By John Kiesewetter
The Cincinnati Enquirer

NEW MIAMI - Faced with finding a second treasurer in seven months, this village north of Hamilton has eliminated the elected office and dropped the residency requirement.

"You sometimes can't find someone in a little village like this to do the job," said Gary Sheets, law director for the 817-resident Butler County community.

Nicki Lindy, elected clerk-treasurer in November, resigned in March before officially starting her term April 1. She had been hired as the temporary clerk-treasurer in October, after council dismissed Carol Shaw.

With the job vacant, a new state law allowed village council to terminate the position last week and replace it with a fiscal officer appointed by council, Sheets said. This gave council the ability to hire someone from outside the village, which has a per-capita income of $15,538 and no sewer system.

Mayor Kenneth Cheek said he has interviewed six applicants for the job. He plans to hire someone Friday, to begin work Monday.

The part-time fiscal officer will work five hours a day, at $13.75 an hour. The $17,875 annual compensation will be more than the $15,000 paid to the elected clerk, Cheek said.

The mayor thanked Lindy for her six-month stint. "That's a tough job," he said.

E-mail jkiesewetter@enquirer.com