DeWine: Something smells at MSD

A budget watchdog, Hamilton County Commissioner Pat DeWine has been on a crusade to make government more efficient and less wasteful.

That's why he made a point Wednesday to question why the Metropolitan Sewer District, which was before the commissioners seeking approval of its annual operating and capital budgets, would be spending taxpayer money helping host a Geography Kids event.

MSD -- owned by Hamilton County but operated by the city of Cincinnati -- participated with several other county and city agency to host 250 grade-school kids.

In the first-time event, the students were shown how local governments "use geography and state-of-the-art Geographic Information Systems technology" to improve on planning construction projects, helping clean the environment and maintain roads.

A frustrated DeWine criticized the plan in the public meeting -- where the sewer district was seeking rate increases of 8.6 percent, 8 percent and 8 percent in the next three years -- calling it "offensive."

"We ought to let our schools educate our children," DeWine said.

That drew an instant response from fellow Commissioner Todd Portune who jabbed at DeWine by saying DeWine hadn't given previous MSD budgets the same "scrutiny."

Acting MSD Director Tony Parrott told commissioners the program was aimed at future workforce development, public interest and outreach.

"I think this is the kind of thing that really annoys people about government," DeWine said.