By Steve Kemme
The Cincinnati Enquirer
HAMILTON - Butler County Auditor Kay Rogers, a Republican, is running for re-election against Robert Weber, an independent who says Republicans are too dominant in county government.
Only Republicans hold countywide offices in Butler.
"With the one-party rule in Butler County, we really don't have any system of checks and balances," Mr. Weber said. "It would be nice to have somebody in office who is independent of the status quo to keep an eye on those guys."
Ms. Rogers, 44, of West Chester Township, dismissed Mr. Weber's concerns about single-party rule.
"What a bunch of political rhetoric," she said. "He needs to deal with the real world. Republicans have disagreements."
She questions Mr. Weber's qualifications to be county auditor. Mr. Weber, 47, of Hamilton, works as a lifeguard at the Hamilton YMCA.
"He's a lifeguard, and he thinks he could come in and be responsible for running the auditor's office," Ms. Rogers said. "I don't think he has the experience to make that argument."
Mr. Weber maintains that he is qualified to be county auditor.
He points to his bachelor's degree from Miami University at Oxford and his master's degree in English and in public administration from Wright State University in Dayton.
He ran for Hamilton City Council last year.
"I can't magically create experience as an auditor," Mr. Weber said. "But I definitely have the ability and talent to do it."
He said that if he were auditor, he would try to make property reassessments as fair as possible.
Some Butler County property owners were upset about how much their taxable property values rose this year.
But Ms. Rogers said that only 5 percent of the property owners met with her staff to question the reassessed property values.
She said her office has received awards for its financial operations. She said she updated the financial and payroll systems and has improved her office's Web site so that county residents can obtain more information over the Internet.
E-mail skemme@enquirer.com
