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C.O.A.S.T.

2008 County Commission


Candidate Questionnaire
Answers of County Commissioner Todd Portune
1) COAST has a goal of reining in state and local government spending to a rate
lower than the rate of inflation. COAST’s Board of Directors believes this will
only be accomplished with a consistently disciplined approach on tax and
spending issues.
a) Will you oppose all attempts to increase taxes in Hamilton County during
the coming term (2009-2012) beyond the rate of inflation, using 2008 as a
base year?

Answer: As the original supporter of the county policy to keep all county
controlled taxes below the rate of inflation I have consistently supported
that policy; have adopted it annually in every county budget policy goal
Resolution since then; have proposed it for the 2009 County Budget Policy
goal resolution and will continue to do so. Moreover, I have not only
supported this as a policy but I have consistently followed county policy
and maintained county budgets below the rate of inflation every year from
2004 through the present consistent with the policy first adopted by me
and then commissioner Phil Heimlich in 2003.
b) Will you work to decrease the size and cost of government in Hamilton
County? If so, please state specifically how you will do this.

Answer: Yes, I will do so, and I have a proven record of having done so,
including cutting $10 Million in expenses in 2007; $35 Million in expenses
in 2008; and cutting another $12 Million mid-term 2008, to maintain
balanced budgets in each of the aforementio0ned years without raising
taxes and including reducing FTE positions by over 100 in 2008 alone. I
have also proposed the following measures that are all working to keep
expenses down:
i) Monthly reporting on the budget in all departments tracking
spending by each department and individual county office;
ii) Placing a Freeze on unnecessary overtime expenses;
iii) Placing a Freeze on hiring, including replacement hiring resulting
in every position being scrutinized and eliminating positions
through attrition that are not needed;
iv) Enforcing a 6% across the board budget cut to maintain budget
balance;
v) Reducing spending on commodities purchases [bulk items such
as paper, pens, postage, etc.] by a minimum of 5%;
vi) Implementing the first county Managed Competition in county
Print Services;
vii) Pursuing a county Managed Competition in Fleet Services;
viii) Proposing new county Managed Competitions in Public Relations;
Human Resources; Finance Officers; and Budget Analysts
positions;
ix) Creating the county Cabinet of Economic Advisers to
recommend on ways to reduce spending and costs of
government;

x) Supporting and aggressively pursuing the Shared Services effort


and working to reduce costs through collaborative efforts among
local government;
xi) Resolving against numerous unfunded mandates and
introducing a new budget policy goal to require county
administration to present a budget based on minimal acceptable
service levels to comply with state mandates thereby forcing
department heads and independently elected county officials to
have to justify any expenditure above minimal levels;
xii) Introducing the concept of performance based budgeting in
county government and implementing its oversight on county
finances;

2) In 2007, the commissioners cynically attempted to increase the sales tax


without a vote of the people precisely because they thought they could “get
away with it.” If you care to comment on these 2007 actions, please do so.

Answer: Your characterization of the action by the Board in 2007 as


“cynical” and the motivation as “because they could ‘get away with it’” are
inaccurate and off base. It is unfortunate that current leadership of COAST
chooses to interject such accusations when the same COAST leadership
supported a sales tax increase just one year prior for a similar venture and
several years before supported the introduction of an entirely new property
tax for the Museum Center – both taxes heavily supported and led by COAST
endorsee Phil Heimlich, suggesting a political bias at COAST despite its
501(c)(3) status.

The Board’s actions in 2007 were designed to address a difficult reality, that
being the need for additional and new jail space coupled with a very real
county budget shortfall that was projected [accurately] to result in the county
bond rating being reduced; the county reserve fund to be reduced to below
acceptable levels; and county revenues being inadequate to support basic
levels of priority county service. The decision to enact the tax without a
public vote was a difficult decision, but one taken in full public view, with
public notice and public discussion. My personal position on the need for the
commissioners to do this first surfaced in August 2006 in a guest editorial I
wrote for the Cincinnati Enquirer where I made the case for why the
commissioners needed to act in that fashion then, instead of seeking a vote.
I argued that if the 2006 tax which COAST supported was voted down it would
be impossible to get a tax passed in the future. I argued that the need for a
new jail was demonstrated [a position COAST also took with its support of the
2006 sales tax hike] and we, as commissioners, had both a duty to provide
adequate jail space and the authority to enact a tax, so to perform our duty
we needed to act that way. My two colleagues, who included one
[Commissioner Heimlich] who was running for re-election chose to “punt” on
the issue and put it to a vote instead of doing what needed to be done.

In 2007 our comprehensive safety plan would have raised the necessary
money to build a new jail. It also would have raised new money needed to
maintain and expand sheriff’s patrols to enhance safety; money to run and
operate the new jail being built; money for needed new juvenile facilities [50
new beds]; money to cover the full cost of county emergency
communications so the 48 small cities, villages and townships of the county
would not have to spend their general fund safety money to cover the cost of
a county responsibility [which is what is done today] and money for new
needed and efficient services to attack mental illness, drug and alcohol
addiction and to reduce recidivism. It was a 15 year tax that covered 30
years of expenses.

Our proposal and our action was supported and endorsed by virtually every
organization outside of COAST, The Green Party and the NAACP. All three
local parties endorsed it as did the Enquirer and every religious organization
and collaborative that weighed in on the subject.

What I found to be cynical; or what was done by people who thought they
could “get away with it”, was the dissemination of misrepresentations and
outright lies. People said the county had plenty of money to build and
operate a new jail. Among them was our county Treasurer Rob Goering and
County Commissioner Pat DeWine. Goering absolutely knew better. As
Treasurer he failed to collect over $80 million in taxes that were due in 2007
alone, greatly contributing to the county’s and to local government and
school district financial woes. As we have seen this year following $35 million
in cuts to balance the budget we have had to make another $12 million in
mid-year budget adjustments just to remain balanced. Those cuts have
resulted in the loss of the sheriff’s added Hot Spot patrols [including patrols in
Over the Rhine that reduced crime there by 50% in 2007. Crime has since
gone up in OTR with the loss of those patrols] and curtailment of other
routine patrol services by the sheriff. They also resulted in the closure of
three floors of the Queensgate jail.

Opponents of our effort said in 2007 that the jails were not crowded and have
stated this year that there have been no prisoners early released, or
“processed only” as evidence that overcrowding was manufactured. Those
are outright misstatements. For the first half of 2008 over 2,300 prisoners
were “processed only” and while the number of early releases was down to
20% of the number over the same time period in 2007, there were,
nonetheless, early releases. That was before the budget necessitated closure
of Queensgate’sthree floors. Since then the numbers have increased
including male prisoners being among that number for the first time in
several years.

