By Wayne Gates

Incumbent Brown County Auditor Jill Hall is being challenged by Margaret Triplett in the Nov. 6 General Election.

Both women were asked to respond to a series of questions and their responses follow, unedited, beginning with Margaret Triplett.

Why are you running for county auditor?

I was introduced to this office when my Grandfather served as what was then known as “township clerk”. He took pride in the fact he was making a difference for those in his township and he made it his business to meet and know the people he was representing. I hold to those same values. I am running because I think Brown County needs balance and I can be that fair and impartial voice. I have always had the desire to serve the public but never had the opportunity. When the DP&L Power Plants (AES) closed I realized this was my opportunity. I have the knowledge and business expertise needed to do the job and will work hard for the taxpayers of Brown County. I want to be a part of making Brown County “a great place”.

What changes, if any, would you make to the auditor’s office if elected?

With any business you should always be looking for ways to improve efficiencies, reduce cost and improve customer service while maintaining the standards and policies of the job. So once in office I look forward to reviewing the processes currently in place as well as those ideas of the people working in the office and those in the public. The one project I would like to tackle first is the Auditor’s web site. We need to make data available and simple to find. As the Auditor’s job is basically laid out by the State of Ohio we need to focus on those areas we can modify, such as customer service. In my past work experience I have always encouraged training whether that be with the current systems, new systems or cross-training to allow and maintain continuous customer support. I look forward to working together with the county employees, townships and villages to make a better Brown County.

What accomplishments in your background and experience qualify you for the job?

Let’s start at the beginning, I was valedictorian of my high school. I went to college the first three years on an ROTC scholarship. I graduated Suma Cum Laude from Morehead State University with a double major in Accounting and Computer Science. I have 37 years of business experience in which I managed varied departments from Accounting to Computer Networks. I also have Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification. I know the importance of making a budget, meeting timelines, and maintaining the scope of a project. Managing the Computer Department, I had to assure and enforce the standards and processes put in place. Computer standards help to secure the systems and data from computer viruses, hackers and system failures. Being the enforcer of rules doesn’t make you the most popular person but I was always able to communicate and maintain a good working relationship with my users, contractors and other partners. My (Project) PMP training has taught me how, when, who and what to communicate. I have worked as a trainer and I feel comfortable learning new systems. Last year my team won the AES Presidential Leadership Award. The project dealt with the separation of our Generation Division into a new LLC. To do this I had to bring all the departments that used our financial system together, (General Ledger, Accounts Payable, Payroll, Inventory, Purchasing, Budgeting, HR, and Maintenance Management). This project’s deadline was dependent on approval by FERC. When the approval came all the groups had to be ready. The project required rounds of testing and planning as I maintained a cross-area budget.

I have the skills and experience that businesses search for in a project manager, but I want to put those skills to work for you as Auditor of Brown County.

What is the biggest challenge facing the auditor’s office and what are your plans to overcome it?

Taxes will always be the biggest challenge. No one ever wants to pay more taxes but we all desire to have the same or more services. The Auditor is responsible to account for millions of dollars received each year by the County and to issue checks in payment of all county obligations. This includes the distribution of tax dollars to Brown County itself and to its 16 townships, 9 villages, 5 school districts, 7 libraries, as well as other special districts and County agencies. I will act as the watchdog over all County funds making sure the taxpayers have transparency as to how and where their money is spent.

The Current Agricultural Use Value (CAUV) is an important program to Brown County given the amount of farm and woodlands we have. The information must be provided in a timely manner to allow those qualifying to take advantage of the program.

The easiest and most effective way to help with taxes is to encourage the growth of businesses in our county. I am one of many “displaced” workers. I would love to work with the Brown County Chamber and the economic development teams to see good jobs come to our county.

What else would you like to say to voters?

If you have met me you will know that I am not a politician. I may never be one in the true sense of the word. I believe you should look at the person. We have to work together to accomplish our goals. When I say “we” I mean Democrats, Republicans and Independents. When I say “we” I mean all the villages, townships and places in between. When I say “we” I mean the businesses, educators and farmers. I have introduced myself to the townships, villages and different political groups where possible. I intend to be a part of the community helping where I am needed. If you don’t know the people in your community and by that, I mean your schools, libraries, civic organizations, fire and rescue, senior groups and such … how can you start to understand their needs?

