Cuyahoga County: New Form of Government

Cuyahoga County: New
Form of Government
Dennis G. Kennedy, CPA
Fiscal Officer
Valerie J. Harry, CPA
Director of Internal Auditing
History
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3 Commissioners Elected At-Large
County Elected Positions
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Auditor
Treasurer
Sheriff
Coroner
Clerk of Courts
Recorder
Engineer
Prosecutor
Judges
Ascent to Power
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Jimmy Dimora
◦ City of Bedford Heights Councilman
◦ City of Bedford Heights Mayor
◦ Cuyahoga County Commissioner
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Frank Russo
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Mayfield Heights Councilman
Cuyahoga County Chief Deputy Auditor
Cuyahoga County Recorder
Cuyahoga County Auditor
Beginning of the End
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Dimora
◦ Pricey lunches at fancy restaurants
◦ Lavish Las Vegas Trips
◦ Free/Discounted improvements on $438K home
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Russo
◦ Accepted bribes in exchange for no-bid real estate
appraisal contracts.
◦ Stacked his staff with friends and family.
Piecing the Puzzle
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2006
◦ Bobby Cuevas
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2008
◦ FBI raided homes and offices of Dimora and Russo, as well as
offices of contractors that did business with the County.
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2010
◦ Dimora arrested. Russo resigns and pleads guilty.
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2012
◦ Dimora found guilty
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2015
◦ Wiretaps, photos, and videos released.
True Colors
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Dimora serving 28 years for racketeering and 32
other bribery and corruption convictions.
Russo serving 22 years on 21 corruption
convictions.
Depth of Corruption
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127 Total Individuals Involved
◦ 66 individuals charged
◦ 61 convicted/pled guilty
Name
Job
Juan Alejandro
Terry Allan
George Argie
Timothy Armstrong
Dinesh Bafna
Joseph Bibbo
Damir Blecic
David Byrnes
Anthony O. Calabrese III
Anthony O. Calabrese Jr.
Michael Calabrese
Patricia Marshall Calabrese
Steven Canepa
Rick Capone
Vincent Carbone
Bryan Carlton
John J. Carroll
James P. Celebrezze
Bill Cervenik
Tom Cornoff
Patrick Coyne
Bobby Cuevas
Louis Damiani
Teresa Damiani
Todd Davis
Tom Day
Anthony DeBaltzo
Dean DePiero
Mike Dever
Harlan Diamond
Cleveland building inspector
County health director
Lawyer
Lawyer
Mont Granite owner
Midwest Paving owner
Auditor's employee
MetroHealth lobbyist
Lawyer
Former Court of Appeals and Common Pleas judge
Ex-bailiff
Jimmy Dimora
Dennis Dooley
Mark Dottore
Charles E. Edwards
Ed FitzGerald
Michael Forlani
Mike Fratello
John Frola Jr.
Michael Gabor Jr.
Daniel Gallagher
Joseph Gallucci
Todd Gemma
Joe Gouker
Thomas Greco Jr.
County commissioner
Auditor's employee
Receivership trustee
C. Edwards Landscaping owner
County executive
Doan Pyramid Electric owner
Basketball coach / businessman
Municipal Solutions owner
Auditor's employee
Consultant
Auditor's employee
Contractor
Schools project manager
MetroHealth construction coordinator
Schools business manager
Qualified Contractors owner
RP Carbone executive
Contractor
MetroHealth VP
Former domestic relations court judge
Euclid mayor
Solon human resources manager
Ex-Strongsville councilman
Ex-building inspector
Lawyer
BelCuy Partners founder
Developer
Bedford Clerk of Courts
Auditor's employee
Parma mayor
County engineer's employee
Owner of Executive Caterers at Landerhaven
Name
Job
Tim Hagan
Ex-county commissioner
James P. Herron
County development specialist
Michelle Holmes
Ex-employee in county auditor's office
Richard Huberty
Cleveland building inspector
Peter Lawson Jones
Ex-county commissioner
John Joyce
Developer
Peter Junkin
Municipal judge
Jennifer Justice
Auditor's employee
Cheryl Karner
Domestic relations judge
Ed Kelley
Cleveland Heights mayor
J. Kevin Kelley
Parma school board member, county employee
Cyril Kleem
Berea mayor
Ferris Kleem
Construction company owner
Santina "Sandy" Klimkowski
Auditor's employee, Maple Heights school board member
Richard Kocuba
Cleveland building inspector
Christopher Krause
Schools treasurer
Patricia Kresty
Ex-sheriff's employee
Kenneth Kushmider
Contractor
Rocky Laurie
Schools employee
Bart Leneghan
County employee
Jason Lucarelli
1-888-OhioComp manager
Samuel G. Lucarelli
Minute Men founder
Anthony Ma
Broma Information Tech owner
Dennis Madden
County administrator, consultant
Adrian Maldonado
Ex-procurement director, ex-Berea councilman
Chip Marous
Marous Bros. Construction owner
G. Timothy Marshall
Russell Masetta
Nature Stone owner
Bridget McCafferty
County judge
Gerald McFaul
County sheriff
Michael McMichael
Siemens Building Tech manager
James McCullough
Cleveland building inspector
Anthony Melaragno
Vandra Brothers Construction official
William Mitchell
Attorney
Samir Mohammad
Auditor's employee
Ronald Monroe
Contractor
Aldona Nagy
Former Doan Pyramid Electric employee
William Neiheiser
Reliance Mechanical president
Joseph O'Malley
Lawyer
Harvey G. Oppmann
Developer
Todd Ozanich
Imperial Heating owner
Russell Papalardo
Real estate agent
Sal Papalardo
Insurance agent
Nilesh Patel
East West Construction executive
Thomas F. Patton
State senator
Name
Job
Kevin Payne
Robert Peto
George Phillips-Olivier
Hank Picozzi
Sabra Pierce Scott
Jamie Pilla
Doug Price
Sanford 'Sandy' Prudoff
Steven Pumper
Sam Qasem
Richelle Reed Russo
Shannon Riley
Ron Romanini
County engineer's employee
Former Ohio and Vicinity Regional Council of Carpenters executive
CMHA CEO
Construction manager for K&D Development
Former Cleveland City Councilwoman
Highland Heights councilman
Co-owner K&D Group
Ex-Lorain official
D-A-S Construction CEO
Businessman
County engineer's employee
Riley Industrial Services owner
Businessman
Anthony Russo Jr.
