I would like to thank the Preble County Liberty Group for the time and effort to put on a Meet the Candidate night Monday evening October 18, 2010 at the Preble County Engineer’s office. The meeting room was packed with concerned citizens in search of candidates to represent them.

It was an honor to be in the presence of doers rather than just talkers. It is also a contrast with the two major parties that the first and perhaps only event of this type was not sponsored by either the local Republican or Democratic Party. 

As to the meeting, I recorded the County Auditor and County Commissioner Candidates as they were the only candidates to show up in person. 

The audio files are broken up into sections for the candidates and questions. Below that is some reference for CFPC readers to previous County Commission meeting that having bearing on some of the questions asked and answers given by candidates.

Preble County, Ohio

PREBLE COUNTY LIBERTY GROUP

October 18,  2010

7.00 p.m. evening Meet the Candidates Night held the Preble County Engineer's Office.

Meeting audio and review

Denise Robertson – Moderator

File 1

Opening

End 1.37 minute mark on recording – 379 KB

File 2

Preble County Auditor Mindy Robbins

End 7.75 minute mark on recording

6.09 minutes –  1.4 MB

File 3

Annette Owens – Independent candidate for Preble County Auditor.   Annette is also a local business woman who started and operates her own business.

End 9.75 minute mark on recording

2 minutes –  471KB

File 4

Questions for Auditor Candidates.

End 28.8 minute mark on recording

19.05 minutes –  4.73 MB

File 5

Preble County Commissioner David Wesler

End 34.15 minute mark on recording

5.17 minutes –  1.2 MB

File 6

Jane Marshall – Independent Candidate for Preble County Commissioner. Jane is a former commissioner and long time Agricultural advocate in favor of realisitic Economic Development in areas already proven to be able to sustain it.

End 39.6 minute mark on recording

5.27 minutes –  1.24 MB

File 7

Questions for Preble County Commission Candidates.

End 1 hr. 4.6 minute mark on recording

25.31 minutes –  5.48 MB

Preble County Auditor and GAAP:

Please pay particular attention to the January 20, 2010 meeting. There is a link to the State Auditor's reasoning for GAAP to be used. Also reference File 9A which is a shot file that has Commissioner Chris Day comments.

Jeff

October 11,  2010

http://www.citizensforpreblecounty.com/news/?p=1644

1 hr.  31.4 minute mark    As of October 8, 2010 the cash balance was $2,717,654

_______________________________________________________________

http://www.citizensforpreblecounty.com/news/?p=702

January 4, 2010

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5 min Dave – question on penalty for not filing the GAAP  (Generally Accepted Accounting Procedures) method regarding auditor (penalty of $750) Chric & Connie mention $25,000.  Issue also regarding landfill closure fund and insurance down. Financial filing penalty from September 23, 2009.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

January 20, 2010

http://www.citizensforpreblecounty.com/news/?p=879

Preble County Auditor’s Accounting Method Becomes Issue

This meeting kicks off with the announced retirement of Bev Pearson.
Preble County Auditor Mindy Robbins was in chambers for her General Fund Financial Update. For a change sales tax came in higher than expected. She hopes to have the Certificate for the budget delivered to the commissioners soon. This will enable them to finish the county budget well before having completed one last year. A question by Commissioner Day was asked about the discrepancy in a comparison of the 2010 projected 1^st Quarter Real Estate Tax with the 2009 income. The total given by the Auditor was down some $100,000 from 2009 figures. The Auditor offered that a look at last year’s figures would show she had probably done the same thing as she would rather come in high than low on her figures. That is a nice thought but hardly conducive to a call for the submission of realistic budgets from all county departments to limit surprises on the cost front for 2010. What is realistic about basing budget decisions on an admitted two year case of artificially low real estate income projections? Early in the fourth quarter of 2009 the commissioners were hoping for an $800,000 carry over into 2010. They got $1,200,000 unencumbered and I don’t think the extra money came in a sock hung over a fireplace on Christmas Eve. It is high time the Preble County Auditor start using (GAAP) generally accepted accounting procedures. The citizens of Preble County deserve no less; the County Commissioners are remiss in their duties if they accept anything else.

It is my view that the books can be cooked. For the State Auditor’s view on the issue of the need for GAAP: http://www.citizensforpreblecounty.com/ … ll2008.pdf   It is an issue of transparency that taxpayers should expect and the auditor should follow.  There was a fine earlier this year that was covered in another post because of the Preble County Auditor not using GAAP and there is also an issue of it being required by the EPA at the landfill and covered lower on this post in file 8.

File 9 of this meeting has the County Commissioners approving $63,000 for and Audit Service agreement with the Auditor of the State of Ohio for Bureau Inspection. Listen to File 9A and hear Commissioners Chris Day’s comments on the matter.

“They’re basically saying that our people, that are elected aren’t competent enough to do their job”

Well guys maybe there is a reason the state feels that way, the bookkeeping is substandard.

1 hr. 30 minute mark Financial Assurance GAAP accounting (Generally Accepted Accounting Procedures) going to be needed for EPA. It will cost Mindy money but the cost otherwise is much higher.

