Recordpub.com - Bicentennial expenses public?

By Mike Sever

Record-Courier staff writer

It turns out a little openness goes a long way to derailing an argument.

When Aurora resident George Mazzaro came to the Portage County Board of Commissioners Tuesday morning demanding to see the checkbook for the county bicentennial committee, both sides ended with their backs against the wall. Mazzaro was threatening to take the issue to court and commissioners were denying he had any right to see the records because the committee is not a public body.

Mazzaro said he believes the group is a public body because it received funds from the county.

It took a word from Mark Cheplowitz, who has chaired the volunteer celebration committee for its two-year life, to defuse the situation.

Tuesday evening, Cheplowitz said Mazzaro had called him late Tuesday morning for the first time.

"No problem. I told him to have at it. He can see the check stubs, the deposit statements, whatever he wants," Cheplowitz said.

"He said he wanted to see the records. He said he got a printout and didn't get to see the actual records. It was the first time I heard of it," Cheplowitz said.

Cheplowitz said he had no opinion on whether the bicentennial committee is public or not -- that would be up to Mazzaro to prove in court if he wants to.

Cheplowitz said his big concern is that Mazzaro's quest "is going to besmirch the efforts of volunteers for the past three years. Nobody on the committee has any malicious intent. To create negativity is reprehensible."

Mazzaro said it was not his intent to "go after Cheplowitz or the committee in any way, shape or form." He said he believes the group did a good job in promoting the county's bicentennial celebration with events and programs.

Mazzaro said he's going after the county and its process of handling funds.

"They have to be more proficient" in the process of expenditure of funds, he said. He also took exception to the "sloppy answers they were giving" him.

Mazzaro said he was given a list of donations and expenses by Charlene Badger, the county commissioners' executive assistant. Badger later added to the list, which Mazzaro said set off alarms for him.

"If the list didn't have those items, what else doesn't it have? What is the county hiding?" he said. Mazzaro said he wanted to see the actual vouchers and checks. When he asked for them, he said he got a note saying the vouchers, checks and deposit records could not be provided.

Badger, a county employee, is listed as a coordinator for the bicentennial committee and the county posts the committee's calendar, minutes and other information on the county Web site. All three commissioners are included on the member list for the celebration committee.

Mazzaro said he wanted the records by Friday or he "would go to court to seek a mandamus action" to compel commissioners to cough up the records.

But, Mazzaro was told he's barking up the wrong tree.

Portage County Assistant Prosecutor Denise Smith, who serves at the county commission's legal counsel, said the bicentennial committee is an "ad hoc" volunteer body, not a public or governmental body, and does not fall under the state's Open Records Law.

She said state law limits the county to paying no more than $20,000 on a bicentennial. After that, raising and spending money is up to the volunteer committee.

"We don't have (the records). They don't belong to us," Commissioner Chuck Keiper told Mazzaro. Posting the group's information is done as a public service to the group and county citizens, he said.