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Paul Nenni: Time for a Butler County charter?

4:07 PM Friday, January 29, 2010

When I ran in 2008 on the Republican primary ballot for Ohio’s 53rd House District, I wanted to make a difference. I wanted to make positive changes in Ohio. I won’t get that chance, as I had hoped, but as I was quoted in the newspaper after the election results: “You haven’t heard the last of Paul Nenni.”

I served on the Middletown City Commission (now called City Council) for eight years, and was vice chairman of Middletown’s 2005 Charter Review Committee and a member of its 2009 Charter Review Committee. So I have been intricately involved in Middletown’s debate about ward vs. at-large representation. I believe we have made the right choices in allowing everyone to be fairly represented in Middletown by a council made up of five at-large members.

Unfortunately, we don’t have the same type of representation in Butler County. The county is organized under the traditional statutory framework set forth in the Ohio Revised Code, providing for county governments headed by 11 elected officials, including three county commissioners, a treasurer, prosecutor, clerk of courts, engineer, coroner, auditor and sheriff. Each elected official is assigned specific statutory duties, which define official responsibilities and restrict the official’s authority to act to powers expressly provided, or those that are necessary to the exercise of express powers.

This structure has been criticized by many as being out of date and corrupt. However, despite several statutory alternatives, it is still in place in 86 of Ohio’s 88 counties, including Butler.

Summit County was the first county to change the way it is represented. Summit County is one of two counties of the 88 in Ohio that has a charter government, as authorized by Article X of the Ohio Constitution. Under its charter, rather than three elected commissioners, Summit County has an elected county executive and an 11-member county council. Summit County also has an appointed medical examiner, rather than an elected coroner, and an elected fiscal officer, who exercises the powers and performs the duties of a county auditor, treasurer and recorder.The remaining officials are similar to the officials in other counties. They include: clerk of the court of common pleas (elected); prosecuting attorney (elected); engineer (elected); and sheriff (elected).

In 1979, Summit County voters decided to replace the commissioner form of government with a charter government. The new, more responsive method of government began in 1981 with a seven-member council replacing the three commissioners. In 1988, voters increased the size of council to 11 members. Eight members represent specific districts, while three members serve at-large.

In November 2009, Cuyahoga County voters overwhelmingly approved the adoption of a county charter form of government, which will replace the three-commissioner form of county government with an elected county executive and a 12-person county council.

A charter form of government allows the elected representatives of the people to govern with more flexibility, creating a more open, progressive county government. The charter also gives counties “home rule” (like many Ohio cities), permitting council to adopt legislation more in tune with the needs of the community.

Charter adoption is not an instantaneous process. To get on the ballot, either a petition signed by 10 percent of the electors and proposed charter is submitted to the county commissioners or the county commissioners resolve to submit to the voters the question of whether a charter commission should be created to draft a charter. In the latter case, if the majority of voters answer in the affirmative, a 15-member commission is elected to draft a proposed charter.

Finally, whether the charter has been citizen or commission drafted, it must garner majority support in a public election before it can be officially adopted.

I think it is time for Butler County to take a serious look at a more representative form of government. If I was a Butler County commissioner, this idea would be on top of my agenda.

Paul Nenni is a Middletown accountant and a former member of Middletown City Commission.

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PRESS RELEASE

(MIDDLETOWN, OH) Local businessman and former two-term Middletown City Commissioner Paul Nenni filed petitions this week to seek the Republican nomination for Butler County Commission.

“As a military veteran of the Marine Corps, a business owner, and employer and a former elected official, I have a unique perspective that will benefit our entire county,” said Nenni.

Nenni served in the United States Marine Corps from 1967-1971, serving in the Vietnam War during 1970-71. When he returned from serving his country, Paul took advantage of the G.I. Bill and graduated from Miami University in 1973 with a B.S. degree in accounting. Nenni was admitted to practice as a Certified Public Accountant in 1976 and was licensed by FINRA to provide financial services in 1998. He is also a Registered Financial Consultant.

Nenni was elected to Middletown City Commission in 1991 and won reelection in 1995 serving as Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Commission. He did not run again in 1999 in order to focus on his family and business responsibilities. In 2008 Nenni ran for the 53rd Ohio House District and stood for lower taxes and less government interference in out daily lives. Losing by 54 votes in the Primary, he was quoted as saying "You haven't heard the last of Paul Nenni"

“I look forward to using my 35 years of business experience to make Butler County a more competitive, less taxed and job friendly place,” Nenni said. “I understand the need for a business friendly environment that helps to create and keep jobs.”

A major issue Nenni plans on tackling includes submitting to the voters the question of whether a charter commission should be created to draft a county charter like the ones in Summit and Cuyahoga that would replace the Commissioner form of government with a Charter government that would be a more responsive method of government .

“Under a charter form of government, rather than three elected commissioners, Butler County could have an elected County Executive and a seven member County Council.” said Nenni “The County also would have an appointed Medical Examiner rather than an elected Coroner, and an elected Fiscal Officer, who exercises the powers and performs the duties of a county auditor, treasurer and recorder. The remaining officials are similar to the officials in other counties.”

“I believe a charter form of government would give the citizens better representation and help to eliminate the possibilities of nepotism and kickbacks.”

Nenni and his wife Cecelia have two daughters, Monica (a graduate of Fenwick High School & Miami University) and Christina (a graduate of the Butler Tech Cosmetology Program) and reside in Middletown. He is a lifelong Republican and lifelong resident of Butler County.