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Tag: David Painter

  • Clermont Commissioners elect Bonnie Batchler as president of Board

    Clermont Commissioners elect Bonnie Batchler as president of Board

    Batavia, Ohio – Commissioner Bonnie Batchler was elected President, and Commissioner Claire Corcoran, Vice President, of the Clermont County Board of Commissioners for 2023 at the January 9 annual Reorganization Meeting. Commissioner David Painter is also on the Board.

    The 2023 meeting schedule for Regular Sessions was also established. The commissioners are scheduled to meet every Wednesday of the year, except for certain holiday weeks, and the second and fourth Mondays of the first six months of the year.  All meetings are scheduled to begin at 10 AM. Commissioners are mandated to have at least 50 Regular Sessions during the calendar year.

    Commissioners offered comments and reflections relating to 2022 and thoughts about 2023.

    “This past year, and the past two years, have been two of the most rewarding years of my life, serving the county in a different capacity, working with Commissioner Painter, Commissioner Corcoran and the whole staff here at the county,” Commissioner Batchler said. “It’s been a pleasure getting to know people that I didn’t know before that work for this county. What dedicated people we have. I look forward to this coming year and business that is going to take place to move this county forward.”

    “Excellent board, excellent staff here at Clermont County,” Commissioner Painter said. “Clermont County is definitely moving in the right direction… It was a great year. ’23 I think will be an even better year.”

    Painter singled out the new Purina facility, work on State Route 32, small business expansion, Hamilton Safe consolidation, a new Land Bank, county investment in roadways, block grant projects, Juvenile Court expansion, a new sewage treatment plant in Newtonsville/Wayne Township, and Ivy Point. He said Clermont County has one of the lowest sales tax rates in Ohio.

    “We did accomplish a lot in the past year,” Commissioner Corcoran said. “I think we need to reflect on why we are here. We are here as commissioners as leaders – and that means we are relying on everyone in this county.”

    Corcoran mentioned county employees, elected officials, Economic Development, the Budget Management Office, Human Resources, judges, Safety…. and others in attendance. She cited social service agencies who work with Job & Family Services, the Clermont County Chamber of Commerce, and the Kiwanis Club.

    “I just love that everyone comes together,” she said.

    After the reorganization meeting, Corcoran was sworn in for a second four-year term.

    Photo: (from left) Husband Jeff Corcoran, son Keegan Corcoran, daughter-in-law Amber Corcoran, daughter Kelsi Corcoran, and Commissioner Claire Corcoran.

    Claire Corcoran says she looks forward to her second four-year term on the Board of County Commissioners and believes Commissioners will spearhead a collaborative effort to keep Clermont County moving ahead. She will be Vice President of the Comission.

    Corcoran, has lived in Goshen Township since 2001. From 1974-1988, she worked in the Division of Domestic Relations for Hamilton County Common Pleas Court, where she was a manager focusing on home and child support investigations.

    From 1988 to 2008, Corcoran worked as a supervisor and manager for Hamilton County Job & Family Services, responsible for a number of projects. From 2012-2015, she served as a Goshen Township Trustee, and from October 2015 through January 2016, as the interim township administrator. Corcoran also served on the Goshen Local School District Board from 2008-2011.

    “We have accomplished a lot in the last four years,” she said. “And we will achieve much more in the future as we all do our part to keep the progress going.”

    Photo: (from left) Husband Jeff Corcoran, son Keegan Corcoran, daughter-in-law Amber Corcoran, daughter Kelsi Corcoran and Commissioner Claire Corcoran

    The Board of County Commissioners also made designations about service on a number of boards and committees:

    • Board of Revisions, Batchler

    • Automatic Data Processing, Corcoran

    • Investment Advisory, Batchler

    • Investment Advisory, Painter

    • Records Commission (chairperson), Batchler

    • Area 12 Chief Elected Official Consortium, Painter

    * Area 12 Chief Elected Official Consortium (alternate), Corcoran

    • Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments Executive Committee, Painter

    • Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments Executive Committee (alternate), Batchler

    • Adams-Clermont Solid Waste District Policy Committee, John McManus

    • Tax Incentive Review Council, Painter

    * Tax Incentive Review Council, Michael McNamara and Greg Bickford

    * Prevailing Wage Coordinator, Mary Rains

    • County Commissioners Association of Ohio Official Voting Representative, Painter

    • Family & Children First Council, Corcoran

    • Land Bank, Batchler

    • Land Bank, Painter

    • Planning Commission (alternate), Andrew Lawrence

    • Jeff Harris was reappointed as county apiary inspector.