Some times, as an elected leader, you have to do things that are very
unpopular, but are necessary. We knew that what we had to do would be
unpopular. But it was necessary. And the extreme budget difficulties we now
face and their resultant negative impact on public safety bears out that we
did the right thing when we acted.

a) Are you willing to firmly commit that during the coming commission term,
you will not attempt to raise any taxes (including the sales tax) without a
vote of the people?

Answer: I am willing to commit that in the event we are facing the need
for a new property or sales tax that I will first consider placing it before the
people for a vote. That is always the preferable route. Not knowing what the
future may hold, including potential emergency conditions, I cannot
responsibly assert that in all cases with all taxes I would always, without fail,
require a vote of the people.

3.) How will you work to make Hamilton County more competitive for business
and families?

Answer: I have laid out a detailed and comprehensive agenda for growth
and positive change for the county. I am forwarding the Agenda to you as the
complete answer to this question. My Agenda, which the Cincinnati Enquirer has
variously described as “ambitious and Aggressive” and as “Lofty Goals” details the
steps I have begun to take, and with re-election, remain committed to implement to
make the county more competitive and attractive.

4.) What other initiatives do you propose to rein in taxes and spending in
Hamilton County?
Answer: i.) I have detailed the majority of other initiatives, besides what is
contained in my answer to question 3.) abovein answer to question 1.)b.), which I
incorporate here by reference in answer to this question 4.). Beyond that;
ii.) I believe we must continue to utilize the county Tax Levy Review
Commission to assess all tax requests and must go through that process in
every case a new tax is considered to ensure a complete public vetting of the
proposal.
iii.) I also support working very hard to stop state and federal
government from making new unfunded mandates and requiring state and
federal government to provide full funding for any new mandate.
iv.) I am also working hard to identify alternative means of
construction to keep the cost of the federal government mandated sewer
fixes in Hamilton County as low as possible and to require the federal
government to provide the bulk of funding. Our sewer system was rendered
obsolete by the Clean Water Act and the $3.5 Billion fix it requires will be
borne totally by local ratepayers unless we get state and federal help. It is
obscene to think that the United States government is racking up $ Trillions in
debt while spending $12 Billion a month to build up a new infrastructure in
Iraq yet the same federal government is suing its own citizens here in
Hamilton County to force us alone to pay to fix up our infrastructure just
because it is old.

5.) Will you oppose all efforts to provide any additional tax dollars to the National
Underground Railroad Freedom Center, holding them to their solemn promise not to
seek additional public funds after the initial construction of the Center?

Answer: Yes.

6.) Recently, the City of Cincinnati and Hamilton County voted to empower the
Port Authority to take property by eminent domain and give it broad new taxing
powers. Please provide your comments on this decision.

Answer: The city and county acted to reform the Port Authority in light of its
eight years of limited development success to make it a better development
authority and to let it operate as a true Port Authority when addressing the
opportunities that abound in Hamilton County from our location along the Ohio River
and the bulk terminal space that abuts the river; the Queensgate rail yard; the
convergence of interstate highways and air freight infrastructure at Lunkenand CVG.
One of the central planks in our strategy to grow Hamilton County out of its budget
crisis is to make strategic investments in development opportunities that will grow
the revenue base of the county without raising taxes. We cannot cut ourselves into
budget prosperity but instead must work to right-size the county while growing
business and jobs. The improvements we made to the Port Authority will position it
to do as much as $100 Million in bond funded development each year. That kind of
growth, annually, will grow the revenues of the county without raising taxes.

7.) Do you support or oppose efforts to use taxpayer funds for light rail or other
such transportation proposals such as those which have been defeated in the past?

Answer: My complete position on transit and reform measures is detailed in the


attached DRAFT Resolution I prepared and submitted to the City of Cincinnati. In it I
am calling for a different way to look at funding transit from an economic
development frame of mind. I believe a regionally governed, funded and multi-
modal service oriented system is what we need and will spark business growth and
development that will ultimately reduce the need for new taxes and reduce the
levels of taxation because the volume of business growth will be so high.

8.) Will you oppose efforts to fund ”arts” projects or organizations with existing
tax dollars?

Answer: It really depends on a case by case basis. Some projects merit support
because they contain elements that result in gains for the region and taxpayers.
Others are simply a waste of public money. I would have to consider each such item
on its own merit.

9.) Various advocates for greater funding for “arts” in Cincinnati and Hamilton
County have recently begun to push for a tax-payer funded revenue stream
specifically devoted to funding their pet projects. Will you oppose all efforts to
establish a new tax to fund arts programs in the region?

Answer: I am unfamiliar with any such effort, or the details of the same. In
general I am opposed to new taxes unless absolutely necessary and for a critical
public priority such as safety or health. The arts do not fit that category.

10.) Will you support continuance of the Government Accountability project


started by Commissioner Pat DeWine?

Answer: Yes.

11.) What specific tax fighting credentials do you possess (i.e. legislative votes
against tax increases, public roles opposed to higher taxes and spending, etc.).
Please cite specific public positions you have taken in the anti-tax/anti-spending
cause.

Answer: While not an exhaustive list, please note the following:


a) I personally sued the Cincinnati Bengals in the effort to reform the horrific
deal struck by the county with the team and have led all efforts to reform
that deal, reduce taxpayer costs and save taxpayer money in connection
with the Bengals and at Paul brown Stadium;
b) I introduced new accountability ad spending oversight measures in the
Great American Ballpark construction process leading to the project being
completed on time and under budget;
c) I implemented similar measures, joint with the city of Cincinnati, resulting
in the convention center expansion project being completed on time and
$10 Million under budget;
d) Paid off $10 Million in convention center debt early due the savings in
construction;
e) While on City Council I authored the Cincinnati Tax Reform Act of 1998 and
fought to get its 19 provisions adopted [ 11 were ];
f) I led opposition to, and repealed the, city stock option tax;
g) I supported every property tax rollback proposed at the city and was the
deciding fifth vote;
h) I proposed tax credits for, and repealed some of the city surcharge for,
sidewalk repairs;
i) I repealed the city surcharge for yard waste collection;
j) Starting my work at the county, I reduced the Indigent Care Levy by over
$30 Million in 2001;
k) I repealed the county increase in the Transfer Real Estate Tax;
l) I blocked a proposed increase in the county Real Estate Transfer Tax
during several budgets;
m) As President of the Board I led the work on balancing the budgets in 2007,
2008 and mid-term 2008 adjustment – all done without raising taxes as
proposed by county administration and instead done with new efficiencies
and economies, right-sizing the government, eliminating over 100
positions and cutting, collectively over $57 Million in anticipated cost and
expense;
n) I adopted the county budget policy to keep county controlled taxes within
the rate of inflation and have faithfully abided by that policy from 2004 to
the present;
o) I have regularly opposed MSD rate hikes and personally led the effort to
adopt a new Green infrastructure program to cut MSD sewer repair costs
by about $1.5 Billion;
p) I introduced and adopted numerous county budget control measures,
including:
i) Monthly reporting;
ii) Freeze on overtime;
iii) Freeze on hiring;
iv) Reductions in commodity purchases;
v) Requiring centralized purchasing;
vi) Requiring Board review of all JFS contracts;
vii) Adopting performance based budgeting;
viii) Reducing energy consumption by 2% minimum per annum
beginning in 2007;
ix) Implementing Managed Competition by implementing the first
ever managed competition in county print services; beginning a
second with fleet services; and proposing four more in Public
Relations/Media outreach; Human Resources; County Finance
and County Budget Administration;
x) Engaging in local government Shared Services;
xi) Supporting the GASP Program

