HAMILTON — After a grueling, acrimonious political contest — said to be the most expensive in Butler County history — Prosecutor Robin Piper says he's focused on fulfilling his campaign promises.

        He's also been trying to build trust with staffers who may have once viewed him as an enemy.

        “It's as if we've been here all along,” says his secretary, Melissa Spurlock, 27. “It's not "us' and "them.' We're all a team now. The cards have just fallen into place as if there wasn't ever really a campaign.”

        Joe Statzer, Mr. Piper's office administrator, said many employees feared Mr. Piper would summarily dismiss everyone from the previous administration. Among 62 employees, 22 are new, he said; a number of former staffers left voluntarily.

        In a program Thursday at Grace United Methodist Church, Mr. Piper gave his first public address on the changes he has made since taking office in January.

        Among them:

        • Requiring prosecutors to work full time and phase out any private practice work they may have been doing.

        • Implementing systems to better track performance, including number of cases prosecuted.

        • Establishing “checks and balances” to ensure criminal cases aren't lost for lack of speedy prosecution — an issue in Mr. Piper's campaign against Dan Gattermeyer, who served four months as prosecutor after John F. Holcomb died.

        “Too often, promises made during an election seem to go nowhere after the winner takes office, and issues that were so important during a campaign season seem to stagnate and lose their priority,” Mr. Piper said.

        “He's usually the first one here and the last one to leave,” Ms. Spurlock said. “Even when it's beautiful outside, he's here just about every Saturday.”

        Glen Ballinger of Hamilton, among about 40 people who attended, found Mr. Piper's talk enlightening. “It's not very often you get to hear a public official come out and talk about his office like this,” he said. “I had no idea of how much he has had to do to set up his office.”

        Mr. Piper said the office lacked structure: incomplete personnel files, no employee performance evaluations and no system for tracking vacation time and leave. Further, he said, “a lot of the employees didn't have training on the computer systems that were already in place.”

Taft students try to make the grade
Ohio GOP braces for Deters-Petro fight
RADEL: Former visitors now fear city trip
Protesters march outside Shirey home
Racist fliers appear on suburban lawns
Potluck aims at unity, healing
Fire at sitter's kills girl, 3
Father charged in kidnappings
East End angry about school vote
Adequacy new focus of school-fund fights
Awards honor five for family advocacy
Cancer caring expanded
Colerain ready to upgrade park
Flower show closes in style
Local Digest
Observatory offers classes
Police clash with party-goers near Ohio State
Prosecutor checks off tasks done
Racing is in his blood
Witnesses differ on trailer shooting
You Asked For It
City-funded concerts questioned
Congrats
Drug war heats up in Ky.
Insurance aid off to slow start