Western-Star.com

Union responds to request for concessions

By Dave Greber | Friday, August 8, 2008, 11:20 AM

HAMILTON — Rank and file members of the union representing workers in the county’s Environmental Services Department are in “a holding pattern right now” over whether they will return to the bargaining table early and agree to salary concessions.

Earlier this week, county commissioners and the director of Environmental Services confirmed their request to the union that they take an across-the-board pay cut instead of following through with a plan that placed on the chopping block 22.5 staff positions.

Union officials said Friday, Aug. 8, the offer on the table from the county is a three year pay freeze.

In May, commissioners were presented with a plan from Environmental Services Director Sue Vance as a response to the county’s desire to cut rates for its water and sewer customers and pay down debt.

At the time, Vance said customers would see a savings of $7.32 for “a typical household” starting in 2009 if 22.5 positions were axed. She said the savings would continue through 2013.

However, commissioners put the brakes on the plan, saying they would rather find alternatives to cutting staff. They requested feedback from the 140-member union, but Commissioner Donald Dixon said this week all they heard were crickets.

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Senior advocates fear levy surplus could give wrong impression

By Josh Sweigart | Thursday, August 7, 2008, 03:38 PM

Butler County commissioners all voiced support this morning of a plan to give back possibly $14 million to taxpayers of a senior services levy that brought in more money than expected.

The letter below is being mailed out Partners in Prime’s 1,555 members saying the agency serves vital needs and isn’t flush with cash, even though the Butler County’s senior services levy is looking at a $20 million surplus:

Hello for September 2008!

As I write this letter to you, our members, I am concerned about the future of the Butler County Elderly Service Program (ESP). In light of the recent news coverage about an estimated $20 million surplus in the program, I am concerned that the uninformed public could get the wrong impression that in-home services such as meals on wheels, home health aides and transportation are not a need in Butler County.

To the contrary - right now nearly 2800 people are receiving ESP services every day and the need for senior assistance continues to grow. But we see evidence that many county residents still don’t know they can ask for its assistance from ESP when they are in medical or physical need or face other serious difficulties that challenge their independence.

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Two lawsuits, one presidential candidate and a building becoming a monument

By Josh Sweigart | Thursday, August 7, 2008, 12:21 PM

There’s a lot going on in Butler County today:

• John McCain is coming to town tonight. That looks ready to energize both local Republicans and Democrats.
• Butler County is being sued over the housing of goats.
• Butler County and the state are joining into a lawsuit against the maker of the state’s voting machines.
• Butler County commissioners plan to name the Juvenile Justice Center after the late Judge David Niehaus. Here’s a story on that:

HAMILTON — County leaders agreed Thursday, August 7, to rename the Butler County Juvenile Justice Center after deceased Juvenile Judge David Niehaus.

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Sheriff’s appraisers make big money in down market

By Josh Sweigart | Thursday, August 7, 2008, 07:30 AM

As the number of people losing their homes in Butler County has skyrocketed in recent years, one group of people is reaping record profits. They are foreclosure appraisers, appointed by Butler County Sheriff Richard K. Jones himself to appraiser properties for sheriff sales.

Here are their names and how much they earned from appraisals (they get paid $85 per house and often do 20 a day) from January to December 6, 2007.

Charles Barrett - $41,650

William Campbell - $80,925

Christopher Derickson - $36,805

Robert Derickson - $79,590

Don Hershner - $24,560

Byron Johnson - $30,595

William Marquet - $11,390

David Saunders - $10,460

Joseph Schwarz - $36,550

Judy Shelton - $77,485

Donald Spurlock - $36,105

You may recognize some of these names. They include some prominent Republicans and one prominent Democrat.

Anything else they have in common? Check out an expanded look at how this process works in Sunday’s paper.

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County union asked to take concessions

By Dave Greber | Wednesday, August 6, 2008, 06:36 PM

UPDATE: Regarding poster “VietVet’s” comments below: The 2006-07 labor dispute between AK Steel Corp., and the International Association of Machinists Local Lodge 1943 was a lockout not a strike. What’s the difference? A lockout is called by a company, a strike is called by a union. AK Steel locked its union workers out when their contract expired.

Commissioners are asking the union representing workers in the county’s Environmental Services Department to come back to the bargaining table early and take concessions or accept a plan that calls for cutting 22.5 positions.

Commissioners Gregory Jolivette and Donald Dixon and Environmental Services Director Sue Vance confirmed the request, saying they are still awaiting a response about whether the union will open negotiations before its contract expires on Jan. 16, 2009.

“We’re asking them to come back to the table early in order to accommodate the goal of lowering rates,” Jolivette said. “We’ll do it either by internal cuts or concessions.”

Local union officials were unavailable for comment this morning, however others have said they let the rank-and-file know about early negotiations at a recent meeting.

In May, commissioners were presented with a plan to cut 22.5 positions from Environmental Services, a plan they said would save water customers about $7 per month. Read that story here.

And a story here about how they decided to delay the layoffs.

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Sheriff Jones v. McCain

By Josh Sweigart | Wednesday, August 6, 2008, 03:16 PM

Courtesy of Ohio politics correspondent William Hershey:

Butler County Sheriff Richard K. Jones doesn’t think much of fellow Republican John McCain’s views on immigration and McCain will find that out on Thursday morning, Aug. 7. McCain is expected in Butler County for a fundraiser.

We are all EARS”

Here is a former post with links to a series Hershey recently did on Jones’ immigration views.

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Levy surplus may mean property tax rollback

By Dave Greber | Wednesday, August 6, 2008, 12:18 PM

UPDATE: Scroll down to see the levy budget and fund projections. (Too small? Click on the upper right corner of the document to view full screen.)

Butler County Commissioner Gregory Jolivette is proposing to give back to voters more than half of a $20 million excess from the senior services levy voters approved in 2005.

In a letter sent to the other two commissioners today, Jolivette said he’d like to see $14 million of the $20 million given back to county homeowners in the form of a property tax roll back.

The remaining $6 million could be used by the Council on Aging of Southwest Ohio — who is the contracted administrator of the county’s senior services and its funds — and the county’s senior services programs managed by Partners in Prime, Lifespan and others.

The Butler County Elderly Services Program Board monitors funds and makes programming decisions, but commissioners have the final word.

Jolivette said because there are nearly 150,000 landowners in the county, each would receive about $100 back in property taxes. He said he will have a more definitive answer on that in the coming weeks.

“I take my endorsement and willingness to place levies on the ballot very seriously,” Jolivette said in the letter. “When we ask our fellow citizens for tax dollars we pledge to be good stewards of their money.

“If we overestimated our revenues versus our needs we need to admit it. Our credibility is at stake for this and future levy campaigns.”

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