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House Bill Includes Levy Wording Changes, Forbids Levels in Special Elections by Eric Hiner, OACB Trust. It’s a pretty simple word. Whether used as a noun or a verb, trust plays a role in just about everything we do. At the county board level, trust is something we talk about frequently. We want the people we support, as well as their families, to trust us. We certainly want the community to trust us to be good stewards. Our employees must trust in the Fairfield DD mission. And our management team not only needs to be able to trust our employees, but must be trustworthy in turn. But trust is a tricky thing. It’s been said it takes years to earn someone’s trust and only minutes to lose it. So how do we not only foster a trustworthy environment at the county board, but maintain it? I think the answer lies in transparency and honesty. I recently read that to be honest with another person, we must first know ourselves—our intentions. I’d like to think Fairfield DD is pretty clear on this. We will recite our mission statement to anyone who will listen and I believe we live that mission every day to the best of our abilities. Our actions must always match our words. Another element of trust is being open to feedback. Let’s face it—this can be a tough one. Often times we are more receptive to feedback from the community than from those we know more intimately. I’d like for our team to always be willing to not only hear feedback and to act accordingly, but to take the initiative to give feedback as well. It’s the simplest form of communication and often the toughest to achieve. And then there is transparency. In a field where discretion is of utmost importance, the fact remains that the county board is a public entity. This not only means we should be transparent with the public—it demands it. At Fairfield DD we are taking steps all the time to invite the public to share with us—whether discreetly or in a more public forum. And now we are going out into the community to personally extend that invitation. [See article on next page.] We are closely connected with other public agencies, civic groups, businesses and government officials. But I implore all of our employees to make the same invitation to the people and families we support. Every interaction should be an opportunity for open, honest, twoway discussion. And then there is leadership. As the superintendent of Fairfield DD, I want you to know that my door is always open, my inbox is always available, my phone is with me at all times. I strive to be accessible, even at my busiest times. It’s your trust in me and this organization that will continue to make Fairfield DD successful. Happy Holidays! John Pekar, Superintendent The Ohio House is considering a bill that would change how county boards of DD are required to describe annual tax rates in ballot language. Under HB 342 (sponsored by Rep. Derek Merrin – Fulton and Lucas counties), all levyfunded government entities would be required to explain millage in a way that would increase the perceived cost of levies to voters by requiring all levy ballot language to express annual tax rates in dollars and cents per $100,000 of valuation as opposed to dollars and cents per $100 of valuation (the current statutory requirement). This would effectively increase the “sticker price” of a levy by inflating the numbers used to demonstrate tax rates to the public. Under current law, a one-mill levy can be explained on local ballots as costing voters “ten cents ($0.10) for each one hundred dollars of valuation.” HB 342 would require that same rate to be expressed as “$100 per $100,000 of valuation.” After reviewing the bill with members of the county board business manager leadership team, OACB believes this change would harm public support for levy ballot issues by misleading voters into overestimating levy costs. The bill arbitrarily requires all figures in example levy calculations to be multiplied by 1,000, giving voters the mistaken impression of a higher tax rate. Furthermore, the taxable valuation of most Ohio homes is substantially lower than $100,000, meaning most property owners would not pay as much as the inflated levy calculation would suggest. HB 342 would also require all board of DD levies to be filed in primary or general elections. This would effectively prohibit county boards of DD from going to the ballot in special August elections, which is permitted under current statute. Boards must maintain the flexibility to file levy issues based on the financial needs of the agency and the people and communities they serve. While special election levies are uncommon, OACB cannot support any legislation that takes financial planning tools away from county boards. OACB is communicating with other statewide associations and members of the business manager leadership team to coordinate opposition to the current version of HB 342 and will provide updates to members in future versions of the PolicyBrief. Members with questions about this topic should contact Rick Black (rblack@oacbdd.org) at 614- 431-0616.
Art & Clay Receives Firefly Award Art & Clay on Main was recently honored with the Firefly Award from the Adult, Family and Children First Council of Fairfield County for providing support to families in an outreach initiative. The Firefly Award was created to recognize those who have worked alongside the Adult, Family and Children First Council to create energy and light by their collaborative work. These award winners are able to provide just what is needed at just the right time. Art & Clay on Main has partnered with the Council for many years providing families an opportunity to bond outside of their home while creating lasting memories. …We’re with the Band Some very talented members of the Forest Rose Staff are inviting you and your family to a holiday concert by the Lancaster Community Band, 2 pm on Dec. 17 at Sixth Avenue United Methodist Church in Lancaster. The band includes Forest Rose music therapist Emily Plassman on trombone, physical therapist John Wagner on baritone horn, teacher substitute Karen Wagner on glockenspiel (as well as cymbals, bass drum and slapstick), former Forest Rose nurse Deb Hatch on flute, and former educational aide Matt Haban on clarinet (as well as flute and baritone horn). This group practices together 1.5 hours a week. Come and support their efforts and help them drum up some holiday cheer! Celebration Scheduled The 10th Annual Celebration of Possibilities will take place on Thursday March 15, 2018 at Crossroads Event Center. The theme is Prepare to Be Amazed and we hope that is exactly what you will do! For sponsorship information of tickets, contact Gaynor at 740-652-7220. OACB Conference Focuses on Trust The Ohio Association of County Boards hosted the 34th Annual Statewide Convention Nov. 29—Dec. 1 and this year the central theme revolved around trust— where to find it, how to build it, and how to keep it. The convention launched with a keynote speaker, Rohit Bhargava, who is the founder of the Non-Obvious Company and has spent more than 15 years leading digital and innovation strategy for global brands at Leo Barnett Advertising and Ogilvy Marketing. “At an early age I learned something that has proved important throughout my career,” he said. “Always be the most likeable person in the room.” Bhargava stressed that in order to gain the trust of the public or an individual, a person should focus on five principles: ~ Embrace the cold, hard truth ~ Tell good stories ~ Engage unexpectedly ~ Bring simplicity ~ Remember that timing is everything Bhargava gave multiple examples of how blindly we all often trust, but also examples of how what truly matters to people is connectability, kindness, be approachable and being brutally honest. He also emphasized that building trust in an increasingly skeptical world will require county boards to reinforce their reputation of being authentic and trustworthy partners. Trust is Earned When Actions Meet Words...
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