  • Corcoran chosen as Clermont County Commission president

    Corcoran chosen as Clermont County Commission president

    Bonnie Batchler, Claire Corcoran, and David Painter

    Batavia, Ohio – Claire Corcoran (middle in photo) on Jan. 11 was elected President of the Board of County Commissioners by commissioners Bonnie Batchler and David Painter, who was chosen as Vice President.

    The board established Wednesdays as well as the second and fourth Mondays of the month (for the first six months) as their regular meeting days.

    She brings 19 years of experience as a Pierce Township trustee, the past eight as president of the Clermont County Township Association.

    Her background also includes a 14-year stint as the EMS Chief of the Pierce Township Volunteer Fire Department. She also serves on the Board of Directors for Clermont County Community Services and the Senior Service Housing Board. She is a member of the Clermont County Law Enforcement Appreciation Selection Committee and the Ohio Public Works Commission grant committee.

    Batchler fills a position vacated after three-term Commissioner Ed Humphrey decided not to seek re-election.

    Batchler said public safety remains a top priority. She cited her years in public safety and the fact that two of her daughter-in-laws are police officers.

    Transportation and economic development also rank high on her priority list.

    “You’ve got to have good roads to have good economic development,” she said. “I have been amazed at what the county has been able to do with economic development this past year, with Nestle Purina and other openings. Just look at what will happen when the pandemic is not around.”

    In addition to her career in public services, Batchler possesses 43 years of experience working in private industry. After seven years at Cintas, she embarked on a 36-year career at Senco Products. She retired as a Senior Credit Analyst.

    She grew up in the town of Bethel. In May, she celebrates 26 years of marriage to her husband Mike, owner of Batchler Heating Services. They have two children and seven grandchildren.

  • Clermont unable to negotiate contract for animal shelter

    Clermont unable to negotiate contract for animal shelter

    Batavia, Ohio – Unable to negotiate a contract with the sole bidder for animal shelter services, the Board of County Commissioners rejected the Clermont Animal CARE Humane Society’s (CACHS) proposal for 2021-2023.

    Clermont Animal CARE Humane Society had requested a yearly contract of $848,726, more than double the current contract of $419,000.

    According to a press release, Clermont County had countered with a $500,000 proposal, based on the research of what neighboring counties pay for animal services.

    “The County has rejected our bid to continue running the Clermont County Animal Shelter at a 98% no-kill status in favor of running it themselves,” said a statement issued by CACHS. “The funding they offered failed to cover even basic services for dogs and provided no money for cats. We’re unable to continue financially supporting the County’s significant shortfall. So, it’s with great pain that we’ve made the decision to withdraw services from Clermont County.”

    Commissioners stated that they are committed to a clean and well-maintained animal shelter that maintains a low euthanasia (or no-kill) philosophy. The County said that they want to keep the momentum going since first committing to keeping a low euthanasia rate in 2015.

    According to the press release, In 2020, the County is paying $419,000 to CACHS, which was an increase over the $310,000 called for in the third year of the contract. The County also provides a 10,000 square-foot shelter at no charge. The shelter receives revenue from the Dog and Kennel Fund as well as a contribution from the County’s General Fund.

    According to a statement by the County, “When adding in the costs of the shelter, its utilities and upkeep, the county’s funding is competitive to similar-sized counties.”

    Now that the county has abandoned further negotiations they say they intend to provide a “top-quality animal shelter going forward.” The County plans to hire its own staff and continue to encourage the adoption and fostering of pets.

    David Painter

    “It was unfortunate that we were unable to get a contract with Clermont Animal CARE Humane Society,” said David Painter, President, Board of County Commissioners. “I want to thank all members of CACHS for a job well done providing animal care for the citizens of Clermont County.”

    “It’s very unfortunate that we cannot come to agreement with an organization that has provided quality service over the past three years,” Commissioner Ed Humphrey said. “When we’re getting into budget reserves, we simply can’t afford to spend another $400,000 – especially when they were able to provide services at about the rate that was offered.”

    Commissioner Claire Corcoran said: “In moving to the future, I’m dedicated to providing the best care possible in our shelter.”

    CACHS says on their website, “Our hearts ache for a community of animals and people who now face an uncertain future.”

