Elected officials respond to T.E.A. Patriot questions

Wayne Lakes Mayor Gary Young, Darke County Commissioner Diane Delaplane,
Darke County Commissioner Mike Stegall, Municipal Court Judge Candidate Jesse Green,
Greenville School District Treasurer Carla Surber and Darke County Engineer Jim Surber.

By Al Bliss

The six officials responded to questions for an hour and forty five minutes. The questions were sometimes aggressive but the manner of the official responses consistently kept the discussion on a very civil basis and stressed the information presented without an emotional ingredient. Judge Jason Aslinger was present at the beginning of the Meeting but declined to join the other officials.

Two opinion by the author are a degree of disappointment that the Darke County School Superintendents invited to participate in the event went missing and the depth of knowledge demonstrated by questioners in the fairly small audience was a very pleasant surprise.

The explanations by the County Commissioners in response to their different votes on the budget approved on Monday July 11, 2011 furnished data/information that helps understand the mindset of our elected officials

The information presented by Treasurer Surber regarding the requirement for the Superintendent, the Treasurer and the Board of Education Chair/President to be signatory to the union agreement with the education association (teachers union) was valuable. The explanation regarding nepotism in the Darke County schools had input from a number of the officials but the combination of fulfilling the duties of a Board Member while abstaining from any vote that might effect any aspect of employment of a family member was difficult to accept. The example of a judge electing to be recused from a case involving a family member is not identical to a School Board Member simply abstaining on an issue that involves a family member in a faculty. The judge has another impartial judge take his/her place but no one takes the place of the School Board Member.

The availability of a five year forecast for every school in Darke County was apparently useful based on the number taken by the audience.

Finally, to have coverage from Dayton TV was a surprise.

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