Fox resigns, Children Services Board abolished
HAMILTON — The governing board of Butler County Children Services is no more as the county commissioners voted today to make the county Department of Job and Family Services the county's child protection agency instead.
The move is a result of the fallout from the August murder of foster child Marcus Fiesel. At the time of his death, the developmentally disabled boy from Middletown was in the legal custody of Children Services, which approved his placement in the Clermont County home where he was slain.
The six-member governing board didn't provide aggressive oversight and new leadership is needed to restore the public's confidence in the agency, Commission President Gregory Jolivette said. Fired Executive Director Jann Heffner left the agency May 5.
"It was a circle-the-wagons type mentality with the board and we don't need that," Jolivette said.
The reorganization places Children Services' 200-plus employees, $25 million annual budget, and services to more than 600 children in foster care and kinship care under the county Department of Job and Family Services. However, Children Services' administration, including Interim Executive Director Jeff Centers, will report directly to the county commissioners and County Administrator Derek Conklin.
Former Commissioner Michael Fox plans to seek the $125,000-a-year executive director position now that his resignation took effect today. The search opened today and applications will be accepted for about three weeks. A new director should be in place in six to eight weeks, Jolivette said.
In the coming weeks, county officials plan to decide when and how much they will ask voters to pay before an existing 2-mill levy expires Dec. 31, 2008. The levy generates about 62 percent — more than $15 million — of the agency's budget. The commissioners also plan to schedule work sessions to define roles and develop guiding principles for the agency's reform.
from the Journal-News
http://www.journal-news.com/hp/content/oh/story/news/local/2007/05/14/hjn051407csbmergeweb.html
The move is a result of the fallout from the August murder of foster child Marcus Fiesel. At the time of his death, the developmentally disabled boy from Middletown was in the legal custody of Children Services, which approved his placement in the Clermont County home where he was slain.
The six-member governing board didn't provide aggressive oversight and new leadership is needed to restore the public's confidence in the agency, Commission President Gregory Jolivette said. Fired Executive Director Jann Heffner left the agency May 5.
"It was a circle-the-wagons type mentality with the board and we don't need that," Jolivette said.
The reorganization places Children Services' 200-plus employees, $25 million annual budget, and services to more than 600 children in foster care and kinship care under the county Department of Job and Family Services. However, Children Services' administration, including Interim Executive Director Jeff Centers, will report directly to the county commissioners and County Administrator Derek Conklin.
Former Commissioner Michael Fox plans to seek the $125,000-a-year executive director position now that his resignation took effect today. The search opened today and applications will be accepted for about three weeks. A new director should be in place in six to eight weeks, Jolivette said.
In the coming weeks, county officials plan to decide when and how much they will ask voters to pay before an existing 2-mill levy expires Dec. 31, 2008. The levy generates about 62 percent — more than $15 million — of the agency's budget. The commissioners also plan to schedule work sessions to define roles and develop guiding principles for the agency's reform.
from the Journal-News
http://www.journal-news.com/hp/content/oh/story/news/local/2007/05/14/hjn051407csbmergeweb.html
posted by Scott @ 12:09 PM
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