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Miami County commissioners call for security, better communication after dispute involving treasurer
Summary
At a Feb. 19 Miami County Commission study session, Commissioner Paul Scrove urged the board to address building security and improve interdepartmental communication after a recent matter involving the county treasurer. Commissioners asked staff to assess safety protocols and consider changes during the upcoming budget process.
At the Miami County Commission study session on Feb. 19, Commissioner Paul Scrove said a recent dispute involving the county treasurer revealed gaps in building security and internal communication that the commission must address.
"The first and main issue should be the safety issue," Commissioner Paul Scrove told colleagues, saying he had spoken with the sheriff, the treasurer and other staff and learned there are "several instances a month" in which deputies are involved in de-escalating situations in county offices. He said the county needs a clearer process and suggested the budget cycle be used to plan improvements.
The concern arose during the commissioners' opening comments, when Scrove described the episode as having become partly a communication failure. "How does it not happen again? Damage has been done," he said, arguing the county should consider options ranging from increased deputy presence to other, simpler measures and possibly an internal survey to assess whether employees feel their work areas are safe.
Commissioner Vickery agreed that the county should not ignore security issues. "We do have security issues that need to be addressed," Vickery said, and urged an assessment of what the county should do and how to pay for it.
No formal motion or vote was recorded during the study session. Commissioners discussed folding the issue into the budget process and asked staff and department leaders to evaluate security needs and communication protocols. Scrove and Vickery both emphasized that any response should reflect the county's limited new revenue this year; commissioners noted the county approved a recent across-the-board pay increase and expects constrained discretionary spending in the next budget.
The discussion also touched on whether department heads should follow a clearer, documented flow of information to avoid future lapses. Scrove proposed an internal survey through human resources to gauge employees' sense of safety; the commission did not adopt an explicit survey plan during the meeting but directed conversation toward assessing options and costs in advance of budgeting decisions.
The topic was raised during the opening comments portion of the meeting rather than during an agenda item or public comment period. Commissioners framed the item as an operational concern to be examined by staff and returned for further direction at a future meeting.
