when Commissioner Charles Furmon made a motion to reinstate the salaries of two of the county’s highest paid employees — Assistant Human Resources Director Laura Campbell at $92,771 and Records Center Director Rhonda Freeze at $85,772.

Furmon said the move last year to cut their pay $13,771 and $15,873, respectively, was done “for no reason, at random, for personal reasons possibly.”

He said he approved the cuts to Campbell and Freeze on the understanding that more cuts in other departments would follow. But he produced a list of 14 other employees whose salaries have shot up between 24 percent and 91 percent between 2002 and 2008 — whose salaries weren’t cut.

Here is Furmon’s prepared statements, and background data:

FurmonPayMemo

From today’s meeting:

Furmon’s motion died without a second. But Commissioner Donald Dixon said the reason further cuts were stalled is because Furmon is slowing down a salary study.

Dixon said Furmon was looking out for Campbell for his own personal reasons.

“You came into my office and said why don’t you leave her alone,” Dixon said of Campbell. “(You said) She’s a friend of mine and she’s from a little town in Kentucky I’m from and she has no one to take care of her.”

As for the pay raises over the years, “You sit here and say they gave the raises. You gave the raises,” Dixon told Furmon. “Chuck Furmon voted on their salaries and put these people where they are.”

“You’ve been here three years. It’s about time you accept some responsibility in what’s going on here Mr. Dixon,” Furmon countered.

Furmon argued that it was a merit pay system — like the one the salary study is supposed to create — that led to the increases.

Dixon pointed to Furmon’s list of pay raises as further proof the pay study is needed. He made a motion to move ahead full-speed with the study.

That motion also died without a second, though Commission President Gregory Jolivette said he would look over the data and make a decision at the next commission meeting.

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Furmon calls out payments to township trustee’s business

By Josh Sweigart | Monday, March 15, 2010, 05:21 PM

Butler County has been paying a company with ties to a local politician nearly $1,000 a month for more than a year without any contract or resolution authorizing the payments, according to Commissioner Charles Furmon.

And he says he can’t get anyone to do anything about it.

The company is Performance Benefit Solutions, owned by West Chester Twp. Trustee George Lang and his wife. The company provides flexible spending accounts to county employees using another company called Hauser Corporate Solutions.

In a letter to the Auditor of State requesting an investigation, Furmon argues that the 2008 resolution allowing PBS to offer products to county employees says they’ll do so “at no charge to Butler County.”

Yet despite a lack of a contract, Furmon says the county paid PBS and HCS $1,000 a month for a year and a half before he stopped the payments late last year.

Here is a copy of Furmon’s letter, and a letter sent to the county prosecutor on the same issue asking for an Attorney General’s opinion:

FurmonPBSLetter

Analysis:

“No program documents exist, and no documents of any kind explain the pricing structure for what is being paid on a regular monthly basis,” Furmon wrote.

In the letter, dated Feb. 23, Furmon expresses frustration that “I find myself in the rare situation of being unable to mobilize my county prosecutor or county auditor to do anything about (the issue).”

Furmon says the prosecutor’s office told him the payments were valid because one for $12,000 was authorized by commission resolution in March 2009 — though there is still no contract or language in the resolution referring to ongoing payments.

“Somehow it was pushed through a back door,” Furmon said by phone. “If you push any kind of contract through a back door and it gets partially paid, does that mean you have to pay it the rest of our lives? That doesn’t make sense to me.”

“The county auditor has simply not responded to my inquiry,” Furmon wrote in his letter to the state.

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Dixon’s proposed Butler County levy review committee

By Josh Sweigart | Monday, March 15, 2010, 12:00 PM

Butler County commissioners agreed this morning, March 15, to establish a committee to analyze the necessity of proposed tax levies.

Commissioner Donald Dixon outlined a plan that calls for a nine-member committee and a thorough, nearly yearlong process for reviewing levies before they go on the ballot.

