Letters to Editor
Aggressive Collections
I would like to respond to the letter in your Oct. 18, 2012, edition written by Ellen Oravec. She states that my opponent wants to stop the bleeding of the taxpayers’ money by handling collections in-house. This practice has not proved to be cost effective and my opponent has been given this information.
The Lucas County treasurer partnered with its clerk of courts and hired two employees to work in the treasurer’s office to collect (in house) back taxes and old court costs a few years ago. After two years, they spent more money on salaries and benefits for the two employees than they were able to collect. They stopped the collection process of old court costs and the Lucas County Clerk of Courts signed an agreement as a pilot county with the Ohio Attorney General’s Office as a collection service.
After showing a success rate for criminal case collections, the Ohio Attorney General’s Office is now offering this service to other counties and soon I will be contracting with them as an additional court cost collection service.
Since the legislation passed seven years ago, which allows for contracting collection of old debt, I am very proud to say we have been very aggressive and collected over $200,000 in old court costs using collection agencies with no additional costs to the taxpayers of Geauga County.
We also garnish prison accounts on criminal cases which has also been very successful. This practice I started when I took office 16 years ago after serving as a deputy clerk for five years prior. Two of my sister counties, Lake and Ashtabula, have never even started their collection process.
We do not have a 20-year backlog of court documents as also was stated. Microfilm is the only nationally recognized form of permanent record retention and the documents that are presently being imaged, will be exported to microfilm, stored and preserved for future generations, as are all of the old common pleas and court of appeals cases.
Please feel free to contact me for further clarification at 440-286-4205.
Denise M. Kaminski
Geauga County Clerk of Courts
Simply Misinformed
As a strong supporter of the U.S. and Ohio Constitutions, and the individual rights protected by those venerable documents, I certainly respect freedom of expression. However, it is unfortunate that Mr. John Augustine, the author of a “guest” column in last week’s Maple Leaf, did not contact me before submitting his comments to the paper because Mr. Augustine is simply misinformed.
Appointments to the Geauga County Park Board are not lifetime positions. By statute, such appointments are for three years. While I appreciate Mark Rzeszotarski’s prior service on the Board, other qualified residents of Geauga County also should have the opportunity to serve the county, and it is important that the Board reflect the various views of ALL Geauga County residents.
Based on the information I have received, Mike Petruziello has been a responsible, hardworking and generally congenial addition to the Park Board.
Park Board Director Tom Curtin informed me that he and Mr. Petruziello embarked on a tour of the District’s parks shortly after his appointment. Assistant Park Director Keith McClintock and another Board member have told me that Mr. Petruziello is working well with the Board and Park personnel. Mr. Petruziello may ask some hard questions about fiscal matters from time to time, but that is the responsibility of all Board members. Mr. Petruziello voted to put the Park Levy on the ballot.
Moreover, Mr. Augustine’s comments about future Board membership and potential fracking in the parks are flat out WRONG. As most Geauga County residents know from my record in the Ohio Legislature, I oppose fracking wells on Public Park property.
As a legislator, I helped find the funding for the acquisition of the Orchard Hills Park. During her time as state representative, my wife, Diane Grendell, helped secure funds to facilitate the acquisition of the West Woods Park. Diane and I are avid users of the great parks here in Geauga County, especially when our grandchildren come to visit.
I hope Geauga County voters will vote for me for judge on Nov. 6 because of my strong performance on the bench, where I have presided over more than 1,300 cases without a single reversal, as well as my ongoing support of our wonderful parks in beautiful Geauga County.
I am thankful for their support in the past and, if elected, I will continue to work to protect the residents of Geauga County and their children as Probate and Juvenile Judge.
Judge Tim Grendell
Geauga County Probate/Juvenile Court
Courteous, Helpful
As a widow and senior citizen in Geauga County, it was very refreshing to have help in my yard this fall.
I can no longer complete many outside tasks that I used to years ago and decided to contact the Geauga County Department on Aging for help. Rob from Chore and Home Maintenance program said they would try to find volunteers to help.
The volunteers they found were part of “Go Day,” an event in which volunteers from eight churches in Geauga County pick days to go out into the community and assist those in need. This last Saturday a few of those volunteer Go Day members came to my home and washed windows, weeded, raked leafs and swept the walk.
The Go Day group was very courteous and helpful, and I wanted to say thank you and let everyone know that they are a wonderful group.
Shirley Daugherty
Chardon
Editor’s Note: In last week’s letter, Money Factor, Bonnie Hofstetter incorrectly stated nurses at The Liberty and The Corrine Dolan Center did not have their salaries cut. She corrected herself after her letter was published and said the nurses also received a 20 percent reduction in their pay.