    In a further statement, CACHS said, “We are crushed by the decision of the county to opt out of a humane society partnership that has paid dividends for Clermont County residents and animals and brought elite, nationally-recognized no-kill animal sheltering to the county.”

    In a pop-up statement on their web site, Clermont Animal CARE Humane Society says, “We need your help to find forever homes for all the animals in the shelter. The County has made it clear they will only provide services for dogs within the state mandated 3 day stray hold effective January 1st.”

    CACHS: What Exactly Happened?

    Clermont animal services have been underfunded for decades. When Clermont Animal CARE signed a contract for $310,000 to begin services in January 2018, we assumed the money provided by the contract and offered by the county as the “estimated budget for services” covered the services required in the contract. We were wrong.

    After 3 years of running the animal shelter at its highest level in county history and maintaining a 98% no-kill status, we uncovered that the county budget was woefully low. The money from the county was not even covering basic services and our humane society funds were being pulled every month to fill the gap. This shortfall left our humane society budget in the negative every month – financials that were reported to the county every quarter. We brought this to the attention of the county in the summer of 2019 and after several months of disagreements, we were given a small increase but were then asked to pay for building expenses that we, nor the previous operators, were not required to pay previously. Expenses that are outlined in the Ohio Revised Code as the responsibility of the county.

    To run the Clermont County shelter at a 98% no kill level, it takes a budget of approximately $1.3 million to attract and keep exceptional staff and Animal Control officers, pay for lifesaving medical procedures, and provide community support. It costs money to save animals and the $848,000 we asked the county for is to cover the cost of the basic dog warden services they are obligated to provide per Ohio Revised Code 955, (at an average salary of $16/hr for our staff). Everything else? We’ll cover that with our humane society operational funds, donations and grant funding.

    CACHS: What is No Kill?

    Clermont County, as is their right per local ordinances and state law, is under no obligation to fund anything other than stray dog services. Services for owner-surrendered animals, keeping dogs alive past the 3 or 14-day stray hold, and any services for cats, are not required. That didn’t stop Clermont Animal CARE from providing those services – and WE’RE NOT ASKING THE COUNTY TO PAY FOR THAT. We will continue to do so, provided that they pay, for the first time ever, a fair budget for the services they are contracting for. We will help Clermont maintain the lifesaving we’ve achieved over the past 3 years and hold true to our calling of saving every savable animal.

    If the county itself will be taking over the shelter on January 1st, with county employees assigned the task of carrying out basic county ordinances and obligations, what happens to pets whose owners can no longer keep them? What happens to stray dogs on Day 4? Will the county simply not take them in? Will stray dogs be given a chance at a live outcome after 4 days? What happens to cats? Will the citizens of Clermont just have to deal with seeing sick, injured, inbred cats with no options for helping them? Will the people of Clermont carry the burden of trying to find funding for vet care, transporting to spay and neuter clinics for TNR, or hope to get lucky that just one of the rescues or private shelters they call has the space available to say yes? We cannot imagine looking at the very people who elected you into your position and saying “too bad, we aren’t required to do anything to help you.”

    CACHS: What Happens Next?

    The county’s proposed staffing model and budget leave us highly concerned about their commitment to no-kill animal services. Simply put, they do not have the staff, expertise, industry network or money to keep Clermont’s no-kill levels where they are. Levels that they purport to be committed to – but if you’ll notice, they never mention cats in their reference to “no kill sheltering”. And it is alarming to us that in their very first move of taking over operations, we were informed in an email from County Administrator Tom Eigel dated 12/8/20 that the county will only take responsibility for dogs in the 3 or 14 day hold periods as of December 31, 2020. All dogs and other animals are the responsibility of the Society. So what they are saying is that any dog in the shelter prior to December 29th, any animal that was surrendered, and all cats currently in our care do not have a place in the county shelter beginning January 1st. That’s not the way No-Kill works.

    Stay strong, Clermont County. Together, we have shown what can be done to save lives in our community. Clermont Animal CARE is still fully committed to continuing our work as the county animal services provider, but it’s time to say “no more” to underfunded budgets, undervalued services and taking advantage of the goodwill of the humane society and those in the community that care about animals.

    It’s hard to get anyone to agree about anything in today’s political climate, but animals unite people across all backgrounds and party lines. The lives of these animals hang in the balance. If this is important to you, we encourage you to respectfully share your thoughts with your elected officials and ask them if they can spare 0.014% of their $85M surplus to fund elite lifesaving animal services with fair wages for the staff on the front lines.

