Now we know: It's time for City Council to address the two-year secrecy of $78,168.64

In June 2014, I asked representatives of what presently passes for city government in Hillsboro, this simple question: Why the secrecy over $78,168.64?

Now, some 20 months and one mayoral election later, we know. Yes, indeed. Now we know.

It doesn’t look good, either.

As well-intentioned as the so-called “anonymous” donor may have been, there are questions that city government must answer. There are issues, to be sure, of accountability. There also are appearances of “pay to play” politics in the city of hills.

Consider the following scenario. (This was reported in The Highland County Press in 2014.)

• During a lame-duck session of the Hillsboro City Council and on New Year's Eve (no less) 2013, the city received $78,168.64.

• A receipt (No. 778420) from the mayor's office, on the "received from" line, indicates "Anonymous." No address is written on the address line.

• Under the "for" line, it is written: "Parks & Recreation @ Mayors (sic) Discretion."

• Highlighted in red is "Project #143201."

• In the "how paid" line, there is an entry next to "check" with #1002.

The receipt is signed by an employee in the mayor's office.

On June 10, 2014, on behalf of The Highland County Press and its readers who have made inquiries to the newspaper, I asked an elected official from whom the $78,168.64 was received.

At 11:59 a.m. on June 10, the unelected Hillsboro Safety and Service Director Todd Wilkin replied:

"Dear Mr. Ryan,

"We are in receipt of your public records request. I have forwarded this request to our records custodian, Debbie Sansone."

At 2:13 p.m. on June 10, the records custodian replied:

"Rory – I sent you all the records that the city maintains regarding this donation."

At 4:48 p.m. Friday, June 13, 2014, Mr. Wilkin replied to my follow-up request as follows:

"Mr. Ryan, Again, thank you for your records request. I have forwarded this request on to our records custodian, Debbie Sansone. Unfortunately, she is out of the office today."

While I appreciated Mr. Wilkin and Ms. Sansone for their prompt, yet empty, replies, I can only trust that they were following administrative directives.

For background, let’s consider these Conflict of Interest Prohibitions from O.R.C. 102.03 (D), (E), and (F).

The conflict of interest provisions in R.C. 102.03(D) and (E) state:

(D) No public official or employee shall use or authorize the use of the authority or influence of office or employment to secure anything of value or the promise or offer of anything of value that is of such a character as to manifest a substantial and improper influence upon the public official or employee with respect to that person’s duties;

(E) No public official or employee shall solicit or accept anything of value that is of such a character as to manifest a substantial and improper influence upon the public official or employee with respect to that person’s duties;

(F) No person shall promise or give to a public official or employee anything of value that is of such a character as to manifest a substantial and improper influence upon the public official or employee with respect to that person’s duties.

Without making any determinations or accusations whatsoever regarding the $78,168.64 (right down to the 64th cent, mind you), I was left wondering how any would-be arm of legal enforcement or oversight could possibly weigh in on the conflict of interest prohibitions if no one knows how the public officeholder came to have $78,168.64 to use at his "discretion."

I said in 2014: “Quite possibly, there is no conflict. Perhaps there is. Who knows?”

Now we know.

Not long after the mayor’s office received the New Year’s Eve 2013 gift of $78,168.64, on June 9, 2014, at the administration’s recommendation, members of Hillsboro City Council, with Lee Koogler as president, passed a resolution to accept the bid of one local paving company for asphalt resurfacing of various streets (West Walnut Street, North Elm Street, Beech Street, Moore Road and South East Street).

The bid was for $182,041.66.

Sources have told The Highland County Press that the city had a lower bid from another local paving company. Of course that company did not make a New Year’s Eve gift of $78,168.64 to be used at the mayor’s pleasure.

The other local contractor said “We were low on the original bid on five streets and a box culvert by $22k.”

Now we know.

Maybe the city would like to explain all contracts it has had with the mysterious donor’s business. While they’re at it, maybe they’d like to explain to taxpayers why another local contractor’s lower bid – and savings to taxpayers – was unacceptable.

Maybe the city would like to explain why it provides public records to an out-of-state media company who rents from the mayor and does his bidding night and day, but for almost two years has denied access to the same public records to Highland County’s only locally owned and operated newspaper. Maybe the city would like to explain its collective incompetence.

Frankly, I don’t care. We know.

In fact, the only person worthy of any admiration whatsoever in Hillsboro city government is the mayor. At least this local version of an insignificant Trump-ette accomplishes what he seeks to accomplish. It’s more than can be said for the council president and his council minions.

At least the mayor follows through on his agenda and reaps the rewards thereto. Need some cleanup on Aisle Two down on East Walnut? Send out the city workers. Council won’t mind. Sidewalk repair on West Beech? On it. Council doesn’t give a crap.

Take a little $78,168.64 from a local contractor and give his company a few streets to repair at taxpayers’ expense? Sounds good. Council and a spouse or two have the pom-poms dusted off.

Sadly, what we’ll never know is the measure of sincerity of the “anonymous” donor in 2013. He/she deserves better. The city’s handling of all of this is beyond deplorable. Until we do know, we will not name the donor. As I told council, that was never our intention. But taxpayers ought to know if the city has a “pay to play” policy. In this case, it appears they might. But with Republicans controlling the message from Columbus to Hillsboro, it’s no big deal. They know best. Trust ‘em.

As I wrote almost two years ago:

From Exodus, we know there has been "manna from heaven."

But as one of my dear friends said to me: "Yahweh provides. But he doesn't leave a discretionary note with the receipt."

If no one in Hillsboro city government knew in 2013 where the $78,168.64 (right to the red cent) came from, we may have bigger problems in Hillsboro than yard sale legislation.

In other words, as former Ohio Supreme Court Justice Andrew Douglas put it: “When government operates in the closet without the sun shining in, bad things tend to happen."

Now we know.

With a sitting mayor possibly facing criminal charges, his best defense is a complicit city council.

Carry on. If nothing else, it’s fun to watch.

Rory Ryan is publisher and owner of The Highland County Press.