Hillsboro City Council authorizes 2026 budget, city auditor raise; pay ordinance for other employees 'dies'

After months of discussion, Hillsboro City Council members approved a pay increase for the city auditor, while a proposed update to the city’s pay ordinance for other employees died for lack of a second at council’s Thursday, Nov. 13 meeting.

The ordinance to adjust the salary of the city auditor, which passed by a 6-0 vote, will raise the auditor’s salary to $64,240.66 starting in 2026.

In his report to council, prior to the legislation’s third reading, safety and service director Shawn Adkins implored council to pass the ordinance.

“I've heard from many of the council, if not all council members, they wish this elected position had requirements to become the auditor,” Adkins said. “We have no control over this, seeing it's an elected position. The only thing we can do is make the pay enticing enough for a qualified person to be interested in running.”

Adkins also pointed out that those elected to the position have “the same responsibilities and liabilities on the first day they take office as if they've had 30 years’ experience.”

Regarding the current auditor, Adkins said that Dawson Barreras “went to the banks, and they changed some stuff around” with city investments to increase the city’s interest from $89,658 in 2022 to $394,912 in 2023.

“The interest that he has brought to the city would more than pay for his increase and then some,” Adkins said. “I respectfully ask the council to really give this pay increase consideration for the passage tonight.”

As previously reported, after a year of off-and-on discussion, a proposed ordinance to adjust the salary of the city auditor was voted down by Hillsboro City Council in August 2024. The legislation had been in limbo since being introduced and subsequently tabled in August 2023. 

The original version of the ordinance, in 2023, had proposed raising the auditor’s salary to $70,000. The amended version in 2024, which was ultimately rejected by council, would have made the salary $63,000.

Council previously voted in July 2022 to increase the city auditor’s salary through an emergency ordinance. At that time, the city auditor’s salary had not been increased since 2008. The 2022 ordinance set the position’s annual salary at $57,500, effective immediately — up from its previous rate of $45,000 per year.

Aside from the comments from Adkins, there was no discussion of the ordinance from council Thursday.

As noted, however, the proposed pay increase for city employees did not come up for a vote on its third reading.

As previously reported, after a nearly hourlong executive session, council members voted to revise the city’s pay ordinance in June. That pay ordinance revision added or revised several positions and their salary or wage ranges. The legislation was vetoed by Mayor Justin Harsha, but council overturned the mayoral veto at their August meeting.

An ordinance to adjust compensation for non-union city employees was then introduced in September. Instead of listing each position with either a salary range or pay rate range, this version of the ordinance had a pay scale, for grades 1-8, and a breakdown of which positions fell under each grade. After the ordinance had its first reading in September, the finance committee met in October to review, and revise, the ordinance, including adding other positions.

Before council president Tom Eichinger called for a vote on the ordinance, council member Jason Brown asked if “anything [had] been changed” since the second reading. Finance committee Mary Stanforth said that “nothing has been changed” since the committee’s updates in October.

“So no true pay cap, no cap on how much raises they can give a year to employees?” Brown asked. 

“No,” Stanforth said. “We haven’t been able to do that.”

Council and finance committee member Adam Wilkin made a motion to approve the ordinance, but with no council members seconding the motion, Eichinger said, “It dies.”

Also approved Thursday night was the city’s 2026 budget ordinance.

The budget legislation, “an ordinance to make appropriations for current expenses and other expenditures of the City of Hillsboro during the fiscal year ending Dec. 31, 2026,” passed by a 6-0 vote.

The general fund budget is $15,708,268, with a total overall budget of $25,793,641 for 2026, down from $26,645,717 in 2025. 

In a 45-second meeting Thursday, the finance committee voted 2-0 to recommend passage of the 2026 budget ordinance. There was no other discussion from council or Barreras on the budget during Thursday’s regular meeting.

One month after Harsha announced Hannah Bivens, an attorney from Greenfield, has entered a contract with the city to serve as law director following the resignation of former director Randalyn Worley, council voted to suspend the three-reading rule and to approve, as an emergency, a resolution authorizing and directing the mayor to enter into a contract effective Oct. 13, 2025 through Oct. 13, 2027 with Bivens.

During his report, Adkins asked council to consider passing the legislation as an emergency even though it wasn’t “written as an emergency.”

Bivens explained that because she is not a resident of the city, she does “not meet the statutory requirements to fill” the unexpired term of Worley, as this is an elected position. However, as noted by Harsha in October, the Republican Central Committee “has no person to fill the position” from among the Republican attorneys who reside within the city limits, so the law allows for Bivens to be retained under a contract.

“The contract would be for a two-year term, or at such time an eligible candidate would be found, either through appointment or by election to fill the position,” Bivens said. “I think that council needs to be the body to enter into a long-term contract. If there are any issues that come up within the next 30 days, there is some gray areas and potential issues that may arise, legality issues on whether there is authority there if there's not an actual contract approved by council. 

“Mr. Adkins and I did talk previously. I think it would be in council's best interest for the city if it was passed as an emergency.”

According to the legislation, Bivens will be paid the same salary as the previous elected officials in the same position.

In other legislation:

• An ordinance amending section 39.35 of the codified ordinances of the City of Hillsboro pertaining to the disposition of human remains passed after its third reading. 

The current ordinance states, in part: “The City Auditor, upon information supplied upon a form devised by the Auditor's office for that purpose that an indigent resident of the county was found deceased within the corporation limits of the city, shall immediately inquire of the funeral homes in the southwest Ohio area as to the cost and availability of services to make disposition of human remains; and shall provide up to $750 toward the entire cost of the disposition, determining the lowest responsive, responsible proposal, as in the Auditor's opinion best serves the needs of the city.”