    CLICK TO VIEW AVAILABLE DOGS

  • Investigation continues on Clermont County siren issues

    Investigation continues on Clermont County siren issues

    Batavia, Ohio – The Clermont County Department of Public Safety Services is continuing to investigate what may have caused outdoor warning sirens to sound in Clermont County on Oct. 24 and Nov. 3. On both days, about half the sirens in the county went off at about the same time, 10:30 AM.

    Sirens in Clermont County are used in very limited circumstances, including when:

    • A tornado warning has been issued by the National Weather Service.
    • A funnel cloud is reported by credible source.
    • A chemical emergency has occurred and a shelter-in-place order has been issued.

    The sirens are tested once a month, at noon on the first Wednesday of the month.

    Clermont County has 74 sirens. They are located throughout the county to ensure that residents can hear them when they are outside.

    The sirens consist of reconditioned civil defense sirens, which receive a VHF signal for activation. The remainder are activated by a VHF/FSK signal (Frequency-Shift Keying) technology from the 1990s. Twice now the FSK sirens have been activated without human intervention. Investigations so far have not detected a cause for this random activation according to the County.

    After the activation on Saturday, a manual cutoff circuit was placed between the transmitter and the phone lines to prevent the signal from reaching the sirens. The sirens can still be manually activated if the need arises, said John Kiskaden, Director of Public Safety Services.

    American Signal, the manufacturer of the transmitter, is working with Clermont County to determine whether the transmitter is the issue and recommend solutions to resolve the random activation of the VHF/FSK sirens.

    “We understand the frustrations and confusion of our residents and we will find out why this is happening and do our best to ensure it does not happen again,” said Ed Humphrey, President of the Board of County Commissioners.

    “Inadvertent alarms are very concerning,” said Commissioner David Painter. “We will verify and reverify this system until we find out why this happened.”

    “Although residents are understandably confused by these false alarms, they should not ignore sirens,” said Pam Haverkos, Director of the Clermont County Emergency Management Agency. “If the sirens sound, seek shelter, tune into local media outlets for additional information, and take the appropriate action.”

    Residents are also encouraged to have multiple means of receiving weather-related alerts and warnings.  For more information go to:https://ema.clermontcountyohio.gov/emergency-notification/

    For more information on warning sirens, go to https://ema.clermontcountyohio.gov/outdoor-weather-sirens.

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  • “This deal is pure crony capitalism” – Port Authority approves bonds to support FC Cincinnati complex in Milford

    “This deal is pure crony capitalism” – Port Authority approves bonds to support FC Cincinnati complex in Milford

    Milford, Ohio – On September 9, the Clermont County Port Authority approved issuing $30 million in lease revenue bonds to finance the cost of building a training facility and youth academy in Milford for the professional soccer team, FC Cincinnati.

    Chris Hicks

    Self-described “Taxpayer Watchdog” and candidate for Clermont County Auditor, Chris Hicks told Loveland Magazine, “This deal is pure crony capitalism. It raises taxes, the hotel tax, specifically to support one private, for-profit, company. It buys land using tax dollars for that company. It then has the government issue bonds to finance it all for the private company and then has the government own the land and buildings so the private, for-profit, company never pays property tax.” Hicks also says that the City of Milford gets no new infrastructure such as road or sidewalk improvements. and it actually makes the citizens of Milford liable for $43,000 to 47,000 per year for 20 years, to pay for the land.

    Under the arrangement between Milford, Clermont County, and the Port Authority, construction materials will be also be exempted from paying Ohio sales tax, estimated to be $1 million.

    A recent increase in the Clermont County lodging tax will also provide $223,000 a year to support the project.

    Because the Port Authority is tax exempt, FC Cincinnati will not have to pay property taxes. It has negotiated annual payments with the Milford School District to help compensate for what they might otherwise lose, however, other public agencies whose funding derives from property taxes will not be made whole.

    Under the agreement, the Port Authority will lease the 24 acres of land on U.S. 50 in the City of Milford near Interstate 275, and the facilities to be built, to FC Cincinnati for $1 a year. The bonds will be privately purchased by FC Cincinnati. The Port Authority will receive a one-time fee of $105,000 and an annual average fee of $9,000, most of which will go to support various county levies.

