VIDEO: JUDGE TARYN HEATH
"EVERYTHING YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT E-FILE"
CLICK ON GRAPHIC TO ENLARGE
So why should a typical reader of The Stark County Political Report (SCPR) linger on and read and view (the video of Judge Heath's Q&A with the SCPR) this blog?
First and foremost is the projected longer-term overall cost savings which in one form or another (e.g. less clerk of employees and other court-connected employees being needed) filter through to Stark County users of the courts and ultimately to Stark County taxpayers.
Secondly, the savings in time and concomitant expense (for their attorneys which should filter through to clients) with the potential promise of less need to physically travel to the courts for those Stark Countians who have legal matters to be brought before the courts in terms of a civil or criminal matter.
Thirdly, to understand the thoroughness with which Judge Taryn Heath (e-file liaison judge) is proceeding (since 2011) to make sure that the final implementation of e-file in Stark County is the best that it can be if it rolls out in December 2019 or whenever it gets implemented and published.
There are other reasons in terms of more efficient government agency integration with the court system which though largely unseen by the typical Stark County citizen definitely benefit citizens in cost and convenience.
Here is the video of the SCPR's May 1, 2019 interview with Judge Heath that explores the entire time span (late 2011 through December 2019 or later) on the evolvement of the e-filing project.
This video is about 30 minutes long and is an example of a straight-talking, transparent elected official candidly answering all the SCPR's questions.
A MUST SEE for any reader who cares about transparency and candor in local government!
It has taken way too long for Stark County to get e-filing and its attendant e-filing system up and running. It has been in process since late 2011 and (keep your fingers crossed) might be up and running by December 2019.
Here is a graphic of the financial progression of e-filing in Stark County going back to 2011 as prepared by Dwaine Hemphill who is the court's chief administrator.
CLICK ON GRAPHIC TO MAKE LARGER
So why the delay?
The initial contract with Tybera was signed in 2015. (See exhibits 1 & 2 in the appendix to this blog).
Almost immediately upon Tybera getting its contract with Stark County government, it became apparent that the county's case management computer system was so adequated under the watch of the likes of Stark County former clerks of court Phil Giavasis, Nancy Reinbold and currently Louis Giavasis that it has had to be rebuilt.
NOTE: The foregoing assessment is NOT that of Judge Heath but completely and totally the assessment of this blogger.
Judge Heath as seen in the video DID NOT point fingers at anyone working in Stark County government as being the cause of the delay in implementing e-file.
As readers of the SCPR know, this blogger has never been shy about naming names that The Report thinks is responsible for this or that thing in local government this blog's quest to hold Stark County government officials accountable for their actions and/or inaction.
It is a little bit unnerving to have Stark County's chief law enforcement person to make such a statement, joking or not.
Whichever it was, an attempt at intimidation or joking, it was totally inappropriate for the county sheriff to have made such a statement.
A part of the out-of-date factor of the case management system has been the inability of the clerk's office to hire and maintain technical personnel needed to restructure the case management system. Prior technical employees left county employment because the county was not competitive in the salary range which, of course, is a determination made by the elected clerk of courts.
Anita Henderson one of the Stark County auditor's top Internet Technology (IT) experts has helped the clerk of courts IT to resolve the deficiency in the office's case management software.
The SCPR has written that the Stark County clerk of courts office appears to be highly politicized in terms of the selection of the clerk him or herself and some of the key employees of the office that perhaps the office is not getting the very best from the general employment market that have the skills with which to avoid situations like an adequated case management system.
It is tempting to think that it "six of one and a half a dozen of another" when it comes to government employees. The SCPR is not one to accept that kind of thinking.
Though politically connected employees might we be "workman-esque" performers, The Report thinks that to make political connections a factor in who gets hired and who does not even have the opportunity may prove very costly to particular elected officials.
Former Stark County treasurer Gary Zeigler told this blogger on April 1, 2009 that all he knew about then chief deputy of the treasury Vince Frustaci is that "he was just some guy out on the golf course."
Think about that statement.
If true and Zeigler had not thoroughly vetted him which resulted in unknowingly getting an employee that turned out the way Frustaci did was indeed costly to Stark County taxpayers and to Zeigler in his individual capacity.
If not true and Zeigler hired Frustaci merely because of political considerations what difference is there in terms of inviting potential consequences of having made such a hire.
None of us know the full story of the adverse and detrimental to Stark Countians (in both quality of government service and a poor, if not a devastating, taxpayer financial consequences [e.g. Frustaci]) improperly vetted and/or politically connected hirings!
Though certainly quite different than the treasury situation, the SCPR believes that for years the clerk of courts office has been a haven for the politically connected to get a preference in obtaining local government jobs.
And there are other county offices that "persons in a position to know" tell the SCPR are rampant with employees who likely were and continued to be hired because of their political connections which obviously make the hirings "a crapshoot" as to whether or not the hire is in the best interest of the service and value Stark Countians receive at the hand of local government offices.
The Stark County commissioners have made a step in the right director in trying to ensure that availability of county jobs is broadcast generally so as to enhance the field of candidates and thereby improve the chances that the county hires highly productive employees.
However, the created Stark County Human Resources (SCHR) appears to be little used by independent of the commissioners elected county officials.
Recently, the SCPR has done on the hiring practices of Stark County clerk of courts Louis Giavasis. Giavasis told this blogger he has used SCHR only once in his nearly four years of being the elected clerk of courts.
The SCPR is gathering additional material on other local government elected officials who do not have in place structures of employment that enhance the likelihood of obtaining the most creative, efficient and productive workers that the general employment market can provide.
As regular readers of the SCPR, this blogger generally provides much more information on any given topic that the local mainstream media does.
And the e-file project is no exception.
For those readers who like to dig into the interstices of data, here are documents that should make for an interesting read.
APPENDIX
INITIAL CONTRACT WITH TYBERA
FOLLOW UP CONTRACT WITH TYBERA
TYBERA'S PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL
RECEIPTS DETAILS
EXPENDITURE DETAILS
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