Thank you for affording me the privilege and opportunity of responding to the 2008
COAST Questionnaire.

Sincerely,

Todd Portune
President of the Board
Hamilton County Commission

Supplement to Answer to question 3.)

2008 Hamilton County Agenda for Growth and Positive


Change

Presented by Hamilton County Commission President Todd


Portune

Monday, January 14, 2008

After spending a year, 2007, largely getting the County’s house in order and
paving the way to provide the foundation for growth, change and positive
development, 2008 represents an exciting opportunity in the history of Hamilton
Countyto take dramatic steps ahead. 2008 represents the beginning of a new era of
collaboration and cooperation that grows and rebuilds Hamilton County providing an
exciting and positive future for the people who arrive here in order to live, work and
visit.
The budget goals, recently adopted by the Board, outline three primary areas of
attention for this year. They are:

1. Keep the County’s fiscal house in order and stabilize our budget, revenue
streams and reserves;

2. Continue the progress made in all areas of public safety and in particular,
complete the necessary reforms and advances that are required to solve our
corrections space and criminal justice problems; and

3. Attend to all of the things that affect quality of life and quality of experience
in the County.

In each of these three areas we must devote our time and attention. I propose
that we, through cooperation across party lines and with collaboration among all
governmental bodies locally and regionally and with our State and Federal
Delegations, develop a three-pronged policy, legislative and programmatic agenda
for the County.

I. Keeping the County’s Fiscal House in Order.

Maintaining good fiscal health for Hamilton Countyinvolves much more than
watching the pennies that we spend. While fiscal discipline is one critical, primary
element of good fiscal stewardship for the County, it is not the only measure of our
success and cannot comprise the only element of our effort. Equally important is
maintaining a growing and healthy tax base; reducing the demands for public
service by improving the quality of life and livelihoods of others; strategically
investing in those businesses and other measures that create new business and
employment opportunities in the County and that generate greater returns on our
investments and reducing the costs of goods and services through smart and
effective decision making and via developing partnerships and alliances with other
governmental bodies in ways that increase returns or reduce costs. To succeed in
this area, we must:
1. Develop a strategy for business growth and investment byconvening
and empowering the County Cabinet of Economic
Advisors(first meeting scheduled for Monday, January 29, 2008). The
Cabinet must be given requisite staff and consulting support such that the
advisors may present an aggressive strategy of strategic investments that
are guaranteed to increase the County’s earnings on investments and that
are guaranteed to create a positive growth climate for business expansion,
retention, startup and relocation in those businesses that generate sales tax
revenues and put real estate to a higher and more productive use.

2. Reformat the existing Cincinnati-Hamilton County


Port Development Authorityin a manner that provides greater
powers and authority to the body allowing it to function in a manner similar
to other full-powered authorities such as Cuyahoga and Lucas County, Ohio.
The Port Development Authority could negotiate operating agreements in
conjunction with terminals along the Ohio River and/or for the use of certain
rail facilities that afford the Port additional revenue and economic
development potential. The new Port has the opportunity to partner with
Ohio Treasurer Richard Cordrayunder new Linked Deposit Business Retention
and Support Programs that the Treasurer is developing specifically for the
purpose of assisting full-bodied Port Authorities.

3. Targeting poverty and unemploymentneeds to be a priority in


2008. We will make declaring a war on poverty a critical element of keeping
the county’s fiscal house in order because the result of our initiatives should
produce greater earnings potential and business growth in the county that in
turn provides more of the tax receipts that sustain county operations and by
increasing earnings power we reduce demands for service. We will attack
poverty, hunger unemployment and underemployment by:

a) Aggressively implementing the Worker Readiness Programs


and Small Business Contracting and Development
elementscreated under the Banks Riverfront Redevelopment
Program.
b) As an adjunct to rounding out the workforce and business
development under the Banks, we must adopt the Banks
Development Policies for contracting and employment as
policy for the Countyin ways that require the introduction of the
same elements into other contracting that the County is engaged
in.
c) We further target unemployment and poverty via convening a
summit on poverty joint with the City of Cincinnati and
other non-profit, civic and social service agencies, in
Hamilton County that is designed to result in a compact executed
by the Summit participants, the local bodies of government
involved and business leadership including without limitation the
African American, Hispanic and Greater Cincinnati Chambers of
Commerce.
d) Further addressing the issues of poverty and unemployment in the
region requires that we look to develop new economic policy for the
County that requires including elements supplier contracting
as a part of the County’s overall policy and empowers the
County’s Small Business Office with the legislative support
and the staff and financial support that will permit the
certification of qualified supplier contractorsto occur and
linkages to then be made under the direction of the County’s’ Small
Business Office.
e) We must replicate the unrestricted County Economic
Development Fund that was discontinued two years ago and that
provides last dollars in to support individual development projects,
business district revitalizations, housing initiatives and other
development matters that greatly benefit the work of the First
Suburbs Consortium aimed at eliminating blight, restoring property
to its higher and best use and sponsoring business district
revitalization.

4. Maintaining good fiscal health also requires that the taxes and fees
paid by County residents be appropriate for the scope of services
provided but also not be at levels that are unaffordableand/or that are
similarly not established at levels greater than required given the specific
demands for services that are necessary. Essential elements of
understanding the operation of the existing tax and fee structure on County
operations, the delivery of services and the burden borne by individuals and
businesses, we must charge the County Tax Levy Review Commission
with the duty and responsibility to conduct such analysisand to report
back to the Board in time that we can utilize the report and recommendations
around budget deliberations for 2009 and beyond.