    The vote was 4-1. Port Authority Vice Chairman Loretta Rokey the Administrator of Pierce Township; Fiscal Officer Sam DeBonis an Assistant Vice President of Park National Bank, and members Greg DeFisher the President & CEO, Freeman Schwabe Machinery, and Rex Parsons the Administrator of Batavia Township; voted in favor. Member Greg Simpson a Principal with Key Transportation Inc., voted against the resolution.

    In a statement released by Clermont County after the vote, Andy Kuchta, Executive Director and Secretary of the Port Authority, offered the following statement:

    The structure of the lease answers all of the questions related to what the economic impact will actually be and if it is worth the level of incentives being provided. The Port Authority will have the choice to not renew the lease every 360 days for any reason. This is not a 20-year deal but a 360-day deal, full stop.

    Within the next 3-5 years there will be a comprehensive evaluation of the actual economic impacts and benefits once the facility has been constructed and operational for a period of time. If that evaluation determines the economic impacts have not materialized, the Port Authority will be able to substantially renegotiate the terms of these agreements or simply not renew them and return the property to a fully taxable status.

     

    On Aug. 22, Clermont County Commissioners approved an increase in the lodging tax in the county, from 6% to 7%. The revenue generated by the increase in the tax, approximately $223,000 a year, will be used by Milford to pay for the land. Commissioner David Uible said that “As a businessman, I love this deal. Clermont County incentivizes the City of Milford to buy this property for FC with a 1% lodging tax. This will result in $7 million in additional spending each year. The clear winners are the City of Milford, the county as a whole, and all the citizens who call Clermont County home.”

    Hicks says that the statement by Uible is misleading because the $7 million figure pertains to all soccer in the region, not from the Milford practice facility. Hicks says in a fact sheet he released on August 29 that even if credible, their own study lists the actual impact at only $1.6 million per year.

    Hicks has previously said that the 1% tax increase was not enough to cover the cost of the land. “To fund $3.5 million for land, based on Clermont County Convention & Visitors Bureau estimates, the hotel tax needs to be at least 1.2%, leaving Milford taxpayers holding the bag for $43-47 thousand per year.”

    In an analysis of the deals, Hicks says that County agencies that rely on property taxes like library, safety services, developmental disabilities, senior services, mental health, the Park District, Live Oaks, the City of Milford, and the County general fund will all lose the funds they receive now, $1,144,160, because when the FC Cincinnati site is developed there will be zero property taxes assessed. Hicks says that a $30 million development should pay $866,744 per year.

    Commissioner David Painter, who voted against the tax increase, said at the time of the vote, “I didn’t think the return was high enough to fully represent the stakeholders of Clermont County, who are the citizens of Clermont County.”

    According to the County, the 1% increase in the countywide lodging tax will “sunset” in 2038 or when the balance in the lodging tax account is sufficient to pay off the debt, whichever occurs first.

    The $30 million soccer complex is expected to include a 30,000-square-foot training facility and a 6,500-square-foot youth academy. FC Cincinnati said they hope to complete the training facility by next summer.

    The Port Authority decision represents the last step before the project can begin. FC Cincinnati also entered into agreements with the City of Milford and the Clermont County Convention & Visitors Bureau.

    Also according to the press release issued by the County, a study by Sports Facilities Advisory, a sports management consulting group based in Clearwater, Fla., estimated that the FC complex would generate “almost 65,000 visitor days” by out-of-town visitors and result in almost $7 million in direct spending annually. Hicks said, “Go deeper and find an economic study that has been misrepresented. It actually says a paltry $1.6 million in annual benefit will come from this site.” Hicks also claims that the economic study does not mention that FC Cincinnati will be selling “high dollar academy memberships for millions” as opposed to letting locals come and go as they please. “These type of facilities are money makers selling the ‘academy dream’ of your kid on a pro-soccer team,” added Hicks.

    You can look at Hick’s August 10 breakdown of the cost of building the Milford facility: Massive incentives.

    FC Cincinnati, whose owners were recently granted expansion status by Major League Soccer, will also build an estimated $200 million stadium in the West End of Cincinnati, which is expected to be open for the 2021 season. The team currently plays at Nippert Stadium at the University of Cincinnati. The City of Cincinnati is contributing 35 million dollars of public money to the West End Stadium.

  • 1% increase in Clermont County lodging tax approved for FC Cincinnati

    1% increase in Clermont County lodging tax approved for FC Cincinnati

    Batavia, Ohio –  Clermont County Commissioners today approved a 1% increase in the countywide lodging tax. The revenue generated by the increase in the tax, approximately $223,000 a year, will be used to support a new training facility and youth academy for FC Cincinnati in the City of Milford, near Interstate 275 and U.S. 50.

