CAMDEN — Camden Village Council recently approved and adopted its yearly resolution to accept the village’s share of funding from local government and existing tax levies, but questioned why Camden’s funding from the county is lower than other villages.

During a council meeting on Thursday, Sept. 7, councilmember Kelly Doran pointed out Camden is one of the largest villages in the county, but gets significantly less funding than villages like New Paris and West Alexandria.

The topic arose when Fiscal Officer Rebecca Wilson informed council members they had to approve the resolution as one reading.

“This is our yearly resolution we have to pass from the county accepting our the rates and amounts that we get from our levies, plus the money that we get from local government,” Wilson said. “The due date this has to be turned in is Sept. 30, so we would only have two readings on that, so we need to pass that as one reading.”

“I still don’t understand, after all these years, how New Paris gets $40,000 and how West Alexandria gets almost $39,000, but we as one of the largest subdivisions in the county only get $32,000 and change. I’ve never understood that and it has been that way forever,” councilmember Doran replied.

“I would like an explanation from the Preble County Commissioners, prosecutor, and whomever else is on the budget commission up there to explain to us — in writing, clearly — why this keeps happening to us year after year. That is what I’m going to ask publicly once and for all, because it is ridiculous.

“It has amounted to tens of thousands of dollars. We’ll see if I get that.”

In other business:

The village recently hired a new employee, and he asked if there was anyway he could bring some of his unused sick time from Miami University with him. He understood he could not bring all of his time (as he had 890 hours saved up), but he would like some so that if something happens he would be covered.

According to Fiscal Officer Wilson, some employers do carryover sick time, while some do not. This was a decision the council had to make and it would set a precedent for other employees coming into the village.

“He wouldn’t be able to use it anyway until after his probationary period,” Wilson pointed out.

He would be able to cash out whatever the village accepted at time of his departure, if his tenure with the village is 10 years or longer.

“Ten percent is 90 hours. That is two weeks pay,” council member Doran said. “I don’t want to see him without something. He’s giving up a lot to come work with us and we are happy to have him.”

“I wouldn’t be opposed to three weeks pay,” council member Judy Michael replied.

Doran said, “That’s fine. That is three weeks pay — 120 hours. He has that to use if need be.”

Council approved the motion.

In other news:

•According to staff, due to the new water bill policy, there were 37 service shutoffs, however all were turned back on quickly.

•Butler Rural got all the old lighting switched out with LED lighting.

•The banks are mowing basically all of the the vacant properties in the village, according to staff.