Skip to main content
State Seal State Seal State Seal
Home Button Home Button Home Button
 
 

Rep. Carney Questions Unwillingness to Provide Media with Information in JobsOhio Controversy

Sends letter asking for questions to be answered
March 12, 2013
Democratic Newsroom

COLUMBUS- State John Carney (D- Columbus) sent the following letter to Development Services Agency spokesman Todd Walker asking questions about the developing JobsOhio controversy.

March 12, 2013

Sent via email

Todd Walker
Development Services Agency
77 South High Street
P.O. Box 1001
Columbus, Ohio 43216

Mr. Walker, 

I read with great interest today of your unwillingness to answer questions from the media about JobsOhio and the Development Services Agency unless they were submitted in writing.

Because I have several concerns about JobsOhio and its funding, please answer the following questions:

  1. Under what authority does the Department of Development (DOD) or the Development Services Agency (DSA) have to provide more than $5 million to a private entity without explicit approval of the Legislature or Controlling Board? Please cite specific revised code and/or administrative code sections, including authorizing legislation and/or executive order(s).
  2. Please provide detailed information of the program under which the State provided public dollars to the Business Development Coalition (now known as the Jobs Ohio Beverage System), including but not limited to program name, line-item, fund, explanation of authorized uses of grant awards, and award selection process. Please cite specific revised code and/or administrative code sections, including authorizing legislation and/or executive order(s).
  3. Please provide minutes (including votes) of all meetings of the Business Development Coalition (now known as the JobsOhio Beverage System) since November 2010, specifically meetings in which the Coalition voted or acted to:
    1. Decided to seek additional grant funding from the state;
    2. Dissolve and re-establish its mission as the JobsOhio Beverage System.
  4. Please explain the position of the Development Services Agency as to whether this $5.3 million in state funding may be audited. If DSA does not believe this funding can be audited, please cite specific revised code and/or administrative code sections, including authorizing legislation and/or executive order(s) supporting the agency’s position.

Sincerely,

John Patrick Carney
State Representative