Compiled by Jennifer Edwards
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Patricia Williams, West Chester Township's feisty fiscal officer and clerk, turns 80 today, making her one of Butler County's oldest elected officials - if not the oldest.

Williams, who has held her part-time post since 1976, is considering running for her seventh term this fall.

"I probably should stay home and mind my own business, more than likely. I know people think when you get this age, `What's the matter with you?'" she said. "But it keeps my wheels turning. I enjoy it. It isn't because of my big pay, I'll tell you that."

When she started, she was paid $2,400 a year. Now, she earns $19,000 annually.

"I just wish more people were more interested," Williams said. "Government runs your life, and you better know what government is doing."

Despite her meager paycheck, she takes her job watching the wallet in this fast-growing township seriously.

Her eagle eye recently caught an invoice that Trustee Dave Tacosik submitted to the township for the installation of $524 in extra lights for his personal vehicle that he sometimes uses to respond to emergency scenes.

Tacosik paid the bill after Williams red-flagged it.

Another one of her pet peeves is "the crappy driveway" at West Chester's post office off Cincinnati-Dayton Road. She piped up about the problem late last year at a trustees meeting, informing officials she would "go to the top" to ensure improvements.

And she never hesitates to let West Chester's top official, Administrator Dave Gully, know exactly what's on her mind.

In a recent e-mail to the trustees and other township officials, Gully essentially wanted to know who was leaking details of a "confidential internal investigation" that West Chester police were conducting of him at the time.

The Enquirer and a West Chester carwash operator knew key details, he wrote in the message, obtained by the Enquirer under a public records request.

The investigation has been closed, and Gully was cleared of all accusations, made by his ex-wife.

But in characteristic bluntness, Williams let Gully know she wasn't the one with the loose tongue.

"Dave, if there is anything I don't like - it's this `foreign political intrigue,'" she fired back in her response. "You can come ask me anything you want - and I will certainly tell you the TRUTH from my perspective ... as you know, I don't know everything!!!!!"

Calendar flap: Deerfield Township's 2003 calendar is getting some mixed reviews for starting the week on Monday instead of Sunday.

A few residents even spoke out against the design change at a recent homeowners meeting for the Villages of Heritage Green.

"They're used to seeing calendars start on a Sunday, so when they put it up and saw Monday as the first day of the week, they took it down and threw it out," said Scott Evans of the homeowners association.

Township officials say other feedback has been positive. About 10,000 copies of the calendar were printed and distributed to residents.

"We just thought it might be more convenient to have Saturday and Sunday together," said township spokeswoman Fran Klatte.

"But, you know, some people like it, and some people don't. I don't know if we'll do it again next year. ... We're always setting trends."

Erica Solvig

Family, fun - and politics: Henry Stacey, Blue Ash's newest council member, adores being a parent. He loves spending time with his wife, daughter, Alexandra, 7, and son, Thomas, 4.

"I don't think you realize how much fun it is to be a parent until you're a parent," said Stacey, 39, an assignment commissioner for the Hamilton County court system.

He'll try to keep "fun" in mind now that he's been sworn in as a council member.

Like a family, "at times it becomes contentious. (But) you're looking out for people's interests," he said. "I feel privileged to be serving the city."

Stacey has lived in Blue Ash for nine years. He graduated from Sycamore High School in 1982 and received bachelor's and master's degrees in criminal justice from the University of Cincinnati.

Susan Vela

Send political news to reporter Jennifer Edwards at jedwards@enquirer.com or fax (513) 755-4150.