5. Such an effort further requires specific to the Metropolitan Sewer District that
we continue the parallel tracks of pressing for more cost efficient
alternatives to meet the Department of Justice requirements in the
Consent Decree order that governs the scope of work and the County’s
legal responsibility, and Hamilton County taking the lead in developing a
coalition of similarly affected jurisdictions around the country and
urging federal legislative intervention from the administration
and/or Congress to reduce the local burden and share of that burden
by local parties elevating the Federal Government’s responsibility in these
areas and resulting in contributions from the same that in turn reduce the
local contributions and make more affordable the rate increases that we will
have to seek in the future in order to pay for the full scope of work.

6. Maintaining good fiscal health and discipline requires that the County, in
addition to adhering to and enforcing the aggressive budget reserve policy
that we adopted in 2007, mandates that we develop still further policies
that limit expenditures and that work to grow revenues. Accordingly,
we must target as outcomes for the end of 2008;

a) Being able to deposit into the County Reserve the additional


money necessary to bring the County Reserve above 5% of
ongoing General Fund expenditures and therefore within
acceptable ranges according to generally accepted County
principles; and
b) That we target,[either in the form of reductions in costs through an
overview of County operations or the ongoing work through the
shared services committee, or an increase in revenues due to the
specific investments made by the County], through the
combination of reductions in costs, or growth in revenues,
to exceed the inflationary costs of General Fund
expenditures on an annual basis.

7. Bringing the Riverfront Stadium fund into structural balance both short and
long term [the fund presently reflects deficit spending beginning in 2013 with
a total deficit approximating $191 Million]. Such an initiative will require
developing a plan of action that either reduces expenses or grows revenues
in favor of the benefit of the county. The effort could involve the pursuit of
naming rights sales for the stadium, the field, the plaza areas or other
elements of the stadium; and developing a stadium entertainment
authorityfor the purpose of marketing the use of Paul Brown Stadium in
ways that will regularly generate revenue to the benefit of the County. Our
goal should be to embark on a path the brings us in structural and ongoing
riverfront fund budget balance beginning in 2013.

8. Reinstating the County Home Improvement and Small Business


Improvement linked deposit program that today have generated over
$20 Million in private money fixing up the ageing housing and business
properties in the county.

9. Successfully concluding the reforms at Hamilton County Job & Family


Servicesand the response to both the Auditor of State and Ohio Department
of Job & Family Services Audit of the County’s work from July 1, 2001 to June
30, 2004. Accomplishing this goal also means generating audited financial
reports in doing so in ways that result in protecting the County General
Fundfrom and against any findings for recovery and demonstrating the
County’s position and the corrective actions taken by the County among
other things, resulting in their being no harm, as alleged, and certainly none
that jeopardize the County General Fund.
10.Concluding the County negotiations with Moody’s in ways that
demonstrate that the County through the work undertaken in 2007 and
through the work that is identified in this agenda, addressed by a
collaborative, cooperative and bipartisan approach with the County not being
distracted by inflammatory partisan considerations, works to retain the
County’s current bond ratingby Moody’s.
II. Continue the progress made in all areas of public
safety and in particular, complete the necessary reforms
and advances that are required to solve our corrections
space and criminal justice problems

Reducing crime countywide via the introduction of a multiple community-based


enhanced law enforcement and high visibility presence involving:

1. Utilizing the former Over-The-Rhine patrol deputies retained by the


Sheriff’s Office and assigned into communities where the elected
leadership has asked for assistance and local law enforcement has agreed
to cooperate with the Sheriff’s Deputies;

2. Expanding community-based probation services into a minimum of


four new communities or neighborhoods throughout Hamilton County
including within the City of Cincinnati.

3. Under the authority of County Emergency Management convening an


umbrella of support and organization that is designed to create
dual Citizen Corps/Citizens on Patrol units operating in every
community or precinct as deemed necessary by both the County
Homeland Security Chief and by local law enforcement. The units
would be designed to function in the dual role of providing the weekly or
daily additional eyes and visibility for traditional public safety purposes of
fighting crime, preventing fires and responding to emergency medical
needs, but also being in place and on duty to look out for any such other
public safety issues that arise under the guise of Homeland Security and
as attention may be called to bear upon specific known issues.

4. Fulfilling our Public Safety responsibilities will also require that we


continue the work begun in 2007 that targets the county’s inmate and
criminal population with approaches that are both proactive and reactive
but that result in reductions in the recidivism rates we experience and that
result in transforming individual behaviors in ways that allow criminals to
become productive members of our community. To that end we must:

a) maintain the work of the Hamilton County Criminal Justice


Commissionas staffed by the Vera Institute and adopt an
implementation process for their recommendations.
b) Included must be expanding the current Intake and
Assessment Programthat results in every inmate being
thoroughly assessed upon intake and directed as appropriate to the
proper facility, community based or county run, and that the
necessary wrap-around services be provided.
c) Additionally, we must find a way to fully develop and implement
the proposed Community Certificate of Rehabilitation
program that permits an individual to receive the help needed until
completion of the required program elements whether incarcerated
or not.
d) I propose that we also convene a summit of Mental Health and
Drug & Alcohol Addiction professionalsand providers to
consider the application of incremental community based treatment
using incremental Levy dollars earmarked in a manner designed to
expand availability of services.

5. Our efforts also require the completion of our work to develop the right
kind of facilities in use in our Corrections Divisionof the Sheriff’s
Department that account for the current overcrowding situation and the
pending loss of the Queensgate Facility. We have an economical
opportunity still at hand with the donated Sara Lee property in
Camp Washington. Prior to embarking on any new construction
program we must utilize the data developed by the Vera Institute in a way
that ensures any facility or facilities are constructed to address the needs
of our population. We immediately are impressed with the need of
secure facilities for an inmate population that presents higher
security risksthan can be safely accommodated at Queensgate. At the
same time we are impressed by the need for the development of a
facility that permits a Work-Release or Day-Release
componentgiven the high rate of employment among county jail
inmates. To properly construct such a facility[ies] requires:
a) a change in Ohio Regulatory standardsand as such part of our
work and policy or legislative agenda for the year must be
interacting with the Governor and state legislative leadership to
obtain revised standards of construction that are geared to our
situation and reality of funding.
b) Moreover, the legislative or policy agenda must also include
consideration of amnesty for old outstanding warrants of
minor, non-violent criminal activity. Most of those cases end
up dismissed anyway while costing our community greatly in the
form of crowded corrections facilities and unnecessary cost to the
system, to law enforcement and to the community through lost
productivity and lost employment.
c) On Saturday February 16, 2008, the City of Cincinnati will be
convening a Neighborhood Summit at which I have been asked to
present on the next steps in the wake of Issue 27’s defeat. I
propose the presentation of a complete plan by then that addressed
all issues.
6. Preserving the Peace and Security of the Publicextends beyond
traditional public safety issues of crimes, fires and medical emergencies.
In these days of the separate wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Global War
on Terror, we are affected in Hamilton County by the cost of service of our
men and women in uniform and through our statutory responsibilities to
help veterans and their families through the county Veterans’ Services
Commission. The needs of area veterans and their families have not been
thoroughly assessed nor provided for. Neither have we completed our
countywide responsibility in Homeland Security via county Emergency
Management. Both areas of county responsibility must receive priority
attention in 2008. As such I am proposing that we:

a) Complete the first Grant Funded phase of our emergency warning


system repair by the start of the severe weather season to ensure
that, at a minimum, we have provided for full 100% coverage
via audible warning signals in the entire populated areas of
the county, and that we continue the planning and grant
development efforts for the further system enhancements such as
Reverse 911 capability; voice messaging; geographic targeting;
flash flood warning; rail line and spur monitoring and the like;
b) Complete a home readiness program in conjunction with local
retailers that results in yearend home readiness and
neighborhood/community preparedness;
c) Convene community public hearings on the state of
veterans and their families to develop a thorough needs
assessment that identifies the appropriate level of county VSC
assistance required and allows us to approach our state and federal
delegations for assistance in favor of veterans via state and federal
support;
d) As an element of assessing the state of veterans, obtain a true
reading on the population of homeless veterans and their
needs; utilizing a portion of the incremental VSC allocation
in favor of the Joseph House for Veterans and its
programmatic efforts of providing safe temporary shelter and
immediate emergency needs;
e) Convening a summit with Drake Hospital officials, the Friends of
Drake, veterans, the Veterans Administration and Department of
Defense about the opportunity of continuing the turnaround of
Drake Hospital by becoming a Center of Excellence in the
Mid-West for long term therapeutic and rehabilitative care
for returning veterans who have sustained debilitation
injuries in combat or otherwise affecting head and brain trauma,
severe spinal cord injury or loss of limb.
III, Attend to all of the things that affect quality of life
and quality of experience in the County.

It is a simple fact that people will choose to live, work or visit elsewhere if the
quality of the experience in our county is substandard. In difficult budget times that
stark reality places a heavy burden upon the county. It demands of us an approach
that is creative, collaborative and cooperative. It requires full time and priority
attention as opposed to the philosophy of some which is to reduce what we do.

The measures of Quality of Life are showing up in the many community and regional
reports of key community indicators. They include our rates of people in poverty;
children who are hungry; number of homes in foreclosure and the rate at which
babies die before their first birthday. They include the performance levels of our
schools and students, including the numbers that graduate and those who drop out.
Performance measures include the carbon footprints we leave, the energy we use,
waste or conserve and the cleanliness of our streets, waterways, parks and
neighborhoods. They include the livability of our homes and the welcoming nature,
or not of our buildings and public spaces. They include the availability, accessibility
and affordability of our entertainment and culture. And they include the stability of
the family unit, together with the standard of living conditions and the economic
levels of attainment.

Those measures of the overall quality of our collective human experience in


Hamilton County are the standards by which our effort must be rated and guide the
policy and programmatic Agenda for the county in 2008. Accordingly, I propose
that we:

1. Immediately initiate an aggressive Environmental


Agenda that;

a) Commits Hamilton County to reducing its use of global warming


emissions by a minimum of 2% per year; and
b) Partners with other major institutions in leading the way toward the
use of alternate energy, “Green” design, purchase and construction
in county operations and projects;
c) Commits to the full utilization of environmentally sensitive
construction in the Metropolitan Sewer District improvements;
d) Develops protocols for the use of water permeable and absorbing
materials in roadway construction;
e) Develops a countywide plan for the construction of green roofs in
public facilities and that incentivizes and encourages the same with
homeowners and in the private sector;
f) Strategically partners with the State of Ohio to position Hamilton
County and the SW Ohio region to fully benefit from the Governor’s
initiatives in making alternate energy and “Green” initiatives a pillar
of economic development; support the efforts at developing a true
regional transportation system designed to introduce multi-modal
transportation options into regular use in the county;
g) Embraces the ongoing work of the Solid Waste District that is
offering new recycling opportunities for traditional municipal solid
waste and for organics and food products in the stated effort at
moving Hamilton County toward becoming a “Zero Waste”
community; and
h) Creating a major development or project in conjunction with key
partners in the private sector [i.e. the Homebuilders] that highlights
the benefits and opportunities of pro-environmental development
such as a new county “Homerama” that is designed and built using
recycled products and fosters the daily use of recycled materials in
traditional home operations [“Recyclarama”?] or that involves an
entire neighborhood built to sustain the homes solely with the use
of sustainable, renewable and alternative energy sources such as
solar, wind, geothermal, hydroelectric, etc.

expand the Collaboration with Local


2. Continue and
School Districts around an Agenda of Mutual Interest by:

a) Prioritizing county aid and assistance, including after-school


programming for those school jurisdictions that reflect the poorest
student achievement and carry that initiative to school districts
other than Cincinnati Public Schools;
b) Schedule a series of Bi-annual or quarterly meetings with school
districts to discuss issues of mutual concern; shared services;
shared purchasing; pooling of contracts for services, materials,
energy, and health care, and to discuss the potential for pooled
investments to maximize returns;
c) Develop a Compact for the use of incremental collected property
tax revenues in favor of schools arising out of the county’s sale of
delinquent tax lien certificates for the purpose of introducing new
and helpful services and assistance such as the Children First Plan
program into multiple new schools determined by need, all of which
work to improve children’s health, mental health and address
factors that work to prevent dropping out of school;
d) Assess the potential for shared contracting in transportation in ways
that benefit the schools and local communities. [i.e. explore the
potential for shared use of school busses in providing transit for
students to and from school and school related events and to serve
as community shuttles for citizens either to get to and from school
buildings being used as community resources, or to serve as
shuttles to benefit residents getting to and from places of need and
interest such as shopping, business appointments, groceries, etc.]

