Maiden will be full-time engineer who doesn’t delegate everything

To the Editor:

With the primary election fast approaching for Athens County engineer, I've done some research and came across a few questions I think need answered by the incumbent, Mr. Archie Stanley.

I've obtained this information through public records, and I am going to assume it to be correct and up to date.

The first issue is about overtime paid to self-titled Deputy Engineer Mike Canterbury. His overtime and compensation time for the past few years are as follows:

• 2009, overtime paid 221 hours and comp paid 35 hours.

• 2010, overtime paid 277 hours and comp paid 51 hours.

• 2011, overtime paid 545 hours and comp paid 40 hours.

Canterbury as a salaried employee at his hourly rate would be $71,105 per year. Wouldn't you think this would be enough money for a deputy engineer who in reality is not, as he has no surveyor license or engineering degree, which are requirements to be called an engineer as defined by the Ohio State Board of Engineers and Surveyors. This falls under their ("restricting use of title, engineer, by itself or with other terms") bylaws.

Now I would like to know about another interesting fact I have discovered during my research. On the Athens County government website, again a public record, Kathy Canterbury, Mike Canterbury's wife and Archie Stanley's billings and payroll officer as listed on this website, claimed 198 hours overtime for this past year of 2011. Why is Stanley paying someone for so much overtime when she's not even out working on the roads?

Next, should Mr. Stanley lose the upcoming primary election to Mr. Maiden, is he going to get even by once again pulling the contracts Mr. Maiden's company is working on for the county, or will he let the work continue, thereby looking out for the taxpayers who are paying his salary?

Next, in 2011 Canterbury made $99,068 while Archie Stanley made $90,174. This does not include Mr. Stanley's double-dipping income. My question: Does Mr. Stanley work for Canterbury or does Canterbury work for Stanley?

Last but not least, I wonder what kind of harassment I will have to go through when this hits the papers. Last time, after I submitted a letter to the editor about a school-bus accident due to conditions of the road, one of the things they did was to laid down smaller No. 57 gravel from Ohio Rt. 329 right to my property line, where they then starting laying down the much-larger No. 3 gravel, which is the size of golf balls. Then, where my property ended, they went back to regular road gravel No. 57. By the way, this gravel caused two accidents on the road, one of which I had help getting a truck out of the ditch from a state highway patrolman. I'll wait and see and film. The only way to deal with all this disrespect to the taxpayers is to elect a full-time county engineer who will handle your problems and not pass them on to unqualified employees. So let's elect Jeff Maiden and get what we are paying for.

Rich Walker
Kuhns Road
Amesville