    The vote was 2-1. Commissioners Ed Humphrey and David Uible voted in favor; Commissioner David Painter voted against the resolution.

    Taxes on hotel-motel rooms in Clermont County will increase from 6% to 7% after Oct. 1. Under an agreement among Clermont County, the City of Milford, and the Clermont County Convention & Visitors Bureau, the revenue generated by the lodging tax would be remitted by the CVB to the City of Milford to repay debt securities of $3.5 million used to help purchase the property.

    “I believe that the benefits from this deal far outweigh any tax incentives,” Ed Humphrey, President of the Board of County Commissioners, said. He noted that the City of Milford and the Milford School District were satisfied with their agreements with FC Cincinnati, and also that local police, fire and EMS said the new facility would not strain their resources, according to a press release issued by the County.

    Commissioner David Uible said that “as a businessman, I love this deal. Clermont County incentivizes the City of Milford to buy this property for FC with a 1% lodging tax. This will result in $7 million in additional spending each year … The clear winners are the City of Milford, the county as a whole, and all the citizens who call Clermont County home.”

    Commissioner David Painter, who voted against the resolution, said, “I didn’t think the return was high enough to fully represent the stakeholders of Clermont County, who are the citizens of Clermont County.”

    The total property purchase price was $5 million, of which Milford is paying $3.5 million and FC Cincinnati is paying $1.5 million. The 1% increase in the countywide lodging tax will “sunset” in 2038 or when the balance in the lodging tax account is sufficient to pay off the debt, whichever occurs first.

    The anticipated $30 million soccer complex will be built on 23.6 acres at the former Expressway Park location. FC Cincinnati hopes to complete the training facility by next summer.

    A study by Sports Facilities Advisory, a sports management consulting group based in Clearwater, Fla., estimated that the FC complex would generate almost 65,000 visitor days by out-of-town visitors and result in almost $7 million in direct spending annually, according to the press release.

    FC Cincinnati, whose owners were recently granted expansion status by Major League Soccer, will also build an estimated $200 million stadium in the West End of Cincinnati, which is expected to be open for the 2021 season . The team currently plays at Nippert Stadium at the University of Cincinnati.

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  • Tom Eigel named Clermont county administrator

    Tom Eigel named Clermont county administrator

    Batavia, Ohio – Clermont County Commissioners have named a new county administrator. Thomas J. Eigel, who had been interim county administrator, was named to the top position.

    Eigel, 48, who reports directly to the Commissioners, is responsible for the budget and operations of all county departments that fall within the purview of the Commissioners. These include the Water Resources Department, the Building Inspection Department, the Office of Management and Budget, the Department of Community and Economic Development, the Public Safety Services Department, the Emergency Management Agency, and the Department of Job & Family Services. More than 400 employees work for these various departments.

    “We have several challenges in front of us,” Eigel said. “I am confident that we can meet them. We have a strong team in place, and I am thankful to the staff for all the help they gave me during this transition period.”

    Eigel became assistant county administrator in 2012. He came to the county with more than 15 years of experience in the government and nonprofit sectors. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from University of Cincinnati in Political Science in 1993, and a Master of Public Administration degree from Northern Kentucky University in 2003.

    Board President Ed Humphrey commended Eigel. “As both assistant and then interim county administrator, Tom Eigel has demonstrated the qualities of strong leadership and effective management,” he said. “He knows Clermont County, so there is no learning curve. Tom will keep us on a sound path fiscally, and will make sure that we are moving forward with initiatives that will help Clermont County continue to grow.”

    Eigel said that he would be focusing on several large capital projects the county is embarking on in 2018. “And we’ll be looking for ways to make the county more customer friendly,” Eigel said. “All of our departments will be engaged in this.”

    Said Commissioner David Painter, Vice President of the Board, “Tom has been a strong partner to the Commissioners. He is committed to serving our citizens. Tom will ensure that our departments continue to innovate, whether that is in adopting new technology or supporting best practices.”

    “Tom’s dedication to Clermont County and its government has long been apparent,” said Commissioner David Uible. “He has been instrumental in some of our biggest initiatives, including the launch and continuation of the Community Alternative Sentencing Center. We’re looking forward to the next chapter with Tom as County Administrator.”

    Eigel replaces Steve Rabolt, who retired as County Administrator last August. Eigel said that the search for an assistant county administrator was in progress.