Steve Chabot for Congress launched its first television ad of the 2020 cycle on Thursday, sharing the truth about Kate Schroder’s health care record as a member of the Cincinnati Board of Health.
“Kate Schroder presents herself as a ‘health care expert,’ but Schroder’s record on the Cincinnati Board of Health is a story of mismanagement, scandal and lawsuits undermining the public health system,” said Steve Chabot for Congress spokesman Jon Conradi. “As finance chair of the Board of Health, Schroder mismanaged the budget in the run-up to coronavirus, creating a $2.7 million deficit, she participated in a hiring scheme that a Hamilton County judge ruled was unethical, and she supported staffing decisions that engulfed the board in lawsuits and controversy.”
“There will be a clear contrast in this race between Congressman Chabot’s record of delivering results for Ohio families and small businesses, including securing more small business relief for the First Congressional District than was received by any other district in Ohio, and Kate Schroder’s record of running Cincinnati’s public health system into the ground,” Conradi continued. “It is clear Kate Schroder does not have the judgement required to deliver results for hardworking Ohio families.”
Watch the ad, “Mismanagement,” HERE.
CINCINNATI BOARD OF HEALTH DEFICIT BACKGROUND
As the coronavirus pandemic was escalating in intensity, the Board of Health faced a $2.7 million budget deficit:
- In April 2020, the Cincinnati Board of Health Finance Committee discussed facing a $2.7 million budget deficit. “Mr. Andrew Dudas in the City’s Office of Budget and Evaluation stated that there is a structural imbalance in Fund 395. Fund 395 cannot run a deficit at the end of the fiscal year. If we are projecting a $2.7 million shortfall, we need to find that amount of money to make the Fund positive. CARES act is providing stimulus money through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program for COVID-19 activities. CHD and the budget office are looking to see what can be reimbursed from those funds. We must be careful not to double count things. White paper discusses some expenditure side items including the TEL.” (City of Cincinnati Board of Health Finance Committee, 4/21/20)
CINCINNATI BOARD OF HEALTH STAFFING DECISIONS BACKGROUND
In August 2018, the Cincinnati Board of Health was sued for violating state and city law and department policy by hiring one of its own members as finance director:
- “When the Cincinnati Board of Health hired a new health commissioner in August 2018, board members believed stability had come to the city department that inspects restaurants, fights the spread of disease and provides health care for 40,000 residents. But the first big move of the new administration, hiring a new finance director, has blown up this year in court challenges that could put the city on the hook for thousands of dollars in legal fees. A Hamilton County judge ruled in September that the board violated ethics rules in hiring one of its own members as department finance director. State law, city ordinance and department policy prohibit a member of a public oversight board from a job with the agency that is overseen. The judge’s order required the department to dismiss the new hire immediately and seek repayment of salary.” (Anne Saker, “Health dept. hire of board member as finance director prompts lawsuit,” The Cincinnati Enquirer, 12/15/19)
- The lawsuit could put the city on the hook for thousands of dollars in legal fees. “But the first big move of the new administration, hiring a new finance director, has blown up this year in court challenges that could put the city on the hook for thousands of dollars in legal fees.” (Anne Saker, “Health dept. hire of board member as finance director prompts lawsuit,” The Cincinnati Enquirer, 12/15/19)
- The plaintiff’s law firm requested the judge order the city to pay $32,470 in legal fees plus $1,000 to the whistleblower. “The Cincinnati law firm representing Jean Gould, Markovits Stock DeMarco, has asked Ruehlman to order the city to pay $32,470 in legal fees and award Gould at least $1,000 ‘to encourage other taxpayer actions that shine light on government corruption when the government has failed to take corrective action.’” (Anne Saker, “Health dept. hire of board member as finance director prompts lawsuit,” The Cincinnati Enquirer, 12/15/19)
Kate Schroder was a member of the Board of Health at the time and was involved in the interview process:
- The Board of Health winnowed 41 applicants down to 10, including Ronald L. Robinson Sr. who was vice chairman of the Board of Health and head of the board’s finance committee. “By month’s end, the city’s human resources department winnowed 41 applications to 10 top candidates, including Ronald L. Robinson Sr., once a Cincinnati financial analyst for the Indianapolis insurer Anthem, according to his LinkedIn profile. At that time, though, Robinson was vice chairman of the Board of Health and also was the head of the board’s finance committee. Mayor John Cranley named Robinson to the Board of Health in 2016.” (Anne Saker, “Health dept. hire of board member as finance director prompts lawsuit,” The Cincinnati Enquirer, 12/15/19)
- Robinson and [Chadrian] Johnson both made it to the final round of interviews and were interviewed by Schroder. “Robinson and Johnson made the cut to the final three candidates. Lichtenstein wrote a letter of recommendation for Robinson. Among the board members doing the job interview was Kate Schroder, now a candidate for Ohio’s 1st District U.S. House seat.” (Anne Saker, “Health dept. hire of board member as finance director prompts lawsuit,” The Cincinnati Enquirer, 12/15/19)
In April 2020, the Board reassigned Health Commissioner Melba Moore from her position and promoted a less experienced employee to take the top post, again embroiling the Board in controversy and raising questions about the Board’s management of the COVID-19 crisis:
- The Board reassigned Health Commissioner Moore and promoted Assistant Health Commissioner Domonic Hopson, who was deemed “non-critical” just months before. “Cincinnati Health Commissioner Melba Moore is no longer running the day-to-day operations of the city’s health department. The change has raised concern among some health workers, union officials and at least one City Council member, who fear shuffling the leadership structure at the health department during a global pandemic might not be a good idea. Those behind the move say it frees Moore to oversee the daily response to the novel coronavirus pandemic, but others see a power grab that has stripped the commissioner of responsibility for a department that affects the health of the city’s 302,000 residents. The Cincinnati Health Board reassigned Moore in April after Mayor John Cranley asked the board to relieve her of direct oversight responsibilities so she could focus on the city’s response to the pandemic. The board then put day-to-day operations of the Cincinnati Health Department into the hands of Assistant Health Commissioner Domonic Hopson, who was given the new title of chief executive officer. Before Hopson’s promotion, Moore had put him on a list of ‘non-critical’ department employees who could be furloughed for several months because of budget cuts.” (Sharon Coolidge and Dan Horn, Who’s running Cincinnati’s health department? Some fear a power struggle during pandemic,” The Cincinnati Enquirer, 5/17/20)
- Medical workers said the “moves could hurt the city’s pandemic response and the morale of its health workers.” “The changes at the health department angered Tom West, who leads the union that represents the city’s nurses, AFSCME Local 1543. West fired off an email to several council members complaining the moves could hurt the city’s pandemic response and the morale of its health workers. He also questioned why Hopson would seek a raise when the city and health department are facing drastic budget cuts and employee furloughs. ‘I do not understand why the Board is taking powers away from a very experienced minority female to give to a young male with limited experience, especially during this time of a pandemic,’ West wrote in the May 12 email, which was obtained by The Enquirer. Hopson is about 30 years younger than Moore, who is 64. ‘The worst part is that the person who is working with the board to take these powers is claiming he needs a raise,’ West wrote. ‘What type of person, who says that they are a leader, asks for a raise when the kingdom is crumbling?’” (Sharon Coolidge and Dan Horn, Who’s running Cincinnati’s health department? Some fear a power struggle during pandemic,” The Cincinnati Enquirer, 5/17/20)