I was raised on a farm in southern Ohio, the first one to go to college in my family. I had nothing but determination and faith in God. I believe those two things will carry you through most of what life throws at you. But to get elected Auditor of Brown County I need your votes. If elected I will do my best to perform the Auditor’s duties as required by the State of Ohio and, support and serve all the taxpayers of Brown County.

I leave you with this message. There are many ways to serve your country. Some join the military … others hold public offices. But the most important way is to VOTE. So please vote this Nov. 6th. Thank you.

And now the responses from Brown County Auditor Jill Hall.

Why are you running for re-election?

When I first became Auditor, I set some lofty goals for myself, the Auditor office and the county. Many of these goals have been successfully accomplished over the last six years. There is always more that can be done, and I have not finished all of my goals yet, some because of time constraints and others because of money. I am looking forward to the next four years, so that I can complete those goals which will allow the Auditor Office to better serve the public.

What have you accomplished in office that you are proud of and that you feel has served the citizens of Brown County well?

Upon auditing accounts, I found over $750,000 sitting unused in the county and distributed it to the subdivisions it belonged to.

I added email accounts for all in the office so that the public, other offices, and fiscal officers could more easily reach us.

A new Budgetary/Payroll system was purchased and is now in place. Our over 40-year-old system was outdated, and no one was able to keep watch over the monies and funds in the county effectively. Now all offices can use the system from their own computers and payroll and bills are more auditable, better protecting every dollar.

The office is no longer printing all required records. We now keep them filed in an electronic format saving hundreds of dollars on paper and preserving them for the future.

I contracted with the Clermont County Auditor’s Office for Weights and Measures saving the County thousands of dollars and giving Brown County the benefit of certified and trained inspectors. We now not only inspect gas pumps but also scanners and scales in Brown County businesses.

Dog tags are now available for online purchase.

The office contracted with Brown County Soil and Water to inspect CAUV properties. This not only helps the Soil and Water Department with their budget but also brings Brown County in compliance with the State Law.

What changes, if any, do you plan to bring to your office if you are elected to another term?

I am very excited for the next couple of years. My staff and I have been looking at new software for Real Estate. We are currently using a system that is over 40 years old and it is not user friendly to us or the public. Over the past few years I have been saving money for this system and will soon have enough money to move forward! We have found a system that we like and are in the process of investigating the transition. This new system will make the real estate side paperless, allow us to email property owners instead of mail, have all paperwork scanned and attach everything to the property card for use by anyone.

My second goal for the next few years is to add Pictometry to the county. Brown County is one of only a few counties that does not have this technology and I feel it will be a great asset to our county. Our appraisals be easier which can account for a savings in appraisal budgeting. There are numerous other uses for this technology, ie. people looking for homes, title researchers, real estate agents, insurance companies, and many more.

What is the biggest challenge facing your office and what are your plans to overcome it?

There are really 2 challenges that my office faces. The first is money. The County General Fund has been cut by the State over and over. Weights & Measures, Budgetary/Payroll, Vendor & Cigarette Licensing can only be paid out of County General. I will continue to trim my budget as best I can. Going paperless will be a huge help.

Reaching people is an obstacle that I am trying to overcome. I send a letter and people don’t receive it or it gets tossed. I advertise in the newspaper and still can’t reach everyone. Even though not everyone uses email or social media, my hope is that my office can begin using these tools to keep property owners better informed and make my office more efficient. The broader our communication tools are, the more people we can reach.

What else would you like to say to voters?

I continually have people come up to me and say, “lower my taxes”. I want voters to know that my office does not “tax” you. The county auditor’s job is to value your property and we try to help as best we can to help all understand their property values. The legislature makes laws for taxing based on these values and then we vote on levies for possible taxing as well. If you’re concerned that your property is valued incorrectly then please come to my office and file a “Complaint Against the Valuation” form between January 1 and March 31 of any year. I would love to help you and

I am always available to talk with anyone. I am in the office most days and try to make myself available whenever possible.

My first priority since day one in this office has been to more effectively and efficiently run the Auditor Office for the people of this county. YOU, THE PROPERTY OWNERS will always be my priority above anything else. I want to continue what I have started and I am asking for your vote.