By Eamon Baird
PIQUA — The Piqua City Commissioners opted not to rush through a new budgeting and software program at their commission meeting on Tuesday, June 18.
Jerry O’Brien, finance director, proposed an appropriations ordinance requesting to use ClearGov Inc., as the new budgeting software program for the city, which would increase the 2024 budget roughly $14,000.
“We are asking that this be passed as an emergency because the vendor that we’re working with is willing to give us a $4,000 discount if we sign the contract by the end of the month,” O’Brien said.
O’Brien said the new software technology will help streamline technology and structure processes for the city of Piqua.
The commissioners agreed that passing the ordinance before the customary second and third readings was not prudent.
“I don’t have a problem with us going through this. I do have a problem with rushing through this and making it an emergency and passing it through tonight,” Commissioner Paul Simmons said.
“What this product would do would allow more transparency to the public,” City Manager Paul Oberdorfer said. “To me it’s an enhancement in transparency that we’re trying to achieve through using this tool, to have three readings doesn’t result in anything better.”
“If it is an emergency, we need an excessive amount of clarity up front as to what it is that we’re voting on and why exactly it has to be an emergency,” Commissioner Tom Hohman said.
Eventually the commissioners agreed to revisit the proposed ordinance at a special meeting on Tuesday, June 25.
In other business, the commission listened to a first reading of an ordinance regarding the taxing of marijuana for recreational purposes.
Under sections 3780.22 and 3780.23 of the Ohio Revised Code, the state enacted an excise tax of 10% on sale of adult use cannabis by adult use dispensaries. Currently, Piqua is the only city in Miami County with dispensaries and would be entitled to 36% of the said excise tax.
The commission also heard a first reading of an ordinance permitting the commission to remove representatives from boards created by the commission.
Simmons expressed concern with the proposed ordinance, saying that it doesn’t list any cause for removal from the committee, and that commissioners could potentially remove committee members on a majority 3-2 vote.
“That absolutely flies in the face of transparency, and any fairness to people who are volunteers, I mean people on our committees, they don’t get paid for that,” Simmons said.
The commission agreed to amend the ordinance and add in language concerning cause for removal for the next reading of the ordinance.
The commission also heard and approved the following resolutions:
• To present the annual tax budget to the commission for 2025, according to section 5705.28 and 5705.30 of the Ohio Revised Code.
• To approve a liquor permit for Orrmont Estate LLC, located at 1612 S. Main St.
During the commissioners’ comments section Simmons said there will be an amateur radio relay league field day at the Miami County Fairgrounds at 1 p.m. on Saturday, June 22.
“So, if you guys have ever wanted to use a ham radio and you don’t have a license you can go down to the south end of the fairgrounds and at 1 o’clock we’re going to start having a radio contest out there,” Simmons said.
