Geauga Commissioners Seek Cost Breakdown on Prosecutor’s Office Remodel
BY JEFF SKINNER
CHARDON — Geauga County commissioners pressed finance officials Tuesday for a full accounting of costs behind the Geauga County Prosecutor’s Office renovation as the board approved a final contractor payment of $59,575.24.
During the Nov. 10 session, Budget and Finance Manager Adrian Gorton presented a routine financial package containing the final voucher to Chesterland-based Millstone Management Group for the remodel project. Commissioner Carolyn Brakey asked Gorton for the total final price tag of the renovation and how much was funded through grants rather than local taxpayer dollars.
Gorton said he did not have the exact figures immediately available, estimating the county’s direct share at roughly a couple hundred thousand dollars and the overall cost at slightly more than $400,000. He agreed to compile a definitive breakdown for the board.
Brakey emphasized the need for public transparency regarding the project’s budget. She asked Gorton to compare final expenditures against original projections and clarify the grant offsets so residents understand that local property and sales taxes did not cover the entire bill. Commissioners originally approved a $379,400 construction agreement with Millstone Management Group in October 2025 to address security and space constraints at the Courthouse Annex office on Main Street.
.Following the remodel discussion, Brakey and Commissioner Jim Dvorak voted 2-0 to approve the financial package, which included supplemental appropriations for the county agricultural society fund and treasurer salaries, alongside travel encumbrances for the Department on Aging and Clerk of Courts. Commissioner Ralph Spidalieri was absent from the meeting.
In a major legal development following a closed-door executive session on pending litigation, the board voted unanimously to escalate a long-running dispute over legal fees to the Ohio Supreme Court.
Commissioners authorized outside legal counsel from the Solon firm Mazanec, Raskin & Ryder to file an appeal challenging a recent 11th District Court of Appeals ruling. That decision ordered county officials to seek court appointment of outside counsel regarding Juvenile and Probate Judge Timothy Grendell’s request for reimbursement of roughly $300,000 in legal fees from his judicial misconduct case. The board also approved a $25,000 contract increase for Mazanec, Raskin & Ryder to fund the ongoing litigation.
Commissioners also authorized Dog Warden Matthew Granito to conduct a comprehensive cost analysis study to determine the actual expenses of seizing, transporting, impounding, housing and feeding stray dogs. Granito noted the department has not updated its cost study since 2013, when daily housing costs were calculated at $25.19.
During the discussion, Brakey raised concerns that Geauga County taxpayers are effectively subsidizing dog adoptions for residents from neighboring jurisdictions, such as Lake County, who travel to Chardon because of the shelter's reputation. Granito said medical expenses, including spaying and neutering, bring the county's break-even cost to roughly $200 per dog, compared to the current $120 adoption fee for adult dogs. Officials discussed raising base adoption rates while creating targeted discounts for Geauga County residents, senior citizens, military veterans and dogs age 8 and older.
Granito also highlighted emerging operational challenges, including retrieving pets from car crashes, medical emergencies and domestic violence calls. He cited a recent incident in which a domestic violence survivor staying at WomenSafe nearly recanted her statement to police because she feared losing her dog, prompting discussions about establishing a formal memorandum of understanding and seeking grant funding for emergency pet boarding.
In other business, the board approved Resolution 26-171 and an accompanying agreement with Middlefield Village to use county general funds for concrete repairs on Glen Valley Drive. Brakey thanked Assistant Prosecutor Kristen Rine and Deputy County Administrator Mark Jimson for drafting the agreement to resolve an administrative issue that was not the village's fault. However, Brakey stressed that the resolution explicitly avoids setting a precedent and warned she would not support similar county funding for municipal roads in the future.
The board also acted on several administrative and operational items, including approving a letter confirming WomenSafe’s eligibility for domestic violence shelter funds. WomenSafe CEO Andrea Gutka noted that clients are staying longer due to a shortage of affordable housing, adding that the shelter provided 5,085 nights of care to 180 adults and children during fiscal year 2026. In public safety, Sheriff Scott Hildenbrand and Chief Deputy Thomas Rowan received approval to accept $39,565 in federal Victims of Crime Act and state victim advocacy grants, which includes a $7,913 local match, alongside a separate $3,264 grant for the 2026–2027 fiscal year.
Facility and utility operations were also addressed during the session. Maintenance Contract Coordinator Liz Rubino secured a $15,000 increase to a service contract with Schindler Elevator Corp., bringing the cap to $70,000 after 4- and 5-year-old courthouse and office building elevators experienced breakdowns. The board additionally approved advertising for new elevator maintenance bids and executed a three-year, $20,000 roofing and gutter repair contract with MK Roofing and Construction. Meanwhile, Water Resources Director Nick Gorris received approval to post two Wastewater Plant Operator II positions and execute a $45,000 monitoring contract with Mission Communications.
Finally, commissioners acknowledged the resignation of Mary Brigid "Bridey" Matheney from the Geauga County Public Defender Commission and authorized advertising to fill her unexpired term through October 2027. After holding a second executive session regarding public employee compensation with Clemans, Nelson & Associates representative Melissa Fisco and Craig Swinson, the board reconvened at 11:04 a.m. and adjourned with no further action.