The proposed revision would change the phrase “shall provide up to $750 toward the entire cost of the disposition” to read “shall provide an amount of funds deemed appropriate by the Auditor toward the entire cost of the disposition.” The new ordinance also adds: “In the event the Ohio Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors are operating the Indigent Burial and Cremation Support Program, the allowable expense shall be increased to the maximum reimbursement amount set forth by the State of Ohio Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors.”

• An ordinance for an expansion of the city’s Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA) had its first reading.

The expansion was recommended by the street and safety committee, following improvements to Beech and Railroad streets. According to the legislation, the city will be submitting an updated application to the state to include portions of North and South High Street, East and West Main Street, Elm Street, Railroad Street, West Beech Street, North and South West Street, Governor Trimble Place and Governor Foraker Place, encompassing approximately 45 acres.

• A resolution to adopt the 2025 version of the City of Hillsboro Policy and Procedure Manual was passed as an emergency, following suspension of the three-reading rule. Adkins asked council to pass the legislation Thursday in order for the city to comply with House Bill 96 requirements on cybersecurity.

According to civil service and employee relations chair Dan Baucher last month, other changes to the manual include “probation policy, sick leave policy, personal time policy, vacation policy and the insurance policy.”

A related resolution adopting the City of Hillsboro, Ohio Cybersecurity Program in accordance with Ohio Revised Code Section 9.64(C) and declaring an emergency was also approved after suspension of the three-reading rule.

“In June, the state legislature passed House Bill 96 that requires political subdivisions and other public institutions to develop a cybersecurity program,” Hillsboro Police Chief Eric Daniels told council. “For political subdivisions and counties, they have to have the intent passed by their legislature by January of 2026.”

Daniels added that the specific policy will “not be a public record.”

• Related to the 2026 budget ordinance, council approved the annual resolution for the transfer of various funds.

• Council also heard the second reading of an ordinance to waive the residency requirements of the director of public service (Adkins). 

In other discussion:

•.Adkins introduced his successor as public works superintendent, Seth McCoy, at the start of his safety and service director’s report.

“He's been employed with the city for 23 years,” Adkins said. “He has a wealth of knowledge. I think he will be a good fit for the city as public works superintendent.”

For an update on ongoing projects, Adkins said that he was notified Thursday that the Marriott Hotel project “weren't able to use the port authority” in Brown County as previously discussed. Adkins told The Highland County Press Monday that the port authority will not be used for a tax rebate for the infrastructure but will still be used for the issuing of bonds. 

“As far as I know, it’s still moving forward,” Adkins said.

As previously reported, council voted 7-0 in August to approve an ordinance “authorizing the city’s participation in financing public improvements in cooperation with the [Southwest Ohio Regional Development] Port Authority and authorizing the execution of documents to effectuate such financing.” Under that proposal, the port authority will be responsible for issuing the bonds instead of the city administration.

In other projects, Adkins said that “a lot of dirt” is being moved at the site of Crossroads Park for its grant-funded renovation; the Ohio Department of Transportation’s construction project is underway on U.S. 62 North on the Clear Creek bridge; Amazon’s new facility is “moving along very nicely;” and the Rails to Trails project is targeted to begin construction this winter, “weather permitting.” Recently completed projects include a new free public parking lot on North High Street adjacent to the uptown district, as well as a paving project on Harry Sauner Road (minus some cleanup work).

Adkins reported that 41 building permits, including 21 commercial and 20 residential, were issued in October. He also requested that “three rezoning recommendations,” involving Maple Run, Johnson Street and East Main Street, be placed in the zoning and annexation committee for further review.

• During citizens’ comments, Jennifer Ianson of Weastec and Hillsboro Rotary Club President Doug Karnes approached council with a request to assist with funding for a planned pollinator garden in the field bordering both Weastec and the city’s Liberty Park.

“Earlier this year, Weastec’s biodiversity group met with the city of Hillsboro officials, a large group of them that’s in this room to coordinate a three-mile walking trail,” Ianson said. “We've envisioned transforming portions of this space into a 17.5-acre wildflower field, a thriving habitat for bees, butterflies and other pollinators that would also enhance the natural beauty of our community.

“If this whole project goes full scale like we have it anticipated for, it will stand as the largest pollinator garden in the state of Ohio, which would be really cool to have here in Hillsboro and Highland County.”

Ianson said Weastec applied for a grant to cover the cost of seeds — estimated at “a little over $13,000” — but they were not awarded the funding, so they are looking into other options. That includes a $3,000 grant from the Hillsboro Rotary Club, which was awarded to cover the cost of a sign but may instead be used to help with the initial setup.

Karnes added that the idea has been getting attention from across Ohio and surrounding states, as he said the garden “could become a destination” for tourism.

In response to a question from Hapner, Ianson said that if they do not get the full amount of funding for the garden, Weastec would be interested in starting it on a smaller scale and adding additional plants later as more funding is available.

Eichinger thanked them for the information and said the city would be looking into the request.

• Prior to council’s meeting, the Hillsboro Planning Commission conducted a public hearing and special meeting to discuss a request to rezone the following parcel numbers: 25-44-001-213.00, 25-44-001-212.00, 25-44-001-209.00, 25-44-001-194.00 & 25-44-001-210.00 from Residential A to Residential B to allow a crematory to be built. The parcels, on East Main Street and East Walnut Street, are the site of Thompson Funeral Home.  

Members of the commission, as well as the business owner Steve Thompson, fielded questions regarding the zoning as well as plans for the crematory.

• In his report, Barreras said that the state is requiring him “to start reporting to council the rewards that we get off of our credit cards” at least twice a year.

• At the start of the meeting, council voted 6-0 to excuse the absence of council member Greg Maurer.

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