Monday, February 28, 2000
Head of Warren MRDD retiring
Home buys controversial
BY CINDI ANDREWS
The Cincinnati Enquirer
LEBANON — The leader of Warren County's mental retardation agency has accepted responsibility for the agency's much-criticized purchase of two homes at inflated prices and announced her retirement.
“Failure to obtain appraisals or otherwise ascertain the market value slipped through the cracks of the checks-and-balances system,” Charlotte Marinacci said. “The buck stops with me on these issues, and I accept full responsibility.”
Mrs. Marinacci has been superintendent of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (MRDD) for four years.
Her resignation is effective Tuesday.
County commissioners — who Friday gave MRDD board members a list of actions they must take to avoid being asked for their resignations — Sunday welcomed Mrs. Marinacci's decision.
“This is one large step toward regaining credibility in the taxpayers' eyes,” said Commission President Pat South.
MRDD paid $173,500 for a three-bedroom Springboro house in December, three months after Merdia LeMaster bought it for $98,500.
In March, MRDD bought a four-bedroom house in Maine-
ville for $178,500 about a month after Harry Montgomery paid $98,160 for it.
The properties will house mentally retarded adults who need limited supervision.
Commissioner Mike Kilburn said Friday that Prosecutor Tim Oliver is investigating the purchases, but Mr. Oliver would not confirm that.
Mr. Kilburn and Mrs. South agreed Sunday the investigation must continue.
“We need to make sure that there is no one inside the agency financially benefiting” from the home purchases, Mrs. South said.
Mrs. Marinacci said in her statement she was offended by such allegations. “My single greatest fault is that I have placed the well-being of my several hundred needy clients far above other concerns.”
As questions over the houses gained steam, Mrs. Marinacci also was criticized for the $100,000-plus annual salary and perks that made her the highest-paid official in Warren County.
But an MRDD board member said Sunday she will be missed.
“It's going to hurt the program,” said Kathy Morin of Morrow. “She has worked very hard. She brought in accreditation, which brings in more federal funding.”
Mrs. Marinacci retires with 32 years in public service, said her lawyer, Konrad Kircher. Before MRDD, she was an administrator with Lebanon city schools.
She quit, Mr. Kircher said, not because of any pressure from commissioners or her board members but because she didn't want the controversy to damage MRDD.
“It became clear to her that there was going to be further uproar, and she was going to become a distraction to the agency,” Mr. Kircher said.
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