By Cindi Andrews
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Nearly two months after questions first arose about the Hamilton County administrator's new contract, not a word of it has been altered.

Today, county commissioners meet again to discuss the issue. But even though all three commissioners now agree some parts of David Krings' contract need to be rewritten, negotiations have bogged down.

The controversy centers on the severance package commissioners added to Krings' contract Dec. 30 - a package of pay and health benefits that Krings values at about half a million dollars. The prosecutor's office has declared aspects of the contract unenforceable and the anti-tax group, Coalition Opposed to Additional Spending and Taxes, has sued the county over it.

Prospects for resolving the disputes remain shaky.

Krings has agreed to change a provision that allows him to collect the severance if just one commissioner suggests he resign. He also has agreed to give up claim to the severance if he is fired for gross negligence.

The money is another story. Early on, Krings refused an offer from Commissioner Phil Heimlich to renegotiate the contract using the pre-Dec. 30 severance package as a starting point. That totaled $187,520 worth of pay and benefits.

Heimlich remains determined to knock Krings' severance back to that level, saying the extra $24,532 in retirement contributions and expense-related salary he got in the new contract are a sufficient raise. Commissioner John Dowlin - Krings' biggest supporter on the board - disagrees.

Dowlin and Commissioner Todd Portune voted for the contract and both say now that mistakes were made. Portune, a lawyer, says he thought a provision giving Krings an additional month's salary and benefits for every year in office applied beginning in 2002, but both Heimlich and Krings interpreted it as applying from Krings' 1992 start date.

E-mail candrews@enquirer.com