3. Making Certain that the Public’s Health and Access to Health Care
remain Priorities for Attention and that specific steps are taken to
stabilize and augment Access to Health Care and to reduce
specific Disease or Conditional concerns such as
Infant Mortality and SIDS by:

a) Enrolling all Medicaid eligible Hamilton County citizens in the


program through the full implementation of the county’s existing
Medicaid outreach and enrollment program, begun in 2007, and
partnering with others to do the same;
b) Providing financial support from incremental health care revenues
realized through the sale of delinquent tax lien certificates in
support of expanded public health and clinical health delivery
including without limitation assisting the county, city and non-profit
health clinics; expanding the hours of operation and services
available at the Lincoln Heights Health Center; and supporting the
various campaigns of the Center for Closing the Gap;
c) Targeting specific public health nuisances and utilizing existing and
newly realized revenues for strategic approaches designed to attack
bed bug infestation and to reduce exposures to, and expand
treatment required for, lead exposure and poisoning;
d) Fully supporting the Infant Mortality Reduction Task Force and its
operations that are designed to reduce the county’s Infant Mortality
rate to below the national average within five years

4. Advancing the County’s and the Region’s Public


Transportation Options and conveying a legitimate sense of
hope and promise that Public Transit will be a priority service offered to
the citizens of the region by:

a) Completing the outreach with our regional partners and developing


the governance framework for a true regional transportation
authority that is both regionally governed and funded and that
includes the outline for growth of the system in terms of coverage
and modality of service available;
b) Complete all work necessary to allow for visible work on the Eastern
Corridor multimodal transportation and land use plan to commence
including arranging for demonstration project experience along the
Oasis Line of a commuter DMU experience;
c) Commence construction and confirm the deadline for completion of
the temporary Loveland to downtown bike trail;
d) Secure the confirmed inclusion of Cincinnati and Hamilton County in
the ORDC High Speed Rail project across Ohio and in the MRRI from
Cincinnati to Indianapolis and secure commitment from the City of
Cincinnati as to the preferred Inter-City rail station location;
e) Commence negotiations with Montgomery County officials designed
to develop a compact around creating a regional Joint Economic
Development District that includes as a principal element the
development of a high speed rail connector between Dayton and
Cincinnati.

Provide for competitive,


5. Positioning Hamilton County to
affordable and livable housingthat is an attractive alternative
to housing being constructed around the county; and introducing needed
reforms to lending and foreclosure practices that eliminate the blight in
neighborhoods and predatory practices of others. The needs of our
citizens and the interests of the county’s 49 jurisdictions make developing
a progressive housing agenda a critical element in our comprehensive
strategy aimed at retaining businesses and population by making the
county an attractive place to be.

a) We can begin by developing a Land Banking program in conjunction


with local jurisdictions, and especially the First Suburbs Consortium
that will allow for the acquisition of blighted properties, vacant and
unproductive land in ways that can lead to the efficient and
economical construction of new housing; renovation or conversion
of existing housing; and development of in-fill, or new neighborhood
housing.
b) Meetings with the regional office of the Ohio Attorney General have
identified the opportunity to create a new Consumer Protection arm
of the AG’s office in collaboration with the County that will provide
Homeowner assistance and protection against predatory lending
and unscrupulous foreclosure practices. It can also become a
proactive vehicle of government that targets the property flippers
and predators that prey upon senior citizens, homeowners beset
with personal tragedy and upon those who lack the ability to fully
comprehend the fleecing practices that are underway.
c) We must lobby the Ohio General Assembly to adopt legislation
permitting counties to use unallocated DTAC [Delinquent Tax
Accounting and Collection] dollars that are not used by the
Treasurer or Prosecutor but that can become the foundation of a
fund for land banking and other needed reforms.
d) In order to generate a booming housing market, I propose the Board
engage the HomeBuilders Association for the purpose of developing
a Compact aimed at constructing a Homerama style development
in the county every year and to commit toward constructing an
incremental 1000 new homes each year above current construction
levels.
e) During the 2007 budget process we funded a model program
designed to begin attacking the growing foreclosure problem in
Hamilton County. This effort provided homeowner assistance;
individual counseling about foreclosure issuers, assistance to
combat individual predatory lending practices and the like.
f) We expanded the county’s HIP program during 2007 for individual
home improvement, small business property improvement and
condo conversions. Our efforts proved successful as total loans
exceeded 2000 and private funding leveraged topped $20 Million to
make the county’s housing stock more attractive. While the
program was temporarily suspended at the start of this year due to
budget limitations we must re-start the program quickly and with
emphasis to assist in making our aged housing stock attractive and
competitive.
g) We adopted model policy provisions in MSD that will produce a
better climate for the development of new and affordable housing
in the county. There are additional policy changes that should be
considered that will promote new housing, or business development
and retenti0on in Hamilton County.

6. Completing the Various Reforms begun in the


County’s Human Services Delivery to make the experience
more beneficial for the customers we serve and to make the process more
efficient and economical in favor of the taxpayers of the county, and safe
on behalf of the individual clients we serve. County Job & Family Services
has come under a lot of fire this past year in its Foster Care and Adoption
Services programs and in its general performance and service delivery.
We instituted model oversight provisions in the area of Foster care to
better ensure that our child placements are only to homes with
responsible adults and safe environments. We have named a new
Director of the Department and empowered her with a sweeping series of
reform proposals designed to address all deficiencies in the department.
The completion of those reforms will become the focus of priority
attention over the next year. In addition we must:

a) Conclude the ODJFS audit; update all accounting processes within


the department and embark upon a new collaborative and
cooperative relationship with ODJFS as our partner in the delivery of
needed human services.
b) Continue the recruitment of Foster Parents and Adoptive Parents
such that we have an adequate roster of qualified adults to assist in
this most necessary service;
c) Adopt new policies regarding kinship and respite care that provide
the support Foster and Adoptive parents need to be successful and
that eliminate the disparities in support of related care providers in
order that the policy of first trying to keep children within the broad
family structure can be supported and become a reality;
d) Complete the development of the “Benefits Bank” that allows for
those in need of assistance and care to be able to quickly
determine what is available; whether they are qualified to receive;
and results in speedier eligibility determinations and provision of
assistance.
IV. Conclusion

All in all this is a comprehensive Agenda filled with hope, excitement and promise.
Multiple Partners around the region are waiting for Hamilton County to take the
initiative and lead the way on numerous fronts. We have the capability of doing so.
The only question is whether we have the will. I believe we do and amexcited about
the possibilities for our success. With my colleagues’ capable assistance and with
the support and prayers of our citizens we will succeed.

Respectfully submitted,

Todd Portune

President, Hamilton County Commission

Cc: County Administrator, Patrick Thompson

Christian Sigman

Eric Stuckey

County Budget Staff

Mayor Mark Mallory

Members of Cincinnati City Council

First Suburbs Consortium

Hamilton County Township Association


Hamilton County Municipal League

Media contacts

Supplement to Answer to Question 7.)

