Commissioners OK salary adjustment for County Court judge

Highland County commissioners Brad Roades, Terry Britton and David Daniels agreed to a salary adjustment for the Highland County Court judge and heard updates on an “exciting” week at the Sheriff’s Office during their Wednesday, Dec. 10 meeting.

After hearing from Highland County Court Judge John Judkins, commissioners agreed to pass a resolution to adjust the judge’s salary by an additional $2,000.

Judkins made the request by citing ORC 1907.17, which says “In addition to the compensation provided in section 1907.16 of the Revised Code, the board of county commissioners may provide for payment of a fixed annual amount, not to exceed two thousand dollars, to each county court judge.” According to Judkins, commissioners had previously approved legislation for the former county court judge but had not yet passed a resolution for him, as he took office in January. 

“HR has been paying me at the rate my predecessor was being paid, but it actually requires a special resolution for $2,000 to take it from $37,000 annually to $39,000 annually,” Judkins said. “As they were going through their end-of-year review, they discovered that had never been passed for me since I was elected and took office. 

“While they've been paying me at a rate of $39,000, I'm only approved for the statutory $37,000 from the county, and so I would not earn anything else for the remainder of the year unless the commission chose to pass that resolution.”

In response to questions from commissioners and clerk Mary Remsing, Judkins said that money could be transferred from the Travel and Expenses line item, as the state of Ohio covered all of those costs this year due to it being his first year as judge.

Commissioners voted 3-0 to approve the request, as they said they would work with court administrator Monica George to ensure everything balances.    

• In an unrelated discussion Wednesday, Highland County Sheriff Randy Sanders recapped an eventful few days, including a gas leak at the Highland County Justice Center that was reported Wednesday morning. According to Sanders, Paint Creek Joint EMS/Fire was dispatched to the jail, where the gas was shut off and prisoners were “locked down and didn’t have to be evacuated.” 

Sanders added that it appeared to be an issue with a boiler.

“This is something that happens occasionally,” the sheriff said. “Weller’s is on their way to fix it.” 

Also this week, the jail flooring replacement project wrapped up, as Sanders said they were in the process of getting all of their benches, tables and chairs moved back in. 

The sheriff thanked local law enforcement agencies for their assistance throughout the past few weeks, as they have had to relocate some inmates during the replacement project.

“As of today, we'll have all the prisoners back,” Sanders said. “We made phone calls to the Clinton County Sheriff, Fayette County Sheriff and [police] chief of Greenfield, and they've been housing prisoners pretty much as we need it.”

Sanders also discussed an incident Dec. 9, involving officers from Highland and Brown counties. While responding to a report of a vehicle in a creek, officers determined that the vehicle was stolen and that “the suspect who allegedly stole the vehicle had multiple warrants, including one for complicity to murder out of the Sharonville Police Department,” according to an HCSO report. The Highland County Sheriff's Office's Special Response Team assisted with the eventual arrest of the suspect at a house in Brown County.

“They were there for several hours and ended up having to tear gas the house to get the guy out of the house,” Sanders said. “Our life’s pretty exciting this week.”

In other discussion:

• Commissioners voted 3-0 “deny as unjustifiable” a written protest filed by a company who submitted a late bid for records storage equipment.     

“We are not allowed to accept a bid that has come in late,” Daniels said. “While regrettable, we don't find there to be any justifiable reason to lend their protest, give their protest, any weight.”

• Innergex community and government relations representative Janet Grothe, along with Innergex staff members Narain Khera, Michael Paul, Samuel Richard and Sean Zarbinski, attended the meeting with a brief update before visiting the Palomino Solar site.

The 200 MW Palomino Solar project, which is under construction, will be located in Dodson and Union Townships in Highland County. Innergex is also the developer of the Hillcrest Solar farm in Brown County.

“We're doing really good getting our work done, and we'll continue to work on schedule, and then we'll begin work again in the spring,” Grothe said. 

Grothe added that Innergex will be sponsoring the annual Shop with a Cop program locally, while they also sponsored a recent party for children in the custody of Highland County Children Services.

“I wanted to publicly acknowledge how hard the [Children Services] staff and team work to take care of the children of Highland County, and I just want to make sure they know that they're appreciated,” Grothe said. 

Commissioners thanked the Innergex group and for “participating in the community.

“We appreciate good corporate citizens when they come in and help us out,” Daniels said.
 
• Via resolution, commissioners voted 3-0 to award the Because He Lives Food Pantry roof replacement project in the amount of $58,388 to Roof Lynx, LLC.

As previously reported, in May 2024, commissioners agreed to apply for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding for the project, as the food pantry submitted an application for $89,100, with a $3,500 match, for $92,600 altogether. The county was awarded funding through the state in late 2024.

Commissioners also made the following other approvals, each by a 3-0 vote:

• A transfer from Transfers Out Dog & Kennel (2000) in the amount of $58.59. Also requested is an additional appropriation from unappropriated funds to Dog & Kennel, PERS.

• A budget modification within Emergency Management Fund (2780) in the amount of $2,137.72.

• A budget modification within the Probate Court Fund in the amount of $150.

• A budget modification within the Mowrystown Sewer Debt Retire Fund (3170) in the amount of $1,367.23.

• An additional appropriation to the 2007 Various Purpose Fund (3210) in the amount of $19.50.

• An additional appropriation from unappropriated funds in the County General Fund (1000), Sheriff’s Office – Refund, in the amount of $1,862.66.

• A budget modification within the Board of Elections Fund (1000) in the amount of $6,000.

• A budget modification within the Board of Elections Fund (1000) in the amount of $7,214.92.

• A budget modification within Sheriff’s General Fund (1000) in the amount of $41.64.

• A budget modification within the Sheriff’s General Fund (1000) in the amount of $1,765.44.

• A resolution to grant authorization for the listed “Then and Now” purchase orders from Dec. 10, 2025, and the County Auditor is authorized to issue warrants for their payment.

• A budget modification within the 1000 Maintenance and Operations Fund, from Contracts and Services to PERS, in the amount of $169.83.

• A budget modification within the 2505 County Land Bank Fund, from Insurance to PERS, in the amount of $8.09.

• A budget modification within the 1000 County Miscellaneous, from Unemployment Compensation to Worker Compensation, in the amount of $9,955.03.

• A budget modification within the 2540 Victim Witness Assistance Fund, from Telephone to PERS, in the amount of $0.02.

• A budget modification within the County Court Fund, from Salaries – Foreign Judge to PERS, in the amount of $358.91.

• A budget modification within the 1000 Sheriff Fund, from Professional & Technical Services to PERS and Contracts & Services in the amount of $5,127.04.

• A resolution to authorize the County Engineer to declare listed items as no longer needed by the County and obsolete, pursuant to ORC 307.12(A)(1). (According to Engineer Chris Fauber, the list included “30-plus-years-old stuff.”)

• An additional appropriation within the 2100 DD General Fund to Worker’s Compensation in the amount of $7,200.

• A budget modification within the 2065 Repair-MVL Fund, from Laborers-Salary to Workers Compensation, in the amount of $1,570.53.

• A budget modification within DETAC (7200) in the amount of $5,000.

• A budget modification within the Sheriff’s Fund, from Supplies to Contracts and Services in the amount of $4,230.77.

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