At a Q&A session held at the Woodward Opera House on Feb. 20 candidates for Knox County Treasurer discussed how they would approach the office.
Two candidates, Mount Vernon City Councilwoman Amber Keener and Chief Deputy Treasurer Connie Durbin are vying for the March 19 GOP nomination and to replace current Treasurer Shelley Coon.
"Taxation, I think, is theft and I think that we need to recognize that there are moves that can be made that can save taxpayer dollars, and not all of those can be done behind a desk in the Treasurer's office," Keener said.
Keener highlighted her experience in securing external funding for community projects and stressed the importance of diversifying investment portfolios to navigate potential economic downturns.
“I think that we all know that even though economists keep saying that we are coming in for a soft landing, that there's a recession coming, and I've been reviewing the portfolios, from last year. And I see that our cash and the money that is in the portfolio continue to fall," Keener said.
Keener also stressed convenience for taxpayers proposing extending office hours during tax season and establishing satellite locations to enhance accessibility to the Treasurer's office, drawing inspiration from successful initiatives in other counties.
“If you come in at 4:05 to pay your tax bill, a lot of times you're not able to do that,” she said. “There is a drop box. But if you were to want to pay in person, there's really limited time to do that. So during the tax season, I have suggested and I talked to some of the county commissioners about doing satellite locations or doing kind of flex time with the office so that they have extended hours specifically during tax time.”
In response, Durbin, who has 21 years of combined experience in the auditor's and treasurer's offices, said adding such capability would require a significant investment of taxpayer dollars.
“We do have several options to pay your bills,” he said. “If we needed to look at opening satellite offices, that would be something we'd have to discuss with commissioners, because vast sums of money come through that office. So you would have to have staffing at these offices. You would have to have equipment, you would have to have security.”
Durbin also underscored the hands-on nature of the treasurer role, emphasizing collaboration with county commissioners and investment companies to optimize financial strategies for Knox County.
“Just working in the office and working with Shelley, she is training me,” Durbin said.
“She's a mentor. And you work with the commissioners, and you work with an investment company to try to find the best investments for the county. It's a hands on job with the treasurer there now and she has worked with a couple of different investment companies, and that was what that would want to be. I continued to do work with the investment companies, work with the commissioners to find the best investments for the tax monies of Knox County.”
In contrast, Keener suggested a more robust political role for the Treasurer.
“The job of treasurer is not just a clerk, the job of treasurer is a political office, and it's important for this office to recognize that connections and meetings in Columbus can really benefit the county,” she said.
“It’s definitely important to be in the office during tax time and during the week to make sure everything is running smoothly. But if you have a treasurer that is just sitting in the office doing, you know, addition and subtraction, they are not getting out there and fighting for the people of Knox County.”
Durbin also acknowledged constituents' desire for enhanced accessibility to county and city meetings and stressed the importance of transparent governance noting several constituents had raised the issue of transparency with her in discussion in the community.
“It doesn't directly affect the Treasurer's office because we do have an open door policy,” she said. “But for the county as a whole, I was just stating what a lot of the taxpayers have told me and constituents at different meetings that we've been at.”
As the election draws near, Knox County residents will weigh the candidates' platforms and qualifications in determining the future stewardship of the county treasurer's office.