Here is Dixon’s proposal:

Levy Committee

Analysis:

It also limits the amount that expiring levies can increase, not allowing it to exceed inflation.

Dixon said the plan is based largely on Hamilton County’s tax levy policy.

“I’ve talked to them about their committee, and they say they’ve saved a lot of money and it’s the hardest working committee they have appointed,” Dixon said. “If we can get it started, I think it’s going to add a lot of value for the taxpayers.”

Dixon’s plan would require agencies to hire a consultant to review the agency’s financials, operations and management structure. It requires a detailed plan on how levy money would be spent.

Based on this information, the levy review committee would recommend whether the tax is needed, at what rate and for how long.

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Butler County roundup - Central committee update, halfway house closing

By Josh Sweigart | Friday, March 12, 2010, 05:51 PM

In case you missed it, two stories in our paper today:

• State officials say a local halfway house is being unfunded by the state after a study found it does more harm than good in keeping people out of prison. See that story, with a testimonial from an “alumni” of the program, here.
• The Butler County Board of Elections has decided not to bar a woman from the May 4 Republican primary for a party central committee position, agreeing it was likely a poll worker’s mistake that made her a Democrat. The board also is reconsidering its decision to disqualify another candidate, saying that ruling was based on miscommunication with the secretary of state’s office. That story is here.

Any thoughts on either of these issues?

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Gmoser gets FOP endorsement for prosecutor

By Josh Sweigart | Thursday, March 11, 2010, 11:00 AM

As I mentioned in this story, the race for the next Butler County prosecutor is already well under way, even though the seat isn’t yet open.

Below is a letter local attorney Michael Gmoser sent to members of the Butler County Republican Party central committee, which will likely appoint the next prosecutor next year. The current prosecutor, Robin Piper, is running unopposed for a judgeship, so his unexpired term will be filled by the local GOP if he wins. Gmoser’s GOP opponent is Jason Phillabaum, an assistant county prosecutor.

Here is the letter, in which he boasts of an endorsement he received from the union representing Butler County sheriff’s deputies:

gmoserfopendorse

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Cates wants increased fines on railroads for dilapidated crossings

By Josh Sweigart | Thursday, March 11, 2010, 10:49 AM

Press release from state Sen. Gary Cates, R-Butler County:

The Ohio Senate recently approved Senate Bill 116, legislation which seeks to ensure railroad companies in Ohio properly maintain crossings and other areas near their tracks. State Senator Gary Cates (R-Butler County), who has received several complaints from residents in Butler County about poor maintenance at local grade crossings, co-sponsored the bill.

“I have heard from dozens of people in Butler County who are concerned that subpar maintenance at local rail crossings could damage their cars and is a threat to their safety and the safety of other motorists,” said Cates. “At the same time, many area officials have expressed frustration that they have no real clout to address these issues.”

For example, Sen. Cates noted that officials in Fairfield and Hamilton have had trouble getting the railroad company to simply clean up an overpass on the border of those two communities.

Under current state law, if a rail operator neglects to fix a damaged railroad crossing, local governments can only fine the company $30 a day. This minor penalty tends to produce little action from the railroad.

SB 116, which passed the Senate 33-0, would allow local government officials to file a complaint with the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio if a rail company fails to make repairs to crossings and maintain other areas near its tracks within 30 days. If the rail operator still fails to perform necessary maintenance once the hearing and an inspection by the PUCO is complete, they could be subject to a fine of up to $5,000 per day.

“SB 116 would provide an important tool for local governments and concerned citizens to address their concerns with the safety and maintenance of local rail crossings and push rail operators to take action to fix these problems,” Cates added.

The bill would also allow local governments to file a complaint with the PUCO if a rail company fails to remove obstructive vegetation around a grade crossing after receiving a ten day written notice. The rail operator could be subject to fines for failing to comply.

SB 116 now moves to the Ohio House for further consideration.

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