Former Lebanon City Manager James Patrick, who was paid more than $80,000 to leave last December, is showing an interest in returning to Warren County.

        Mr. Patrick, who has been borough manager in Plum, Pa., since May, is seeking the vacant city manager job in Springboro. He was pressured into resigning from Lebanon while under indictment on felony charges related to early retirement buyouts taken under his watch — charges that were later dropped.

        Mr. Patrick's resume is one of 53 Springboro received by Monday's deadline, Council Clerk Lori Martin said. The city has not yet taken steps to whittle the list.

        Springboro needs a city manager because its last one — Wally Douthwaite — resigned in April after The Cincinnati Enquirer reported that incoming Police Chief Jeff Kruithoff had been sued in Michigan for allegedly authorizing an illegal wiretap.

        Ethically speaking: Butler County Commissioner Mike Fox might not have to wait until the Ohio Ethics Commission's next meeting on Aug. 2 to find out if he could legally become executive director of the Butler County Children Services agency.

        Even though Mr. Fox would have to resign from his commissioner's seat to take the job, there is a possible conflict-of-interest issue: The commissioners appoint members of the Children Services Board, which hires the director.

        The staff is trying to determine whether past commission rulings on conflict-of-interest cases apply directly to Mr. Fox's case.

        “If there's precedent, then we can give a written response” before the meeting, said David Freel, the commission's executive director. “If there isn't, then it would have to be put in front of the commission.”

        Kathy Vallance, Children Services director for the past three years, is on a medical leave of absence and plans to retire Aug. 1. Mike Francis is acting director.

        Mr. Fox asked the Ohio Ethics Commission for an opinion.

        — Steve Kemme

        First jab: Challenger Carolyn Tepe has kicked off the fall race for Warren County commissioner with a pointed critique of incumbent Mike Kilburn.

        “Warren County is an affluent county that pays its fair share in state and federal taxes,” Ms. Tepe says regarding Mr. Kilburn's rejection of $31,000 from the state last week to start a Kinship Navigator program. “When our residents can get a return on their investment by benefiting from a program that supports families that are willing to take on a great responsibility for raising a child, we should have support there to assure that they succeed.”

        Ms. Tepe happens to be chairwoman of the county's Family and Children First Council, which oversees state-funded programs such as Kinship Navigator.

        Mr. Kilburn said in refusing the grant that he's against big government — a philosophy he carried through in voting last week to roll back almost $10 million in property taxes that would otherwise have come to the county next year.

        Ms. Tepe, however, says the $78 it'll save the owner of a $100,000 home would have been better spent investing in the county's roads and other infrastructure.

        Ms. Tepe, a Democrat, faces an uphill race against Mr. Kilburn, a longtime Republican in a strongly Republican county.

        Tips and comments on suburban politics may be relayed to reporter Cindi Andrews via phone, 755-4157, or e-mail candrews@enquirer.com.

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