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At the time of this printing, my administration will be starting its 20th month. To say we have been busy is an understatement. I have asked more of the staff, more of our attorneys, and more of our investigators than ever before, and I am happy to report to you that they have answered that call resoundingly well. In the last 19 months, the office has indicted more cases, filed more foreclosures, and assisted in more search warrants than any other time in the office's history - and this was all done without excessive increases in manpower or the operating budget of the office. While stats and accomplishments are one thing, new and renewed relationships with our office have unlocked some astounding partnerships that we should all be proud of.
For example, our office has recently renewed a relationship with the Columbiana County Humane Society. State law expressly allows Humane Society agents to utilize private attorneys to prosecute their cases. The current attorney used resides in Cleveland and is paid by the County for his time by the hour, including travel to and from Cleveland. There is nothing preventing my office from prosecuting these cases, but in the past, it was not done. In the future, our office will be utilized at no additional cost to the County. This will save thousands of dollars over time and hopefully provide better, quicker support to our Humane Agent who does so much good for the County and its animals.
Another instance is partnering with Columbiana County Treasurer, Bryan Blakeman, to completely overhaul prioritization and execution of tax delinquencies in the County. With grants secured in Columbus through Rep. Tim Ginter and Sen. Mike Rulli, we have carved into a huge backlog of delinquent properties that were on the books in late 2020. In East Liverpool alone there has been a 25% reduction in delinquent properties.
A partnership with the Mahoning County Prosecutor's office has allowed the county to save thousands in situations where we require special counsel in a case. In the past, when our office had a conflict of interest due to the defendant being a public official or a law enforcement officer, a private attorney would be hired at an hourly rate, much like the Humane Society example from above. Now, when these instances occur, the Mahoning County Prosecutor's Office, in exchange for doing the same, can send down a prosecutor to pursue the case free of charge. More money saved.
Finally, there is the partnership between the Major Crimes Task Force and my office to launch the Columbiana County Cold Case Task Force. Cold cases in the County have become a major priority and thanks to this good work and investment, we are seeing movement in investigations that have long since become dormant. With some luck, we will hopefully be able to indict several of these cases in the future. While this doesn't equate to dollars saved, it does equate to justice, accountability, and overall law and order in the County.
If you or an organization you know wants to work with our office to better serve a cause in Columbiana County, please let us know. We can be reached at 330-420-0140, and as always, our anonymous tip line is available at 330-420-1050.