Thursday, October 07, 1999
Norwood mayor's office investigated
City role in car show is focus
BY WALT SCHAEFER
The Cincinnati Enquirer
NORWOOD — An investigation has been launched by the Hamilton County sheriff's office into Mayor Joe Hochbein and the propriety of using city public works employees at the Norwood Car Show without the taxpayers' expenditure being justified to the city treasur er.
Hamilton County sheriff's spokesman Steve Barnett confirmed an investigation is in progress at the request of Hamilton County Prosecutor Mike Allen. He declined to comment further.
The crux of the issue involves the July car show, where publicly paid employees were used to prepare for the event and the city was not reimbursed, officials said.
Also, Mr. Hochbein confirmed that he wrote a $150 check from the car show to Victory 2000, the Norwood Republican Party's November election campaign committee, and that it is part of the sheriff's probe.
The Republican mayor said there was a valid explanation for the check but would not elaborate, “since I am under investigation and legal counsel is advising me” not to comment. He suggested the investigation was politically motivated by Democrats and orchestrated by them just prior to next month's elections.
Norwood Treasurer Tim Molony, a Democrat, said he sent memos last month to the mayor, Law Director Timothy A. Garry Jr., and Jerry Owens, the car show coordinator, asking them whether the car show was a city-run function. Mr. Molony said he did not receive a reply.
“What motivated me was that I am a new treasurer ... and I noticed there were no deposits made in any city accounts from the car show. ... The city has spent money by providing public works people” to prepare for the event.
Mr. Molony said he wanted a clarification, since there was no recorded reimbursement to the city for that work.
“If it is not a city function, shouldn't the city be reimbursed (for employee time)? And, if it is a city function, shouldn't it be recorded in city accounts?” Mr. Molony said.
The check to the Victory 2000 committee was found during the sheriff's investigation and raises concerns about using public employees at an event that in any way benefited a partisan political campaign.
Mr. Hochbein said Mr. Molony questioned car shows only from 1997, 1998 and this year. He did not request such records for 1996, or earlier, when Democrats oversaw the event or Democratic mayors were in office and public works employees were used.
Mr. Garry he has furnished sheriff's investigators with work time records they requested, but “I have not been requested to participate in (the investigation), and have not been questioned” regarding it.
Mr. Molony said the earlier events did not occur on his watch as treasurer. He was elected in November 1997.
Mr. Hochbein also noted public works employees are used without reimbursement to the city at Holy Trinity Parish for festival set up, and the Norwood Day Parade sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce, and a Kiwanis-sponsored foot race, “and all kinds of other activities.”
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