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Michael D. Pitman reports about Butler County, Ohio, politics, county government, countywide issues and Butler County people just like you for Cox Ohio Publishing (including the Hamilton JournalNews, Middletown Journal and several weekly papers in Butler County). He wants your suggestions and questions for more news stories. Leave a comment for him here or e-mail Michael at Home > Blogs > Butler County News and Issues > Archives > 2011 > June > 01 > Entry
County GOP screening committee meets tonight
EDITOR’S NOTE: DAVID SCHIAVONE DROPPED FROM CONSIDERATION PRIOR TO THE SCREENING COMMITTEE’S MEETING WEDNESDAY NIGHT.
Two sitting township trustees are among the dozen seeking to be appointed to Ohio’s 55th House District seat.
Tonight, the Butler County GOP Executive Committee will make a recommendation to the Ohio House Republican Caucus on who it feels should fill the seat vacated by newly appointed Sen. Bill Coley, R-Liberty Twp.
Liberty Twp. Trustee Christine Matacic and West Chester Twp. Trustee Lee Wong both want to take over the Coley’s old seat after he was appointed last month to fill Gary Cates’ vacated senate seat. Cates was appointed to the Ohio Board of Regents by Gov. John Kasich.
“I think with Ohio, the challenges that we have, these are the toughest ones we have in our history,” said Matacic, who was elected to office in 2001. “We need some kind of experience leadership up there. We do have a lot of leadership around the state but we need to have some strong leadership of someone that takes.”
Wong believes his voice can be the loudest in Columbus.
“As southern Ohio, West Chester Twp. and the surrounding area continue to grow, I think it’s important to have a strong voice in the state House of representatives and I think I’m the person to that job,” said Wong, who’s serving his second term as trustee.
But the candidate with the most in-office experience is former Middletown mayor David Schiavone. He served on Middletown City Council for 16 years — five of which were as mayor — leaving the board in 2009.
Schiavone was one of the last three to put his name up for contention for the vacated seat that ends in December 2012.
“I will be able to use my expertise in working with other elected officials, bringing a spirit of cooperation that I was known for during my four terms on city council, to help resolve issues,” Schaivone wrote in his press release announcing his interest.
The rest of the people seeking the appointment, include: former Liberty Twp. trustee Margy Conditt, Mark Haverkos of West Chester Twp., Bruce Jones of West Chester Twp., Middletown Pregnancy Crisis Center Director Candice Keller, Doug Mink of West Chester Twp., Liberty Twp. resident Phil Morrical III, George Nafziger of West Chester Twp., Butler County Republican Party screening committee chair Don Spurlock, and Burt Young of West Chester Twp.
The Ohio House Republican Caucus screening committee — a panel of five chaired by Speaker Pro Tempore Lou Blessing, R-Cincinnati — meets Monday to make a recommendation to the full caucus.
House Republican spokesman Mike Dittoe said the recommendation is generally followed by full caucus, which is slated to meet on June 8.
Thoughts?
Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment | Categories: Butler County, Republican Party, State House of Representatives
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By again
June 1, 2011 3:29 PM | Link to this
When will Phil Morrical and Don Spurlock give it up.
By Not again
June 2, 2011 7:12 AM | Link to this
Who from the Journal News decided the these three clowns get interviewed? Wong and Matacic are both liberal socialist. And wasn’t Schiavone forced out as mayor? His 16 yrs in office is why Middletown is a dump today, don’t need any more of that.