RESOLUTION REPEALING RESOLUTION _______ DATED July 27, 1972 THAT


ESTABLISHED THE SOUTHWEST OHIO REGIONAL TRANSIT AUTHORITY AND
ESTABLISHING UNDER REVISED CODE SECTION 506.30 – 506.47 A NEW
GREATER CINCINNATI REGIONAL TRANSIT AUTHORITY WITH THE OPTION OF
EVOLVING INTO A REGIONAL TRANSIT COMMISSION

This RESOLUTIONis adopted this 2nd day of October, 2008 for the purpose of:
1) repealing that RESOLUTIONadopted forty years ago on this same day of October
2, in year 1968, which established the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority
[SORTA], and 2) creating a new transit authority, to be named the Greater
Cincinnati Regional Transit Authority, a transit system encompassing multiple Ohio
counties and political subdivisions under authority of sections 506.30 – 506.47 of
the Ohio Revised Code, and further establishing the potential of said transit system
evolving into a multi-state Regional Transit Commission as permitted under section
506.80 – 506.90 of the Ohio Revised Code.

WHEREAS, a gallon of gasoline now approaches $4.00 at the pumps; and

WHEREAS, Greater Cincinnati faces new ozone attainment standards under the
Clean Air Act; and

WHEREAS, from the creation of the combustible engine and the manufacture of the
first automobile it took until 2004 for gasoline to reach two dollars a gallon. In only
four years since the next two dollar increase in the cost of a gallon of gas occurred.
Some analysts predict that yet another two dollars increase per gallon of gasoline
will occur before the end of this year; and

WHEREAS the facts are that the era of cheap gasoline is over; and
WHEREAS, our growth and transportation policies must be based upon as new
reality requiring that we have multiple transportation options available to meet the
needs of area commuters, motorists and recreational travelers alike in our region;
and

WHEREAS, to make these options available we must work collectively and on a


regional basis to create a regional system that:

1) Is governed on a regional basis with the communities in our


metropolitan area each having a meaningful seat at the table of
governance, policy formation and decision making;

2) Is funded for existing maintenance and operations of the current


system and all growth of the system must be fair, equitable,
affordable and must embrace new funding concepts, including
funding based upon public-private partnerships that are founded
upon fiscally sound economic development principles;

3) Provides fully integrated services among several modalities of


service; and

4) Provides cross-community, cross-jurisdictional routes of service


meeting the needs of our metropolitan region and the people in it;
and

WHEREAS, as responsible citizens we must treat this emerging emergency as the


critical issue it is with leadership willing to work together for as long as it takes to
get the job done.

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT HEREBY RESOVED AND DECREED THAT:

1. A RESOLUTION enacted October 2, 1968 creating the Southwest Ohio


Regional Transit Authority is and shall be repealed effective April 30,
2009; said existing Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority transitioning
into a new Regional Transit Authority enacted pursuant to Revised Code
sections 506.30 – 506.47 to be known as the Greater Cincinnati
Regional Transit Authority [“GCRTA”]; and
2. The Greater Cincinnati Regional Transit Authority [GCRTA] shall be
entrusted with the primary responsibility of providing public transportation
under one or more modalities of transit service for the benefit of citizens,
visitors, businesses, itinerant travelers, and others in Hamilton County,
Ohio and adjoining southwest Ohio counties of Butler, Warren and
Clermont; and
3. Said GCRTA shall assume the legal title of all assets of SORTA; shall
assume, implement and enforce all legal obligations, agreements,
contracts or other existing duties and responsibilities of SORTA; and shall
continue in place, shall enforce and be bound by all labor contracts,
collective bargaining agreements and shall recognize as the bargaining
agent for all represented employees of SORTA, [who shall all be employed
by and be a part of said GCRTA], the Amalgamated Transit Union, Local
______; and
4. Said GCRTA shall be funded initially with a combination of revenue
sources that include, without limitation, a dedicated 0.3% earnings tax
administered and collected by the City of Cincinnati and paid by individual
wage earners who work in Cincinnati regardless of their place of
residence; farebox revenues; grants; state and federal funds; contract
payments; and
5. Said GCRTA shall be governed by a Board of Directors of not less than 13
nor more than 17 representing the four southwest Ohio counties of
Hamilton, Butler, Warren and Clermont; and such other political
subdivisions as said counties shall empower, including as a Charter
Member the City of Cincinnati; and
6. Said Board shall initially be comprised of 13 Members serving initial
staggered terms of 4 years and 2 years [with all 2 year term Members to
be replaced, and/or reappointed upon the expiration of said 2 year term
for 4 year terms thereafter] as follows:

a) City of Cincinnati – 6 Members, 2 serving 4 year terms and 4


serving 2 year terms;
b) Hamilton County – 4 Members, 2 serving a 4 year term and 2
serving 2 year terms;
c) Butler County – 1 Member serving a 4 year term;
d) Warren County – 1 Member serving a 4 year term;
e) Clermont County – 1 Member serving a 4 year term; and

7. Said Board and County Membership therein shall be determined as


follows:

a) Each County represented in the Transit System as hereinafter


established, or evolved, shall be allotted no less than one (1) seat
with full voting and Membership privileges, duties and
responsibilities; and
b) The initial allotment of Board Seats shall be 13, with the possible
expansion to 17 in the event that said Transit System evolves into a
multi-state Transit Commission representing the transit interests of,
and providing transit service to, Southeast Indiana [Dearborn
County] and Northern Kentucky [Boone, Kenton and Campbell
counties]; and
c) The nine (9) At-Large Membership Seats shall be allotted by
jurisdiction based upon a funding formula that shall include all
revenues of the Transit Authority and the location of origin of said
revenue as determined by residence of taxpayer, residence of fare
payer, identity of contract payer by political subdivision, or
population/demographic eligibility and impact on allocation of state
or federal funds as determined by County, PROVIDED THAT, each
county may elect to subdivide its Board Membership into Board
Seats represented by political subdivision pursuant to act of the
County Commission, or Judge Executives, as the case may be, or if
a dedicated revenue source shall include a tax imposed by such
political subdivision, Board Membership shall be a right as
determined by said formula. By way of example and for purposes
of explaining the original Board Membership of the GCRTA, the total
funding [note**these funding percentages are rough
approximations and estimates only] of SORTA includes:
i. Earnings tax – 47% [60% paid by county, 40% by city
residents];
ii.Fare-box revenues – 27% [15% by county, 85% by city note:
a negligible percentage is paid by Express Run passengers from
Butler, Warren and Clermont counties]
iii.Federal and State grants – 11% [60% county/40% city
demographic eligibility note: a negligible percentage is based
upon population from Butler, Warren and Clermont counties ]; and
iv.Contract Payments – 15% [ Hamilton, Warren, Clermont and
Butler counties all contract to varying degrees with the total
revenues representing approximately 15% of total SORTA
revenues. Note: on a per-capita basis with Hamilton County
representing about two thirds of this 15% amount, the total
percentages and amounts from this source are insufficient to
increase Board Membership in any individual county above their
1/13th or 7.7% total]

v.The nine “At Large” seats shall always be allocated in a


manner that appoints such a number of the nine (9) to any
jurisdiction providing more than 50% of the total funding to
the system that will result in that jurisdiction able to have a
majority of the Total Board seats in partnership with any one
(1) other Member of the system. By way of explanation in
this 13 Board Member configuration seven (7) Members
constitutes a majority with one (1) Member being the least
allotted to any other jurisdiction. Accordingly, Cincinnati,
providing greater than 50% of the funding, must always have
a minimum of six (6) Members. Such an analysis yields a pro-
rata Board Membership percentage allocation as follows:

