City, protesters commended for peaceful event

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The Highland County commissioners lauded the people of Highland County and the city of Hillsboro during their weekly meeting Wednesday for their participation and restraint during Saturday’s Black Lives Matter protest rally.

“I want to commend everybody who participated,” Abernathy said, speaking on behalf of his colleagues. “All of the people who were a part of the protest, the law enforcement, the sheriff, the VFW people who patrolled the memorial area and everybody involved.”

He said the protest was peaceful and respectful, and noted maintenance personnel that performed the after-event clean up told him that the courthouse was “cleaner and more spotless” than was found from past events involving smaller groups.

In another matter, continuing concerns regarding sales tax revenue were addressed by commissioner Terry Britton, who said that Highland County “was holding its own.”

“The CCAO (County Commissioners Association of Ohio) gave us a preliminary report on our sales tax revenues,” Britton said. “We are very blessed, I think, from that standpoint since so many counties are taking some huge hits, and we’re just lucky that we’re staying pretty much flat, and maybe even a little bit positive.”

Under discussion Wednesday, Duncan expressed thanks to both the Bagshaw family and Hillsboro Public Works Superintendent Shawn Adkins as final landscaping and trim was performed at the new fountain that now adorns the Highland County Courthouse square.

Britton commented that he felt it would be “a great addition to the courthouse,” adding that “it really looks nice.”

He also praised Adkins for his coordination work on the project.

“He’s been kind of the lead person for the city that takes care of those kind of things,” Britton said. “We do have a flagpole yet to be put up, and he told me the other day that he’d been installing that very soon.”

In other matters, six line item budget transfer resolutions were approved, along with a resolution to reduce load limits on some area bridges, and another designating obsolete items from the Highland County Law Library that are no longer needed for public use.

A pair of contracts were approved by the commissioners Wednesday, one a renewal of a service agreement with FRS Transportation through Sept. 30, 2021, and the other a renewal with Medical Mutual of Ohio concerning health insurance for county employees.

Commissioners also approved some policy changes concerning public meeting usage of the Hi-Tech Center conference room, afterward entering into executive session to meet with Highland County Treasurer Vickie Warnock to discuss personnel matters.

A second executive session scheduled for 1 p.m. Wednesday concerned economic development.

Reach Tim Colliver at 937-402-2571.

Shown, from left, are commissioners Gary Abernathy, Jeff Duncan and Terry Britton during Wednesday’s regular weekly meeting.
https://www.timesgazette.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2020/06/web1_Commish-10-Jun-20-B.jpgShown, from left, are commissioners Gary Abernathy, Jeff Duncan and Terry Britton during Wednesday’s regular weekly meeting. Tim Colliver | The Times-Gazette
Britton: County holding its own on sale tax revenue

By Tim Colliver

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