Frank Russo
Vince Russo
Linda Rybak
Robert Rybak
Robert Schloendorn
Brian Schuman
Joe Seppi
Anthony C. Sinagra
Jerry Skuhrovec
Lawrence Skule
Patrick Smock
Robert Stefanik
Rudy Stralka
Marty Sulzmann
Martin J. Sweeney
Bonnie Teeuwen
David Terry
Steven Terry
Steven Tomasone
Gregory Urbanek
Giacinto Vaccarella
John Valentin
Rosemary Vinci
Dan Weaver
William Wells
Bruce Zaccagnini
Nicholas Zavarella
County judge
County auditor
Consultant
County employee
Union business manager
Executive director, Veterans Service Commission
Alternatives Agency manager
Technology expert
Consultant
Auditor's & sheriff's employee
Cleveland building inspector
Dimora's employee
North Royalton mayor
County Democratic Party treasurer
County engineer's employee
Cleveland council president
County public works chief
Developer
County judge
Southwest Cos. manager
Ex-auditor's office employee
Schools building manager
Salva Stone Design owner
Auditor's employee
County employee
Lawyer
Zavarella Bros. Construction executive
County Judges
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Fixing foreclosure cases for Russo.
Accepted political and financial support from
Russo for judicial favors.
County Sheriff
Gave favors and raised funds for Russo
and his relatives in return for favors.
 Former Sheriff was separately charged for
soliciting cash from employees.
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Business Community
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Construction Contractors bribed Dimora
and Russo with free/discounted services,
gifts, and trips.
In With The New
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New Form of Government Effective January
1, 2010- Charter Approved
11 Elected Council Members (1 Per District)
Elected County Executive
Appointment of Former Elected Positions
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Auditor
Treasurer
Sheriff
Clerk of Courts
Recorder
Engineer
Medical Examiner (Coroner)
Major Changes
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County Charter under Sections 10.03 of
Ohio Constitution
◦ Provides rules and laws for County Government
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County Code
◦ Codified ordinances passed by Council
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New County Initiatives and Reform
New County initiatives and Reform
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Cutting County Payroll
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Countywide pay scale and annual evaluation
system
Countywide Personnel Policies and
Procedures Manual
Reform at Board of Revision
Appointment of Key Positions
“Watchdog” Agencies Formed
New Committees and Boards
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
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◦ Through terminations, pay cuts, and job
reclassifications.
Fiscal Officer
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Dennis Kennedy, CPA
◦ Extensive Government finance experience at the Municipal,
State, and now County level.
◦ Oversees $1.5 billion budget at the County
◦ Responsibilities:
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Appraisal
Budget Commission
Real Estate/Recorder’s Office
General Accounting
Lodging Tax
Auto Title Division
Office of Budget & Management
Weights and Measurers
Board of Revision
Office of Procurement & Diversity
Watchdog Agencies and
Committees
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Audit Committee
◦ Department of Internal Audit
Department of Inspector General
 Personnel Review Commission
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Audit Committee
Audit Committee Charter
 Department of Internal Audit
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◦ Valerie Harry, CPA, Director
 Over 29 years of government finance and auditing
experience.
Operational, Financial, and Compliance
Audits
 Annual Risk Assessment
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Department of Inspector General
Established under County Code in 2011
 Appointed by Executive
 Investigates fraud, corruption, waste, abuse,
misfeasance, malfeasance, and nonfeasance
 Serves as the County’s Chief Ethics Officer
 Fraud hotline
 Investigates all County contracts
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Personnel Review Commission
County Charter Article IX Section 9.01
 Three members appointed by Council
 Responsibilities:
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◦ Resolution or disposition of all personnel matters
◦ Compliance with federal and state laws regarding
personnel matters
◦ Ensure pay equity, standardization of benefits,
qualifications, consistent discipline, and job training
Boards and Committees
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Council Committees
◦ Finance & Budgeting Committee
◦ Committee of the Whole
◦ Human Resources Committee
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Board of Control
◦ Approval of contracts and purchases from $501
to $500,000
◦ Meet every Monday at 11 a.m.
Rebranding
Continuous Improvement - New
Administration
Continue on the path to reform County
Government
 Commitment to operating under a balance
budget
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◦ Cut County budget by 10% in 2016.
Coming Soon
ERP Implementation of County Operations
HR
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Thank You