City of Cincinnati: 55.12%


Hamilton County: 38.31%

Butler County: 2.19%

Clermont County: 2.19%

Warren County: 2.19%

Applying these percentages to the nine (9) At-Large Board


Seats reveals that a straight percentage allocation, with
Hamilton County already getting credit for one Board seat
based upon its status as a county, and with Cincinnati
providing greater than 50% of the funding, results in 6 of the
“At Large” seats allotted to the City of Cincinnati and 3 to
Hamilton County.

[note**The actual percentage, pro-rata breakdown yields rounded


pro rata percentages for the city of Cincinnati and Hamilton County
of: county 39% / Cincinnati 55% calling for a Board makeup of 4
County and 5 City. However, because Hamilton County already
receives one Member automatically and that percentage is not
altered when including the contract to the total, the total Hamilton
County Board Membership as an entity should not exceed 4 total
Members. To account for the total breakdown as impacted by total
financial contributions from county of origin the City of Cincinnati
should receive one additional Board Membership in recognition of
the city providing the vehicle for a dedicated revenue stream]

8. The GCRTA Board shall be charged initially to:


a) Operate the bus system operating as Metro throughout the Greater
Cincinnati area as presently exists and as shall be expanded; and
b) Move to implement the series of system and service enhancements
previously presented to the public under the name “Metro Moves”;
and
c) Operate a system of bus transit service for people with disabilities
under the name “Access”; and
d) Move to implement service enhancements for people with
disabilities including without limitation expanding the area of
service to cover the entirety of the populated area of Hamilton
County and to expand the modalities of available service for people
with disabilities to include, at a minimum, handicap taxi service;
and
e) Negotiate to embrace and include other public transit systems [as
may now exist or as may hereinafter be developed] operating
within the four county GCRTA jurisdictional area for the purpose of
developing a larger, integrated system of service by, between and
among the four county jurisdictional area; and
f) Support the development of other modalities of service, including
without limitation, local Streetcar, passenger commuter rail, inter
city passenger rail; interstate passenger rail, high-speed intercity
and interstate passenger rail and, without in any way diminishing or
limiting the generality of the foregoing, support the development
and implementation of the Midwest Regional Rail Initiative [MRRI]
and the Cleveland-Columbus-Cincinnati [via Dayton] [3C and D
Connector] passenger rail connector in Ohio; and
g) As an element of working upon the tasks called for in the preceding
paragraph, participate in the review of the Regional Rail Plan for the
purpose of determining the viability and relevance of the plan to
the current development of the region and, as appropriate,
encourage and/or collaborate with others to either take ownership
over one or more arms of the plan for the purpose of developing
and establishing legs of service; and
h) Establish regular lines of communication with area Transportation
Improvement Districts, OKI Regional Council of Governments,
individual transit systems, and/or others actively involved in the
development of transportation policies and/or systems, for the
purpose of ensuring the coordinated and comprehensive
development of transportation policy and systems serving the
region; and
i) Establish regular lines of communication with area Transportation
Improvement Districts, OKI Regional Council of Governments,
individual transit systems, and/or others actively involved in the
development of transportation policies and/or systems, for the
purpose of helping in the development of a coordinated and unified
approach by the Greater Cincinnati Region toward all hereinafter
developed state or federal transit legislation, policies, and bills
including funding; and
j) Pursue the potential of establishing a multi-state Regional Transit
Commission as allowable under Ohio Revised Code sections 506.80-
506.90 by December 31, 2010.

9. In the event of the addition of other transit systems as described in the


preceding paragraph and its sub-parts, a new calculation of financial
contributions and by county shall be completed and the impact of such a
calculation of Board representation shall also be calculated with any
attendant changes to be made effective the first day of January in the
year immediately following such calculation. In the event such a
calculation calls for the addition of one or more members for any county
and/or the loss of one or more members for any county, the county
commission of judge executives, as the case may be, shall determine
what such change[s] shall be.
10.The Board of Trustees of the Authority shall elect a Chair who shall serve
at the pleasure of the Board.
11.The Board shall meet in Open Public Meetings at regular intervals of at
least one meeting per month and at such other times as the Chair may
call, or that two other Members may call.
12.The Board shall keep Minutes of its meetings and adequate records of all
of its actions and shall be governed by the laws of the State of Ohio and,
procedurally, shall operate under Roberts’ Rules of Procedure.
13.Vacancies on the Board shall be filled in the same manner as original
appointments.

This RESOLUTION has been ADOPTED at a regularly scheduled meeting of the


Board of County Commissioners of Hamilton County, Ohio on this _____ day of
_________, 2008.

__________________ ____________________ ___________________

Todd Portune David Pepper Pat DeWine

President of the Board Vice-President of the Board County


Commissioner

This RESOLUTION has been ADOPTED at a regularly scheduled meeting of the


Board of County Commissioners of Butler County, Ohio on this _____ day of
_________, 2008.

__________________ ____________________ _____________________

This RESOLUTION has been ADOPTED at a regularly scheduled meeting of the


Board of County Commissioners of Warren County, Ohio on this _____ day of
_________, 2008.

__________________ __________________ _________________


This RESOLUTION has been ADOPTED at a regularly scheduled meeting of the
Board of County Commissioners of Clermont County, Ohio on this _____ day of
_________, 2008.

__________________ __________________ __________________

This RESOLUTION has been ADOPTED at a regularly scheduled meeting of the


Cincinnati City Council of Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio on this _____ day of
_________, 2008.

______________________

Mark Mallory

Mayor, City of Cincinnati

Members of Council:

______________________ ___________________ __________________

David Crowley Jeff Berding Chris Bortz

______________________ ___________________ __________________

John Cranley Laketa Cole Leslie Ghiz

______________________ ___________________ __________________


Chris Monzel Cecil Thomas Roxanne Q

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