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Critics: Ohio Treasurer shouldn’t be spending on self-promotion

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By Laura A. Bischoff, Staff Writer 2:09 PM Saturday, June 13, 2009

COLUMBUS — As Ohio’s budget swells with red ink, state Treasurer Kevin Boyce spent $32,469 in taxpayer money on promotional items such as water bottles, grocery bags and pencils and plans to buy another $47,457 in swag plastered with his name.

Boyce defended the purchases as routine and said his marketing budget is about 30 percent less than what fellow Democrat Richard Cordray spent when he was state treasurer.

But state Rep. Josh Mandel, R-Lyndhurst, who is running against Boyce, said, “While families and small businesses are tightening their belts, it seems outrageous that the treasurer is using the hard earned dollars of Ohio families to promote himself.”

And Catherine Turcer of Ohio Citizen Action, a good government watchdog, said just because other statewide officers spend budget money on promotion doesn’t make it right.

“So many office holders see this as a perk of incumbency without thinking through the cost to the taxpayers,” Turcer said.

Boyce, 37, who was appointed treasurer in January to replace Richard Cordray, is running statewide for election in 2010. His office is charged with collecting, investing and protecting state funds.

A Dayton Daily News examination found Boyce has hired a number of friends and close associates to key positions in his office, and also contracted with two Columbus-area companies for a web site makeover and hired a 23-year-old whose business card said she is in charge of social media networking for the treasurer.

Boyce said he decided to contract out the $65,000 in web work to save money. Under Cordray, two staffers and contractors who handled web site development totaled $289,880 a year, he said.

Boyce also hired 30 people to handle his public affairs, regional outreach and community education efforts. (Cordray had 33 employees in those same slots.) The staffer with the social media networking on her business card made up the title, he said, and no one on staff is setting up Facebook pages or Twittering for his office.

Overall, Boyce said he is spending $1.2 million a year less on staff than Cordray did. “We’ve been very conscientious about cutting costs,” Boyce said. “I just can’t think of an area where we haven’t cut.”

The state treasurer’s budget was $31.4 million in fiscal year 2008, during Cordray’s tenure, and $30.3 million in fiscal year 2009, which straddles both Cordray and Boyce’s time in office.

Cordray was traveling Friday and could not be reached, but his spokeswoman, Holly Hollingsworth, said it’s not a fair comparison. Cordray found ways to save $1.3 million during his tenure, she said, and staffing comparisons during a transition year aren’t valid because of vacancies that inevitably occur.

She also noted that all departments have had to cut budgets as tax receipts have plummeted. Had Cordray still been the state’s treasurer, she said, he too would be spending less today.

Shortly after his appointment to the treasurer’s post in January, Boyce assembled a team of top aides pulled from Ohio Democratic Party, Columbus City Hall and politically connected families.

He hired Liam Shanahan — son of Strickland’s energy advisor Mark Shanahan and budget director Pari Sabety — into a $45,011-a-year job. Shanahan, 24, who previously worked at a zoo and water park, drives Boyce places and acts as an administrative assistant.

Boyce hired Jessica Ford, 22, daughter of former Toledo mayor Jack Ford, to run his Toledo community affairs office at an annual salary of $45,011. Early in his career, Boyce served as Jack Ford’s legislative aide in the Ohio House.

Elizabeth Luken, the sister of former Cincinnati mayor Charlie Luken, landed a $45,011-a-year job running Boyce’s Cincinnati community affairs office.

“We start with qualifications. We start with what they understand and know about government, about the political process and system. And we look for a good fit,” Boyce said. Community affairs employees must know their region, he added.

Boyce said their political connections had nothing to do with their hiring.

“Political connections for positions in government, where that case is made is where someone isn’t qualified,” he said.

Patronage jobs are common among statewide office holders and are used to reward campaign staffers and key political supporters. So, what’s the problem with patronage?

“Generally speaking, there are better qualified people willing to work for less money,” Turcer said.

Boyce also drew from the staff list at the Ohio Democratic Party too. His chief of staff, Mike Culp, 37, who is paid $100,006 a year, is a former reporter turned political operative who directed the state party. Culp did not know how many people work in Boyce’s office.

And Boyce hired a former Ohio Democratic Party fund-raiser Lakshmi Satyanarayana, 23, as an administrative assistant to Culp and Deputy Treasurer Amer Ahmad. She is paid $35,006 a year.

Boyce also hired two friends from high school, a man who goes to his church, and several people from Columbus city hall.

Newton Burris, 36, who is paid $105,019 a year as the treasurer’s economic development director, played football with Boyce at Columbus East High School. Boyce’s scheduler and administrative assistant, Angela Burks, 36, who is paid $67,000, is another friend from high school. Boyce and Burks also knew one another at Columbus City Hall where Burks worked for the mayor while Boyce was a city councilman.

Derek Anderson, 32, who makes $100,006 a year as human resources director, attends St. Paul AME Church with Boyce.

“These are folks who bring a high degree of qualifications and credentials to the table,” Boyce said.

Mandel said given the state’s lowered bond rating and huge deficit, “it is imperative that the treasurer be someone who understands the importance of hiring well-trained, qualified professionals, not cronies and political friends.”

Contact this reporter at (614)224-1624 or lbischoff@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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If you read the article closely, it's reporting only half of the facts to sway readers into believeing something that's false. Kevin Boyce is an upstanding individual and continues to act ethically. When you are born and raised in Columbus, Ohio it's a given that you'll eventually find degrees of separation between yourself and those who live and work in the community. Let's talk about the real issues.

Godzuki
12:48 PM, 6/26/2009

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Seriously.....I am a Dem but quite frankly Boyce is a moron for no other reason than hiring the moron who gave the statement throwing fellow D R. Cordray under the bus. Boyce is by far and has never been ready for this role.....like we didnt see this coming.

ZappOhio
8:31 PM, 6/16/2009

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Spending taxpayer money on promotional materials should be an elections law violation. It's just like every administration change, when signs, business cards, letterhead, and everything have to be changed, at great expense, so that the politician can get free publicity.

jim
4:53 PM, 6/16/2009

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Boyce's actions should not really surprise anyone. He is like all politicians, they promote themselves, hire their friends and family, spend every taxpayer dollar they can get their hands on, and believe they are entitled to spend taxpayer dollars as their own. IT WILL NEVER CHANGE!

James Harrah
10:37 AM, 6/16/2009

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All the courption going on in the state of ohio don't surprise me.I live in Putnam County,Ottawa Ohio.Our Board of Elections and Commissioner office have big problems.We have a epidemic of neoptism.All the courpt people are DAM_O_CRATS.IRS and FbI need to investagate the "GOOD OLE BOY" network in Putnam County,OHIO.

barbara diemer
9:06 AM, 6/16/2009

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