Friday, July 16, 1999
Silverton hire to keep tabs on town
BY CHRISTINE WOLFF
The Cincinnati Enquirer
SILVERTON — Officials here hope a new payroll addition brings to a close the city's recent tarnished financial history.
David M. Waltz begins Aug. 16 as Silverton's first municipal administrator, in charge of the daily operation of the eastern Hamilton County city of 5,700 people.
He'll take over duties handled before by a mayor and council, all of whom worked part time.
Running Silverton is “more complicated than part-timers can handle,” said Mike Morthorst, a council member and chairman of the screening committee to select an administrator.
“This is a beginning of a new era in Silverton history,” Mr. Morthorst said. “I think it's something we've needed for a long time.”
Silverton's financial situation brightened July 1, when state Auditor Jim Petro lifted a fiscal watch imposed in November 1997 on the struggling city.
Last fall, Silverton residents passed a charter amendment authorizing the hiring of an administrator.
Mr. Waltz, 32, will receive an annual salary of $51,000. He is executive director of the Shelby County Regional Planning Commission in Sidney.
The Silverton position attracted Mr. Waltz, he said, because of the challenge of keeping the “progressive community” running smoothly.
“The council worked really hard to solve some of the problems,” he said. “I look forward to doing more of the footwork for them.”
Silverton began to have money problems when an operating tax levy failed in 1996. A combination of things went wrong after that, including human errors in the accounting system, and the city found itself so deep in debt that it couldn't cover payroll.
After an auditor's review in 1997, Silverton was placed on fiscal watch and given suggestions on how to cut its budget. Hiring an administrator also was recommended.
Mr. Waltz will give Silverton residents “somebody to talk to who is in charge,” Mr. Morthorst said.
“He says he likes to look people in the eye and have a hands-on approach to the job,” he said.
Mr. Waltz earned a master's degree in urban administration and a bachelor's degree in political science at Wright State University.
He and his wife, Susan, a medical research scientist at Cincinnati's Children's Hospital Medical Center, have two children.
A reception to welcome Mr. Waltz will be held 5:30-7 p.m. Aug. 19 at the Silverton Municipal Building, 6860 Plainfield Road. The public is invited.
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