1 hr. 34 minute mark Sewer district 2, discussion on disinfection. $400,000 estimate for complete replacement of facility. Impact on rates & fees.

1 hr. 36 minute mark EPA has so far been tolerant.

1 hr. 39 minute mark Discussion of whether all three commissioners will meet at the engineer’s office for a “work session”. *** Sunshine *** Meeting to be 2:00 p.m. February 3, at Steve’s office.

March 24,  2010

http://www.citizensforpreblecounty.com/news/?p=1061

File 5

10:00 A.M. – MINDY ROBBINS & TOM BARNES (GAAP REPORTING)

1 hr.  2.5 minute mark     Mindy Robbins – "Technically as I understood it from Dick Sargent with Eastman & Smith is that the Ohio EPA does not like the idea that we tried to help control our audit costs by changing the method of our financial reports. And just to kind of refresh in '07 & '08 we were spending over $100,000 in audit costs. So I went ahead and gave a call in and said we are trying to control these costs, at this time '09 doesn't look like it is going to be very good. …… As a result we spent about $30,000 less in '09 than what we had in '08.

1 hr.  5.5  minute mark     Tom Barnes –  It's (GAAP) is actually one of the rules of the Ohio EPA for financial assurance.

1 hr.  6 minute mark     Mindy – …for next year and the future we will need to go to GAAP.

1 hr.  8 minute mark     Chris Day – The key factor here that we are looking at is that if can't meet the financial assuring up to EPA standards then we may have to bond out or do some different things which could cost us well above and beyond the $25,000 or whatever.

Mindy – What I got from Dick as that they would go along with us right now as far as how we were doing it right now. But there wouldn't have to be anything additional incurred from this year or even last year..  ***** AUDIO GOES DEAD FROM 1 HR. 8.5 MINUTE MARK –  1 HR. 11.1 MINUTE MARK *****

Meeting continues.

1 hr.  15.5 minute mark     Mindy – Long and short GAAP for next years. Expect increases in Audit costs for next year.

February 17, 2010

http://www.citizensforpreblecounty.com/news/?p=996

Preble County and GAAP Accounting

Chris Day brought up GAAP accounting and the eventual cost to the county if the Auditor does not start using it by next year. The EPA has waived it being required this year but that was unexpected and cannot be
counted on for next year.  Connie is to schedule Mindy Robbins and Tom Barnes into together as it will affect landfill expenses.

*****************************************************

Here is some coverage of topics not covered last night that voters should be made aware of. Unfortunatly due to a move to a different hosting company by prebleminutes in 2009 some of links will no longer work. I believe that enouch information is provide here though to cover the topic. If someone feels they need to here the audio please email me as I do have the files saved.

Jeff

Preble County Commissioner

 

County Commissioners Again Sued Over Bike Trail Issue

http://www.citizensforpreblecounty.com/news/?p=3

On Wednesday January 7, 2009, the Preble County Commissioners noted receipt of a court case filed in Common Pleas Court by Paul A. Beisner. The Beisner case represents the third lawsuit filed against the County Commissioners over the same issue. All have been in response to the county claiming title to old railroad property that two of the complainants have already proven they own. The Anderson & Yorke families have both had cases resolved and they have their land back. They had to go through some stressful mental, financial and time costs to get it. They had to hire legal counsel, run title searches and basically jump through red tape and bureaucratic hoops to get back what was not only their property, but something they had been paying taxes on for years. They were forced to sue their county. Contrary to Commissioner Wesler’s January 7, 2009, statement that there was never any intent to take people’s property, they believe differently. I think this record supports the Anderson, Yorke and now Beisner views. Since April 2007 I have been putting audio of County Commission meetings on www.prebleminutes.com. The January 7, 2009, agenda of that meeting contained:

Same issue with the web links here. This one is instructive because a local businessman wanting to provide rural broadband was turned down use of the tower. The tower was later approved for use by Channel 2 for a "Weather Bug". Commissioner Wesler is a Channel 2 "Weather Checker". The issue of special treatment for friends came up at the Liberty meeting.

Jeff

Rural Broadband vs. Channel 2 Weather Bug

http://www.citizensforpreblecounty.com/news/?p=82

The issue of using “Vertical Assets” for rural broadband penetration was previously addressed in Commission Chambers on September 22, 2008. That is the crux of the debate. The previous County Commissioners could have taken a leadership role for Preble County communities to follow and help solve the digital divide that exists. Instead the issue was framed in “Unfair competition” and “For Profit” terms.

On September 22, 2008 the County Commissioners had an in-chamber meeting with Mr. Sage Cutler from “Connect Ohio” about Broadband services. For more information on the Connect Ohio initiative: http://www.ohiobroadbandcouncil.org/news/2007/connect_ohio.shtml Connect Ohio just got started in June of 2008.

Mr.Cutler had been contacted a few months earlier by then County Administrator Michael Doss about addressing the Broadband issue. This is an issue raised here on PrebleVoice last year that made its way to the Court House. Lets review some audio file from www.prebleminutes.com September 22, 2008 (File 30 -?39)