Press Release - Reynolds And Jolivette

PRESS RELEASE – Thursday, October 16, 2008 Contact Auditor Roger Reynolds at 919-1261 Contact Commissioner Greg Jolivette at 235-1272 Both will be available for comment today; please note press advisory at bottom of release

AUDITOR ROGER REYNOLDS CALLS OUT OPPONENT ZETTLER FOR FALSE, LIBELOUS CLAIMS; COMMISSIONER JOLIVETTE RIPS ZETTLER FOR MISSTATING FACTS AND TAKING AUDITOR’S RACE TO “A NEW LOW” Reynolds plans legal action; Jolivette to Zettler: ‘provide proof or apologize’ (Hamilton, Ohio) The stock market has been hit hard in recent months, but the truth is taking the worst beating of the year in Butler County. Democrat candidate Jack Zettler’s recent press release and county-wide mailer is so full of misstatements that it is possible that they don’t even contain any truths at all, other than Zettler’s name and the office for which he is running. “It is unfortunate that, in a year of ugly campaigning, Jack Zettler may have set the record for a new low,” said Butler County Commissioner Greg Jolivette, who was included in Zettler’s attack on County Auditor Roger Reynolds. “I know Jack, and was his classmate in school. I know and very much like his family. This can’t be their proudest moment. Jack Zettler must be desperate to win office, but that’s no excuse.” Democrat candidate Jack Zettler recently attacked Reynolds for “lowering his (Reynolds’) tax valuation”. The fact is that Reynolds owns three properties, which have risen by a total of $123,000, nearly a 15% increase. Also, Zettler tries to focus on Reynolds’ residence and claims that Reynolds realized that Zettler was on to him and then changed the property valuation to an increase in September. The fact is that Reynolds’ residential property, just like over 1,200 others in Liberty Township, was part of a “residential incentive district” that the independent reappraisal firm, CLT, was in the process of performing an updated appraisal maintenance. CLT had failed to consider market approach valuations on the RID properties, which is required, during its original reappraisal. “Zettler wants to focus on one of three properties, and ignore the others to paint a false picture to the public,” said Reynolds. “The fact is my own total valuation increased a significant amount. Zettler is engaging in despicable politics. He also misleads the public about my own residential property valuation process. Zettler’s entire attack was a fabrication.” Zettler went on to infer that Reynolds gives “sweet deals” to fellow Republicans on reappraisals. In reality, a solid majority of county Republican officeholders’ values increased. “The appraisal process has been ongoing for almost three years and was virtually complete when I took office this past April,” stated Reynolds. “I have never influenced even one property’s valuation. There are no ‘deals’. Zettler’s claim is without merit and crosses into libel. I have consulted with attorneys and have been assured that Zettler has crossed a legal line. That will be dealt with after this election.” Zettler tried to use as “proof” the reappraisal of Butler County Commissioner Greg Jolivette’s residential property. According to Zettler, Jolivette received a favorable reappraisal while two

neighboring properties went up in valuation. What Zettler doesn’t include is the fact that 27 of 37 properties in Jolivette’s neighborhood went down in valuation, several by more of a percentage than Jolivette’s. Zettler also fails to mention that the two homes he used in his attack do not compare to Jolivette’s in size or characteristics, which is critical to how CLT or any independent firm assesses values on property. Finally, Zettler fails to mention that Jolivette owns Jolly’s, a Hamilton restaurant, and that Jolly’s valuation went up much more than Jolivette’s personal property went down. There was obviously no “deal”. “There is no ground for Zettler’s reckless comments. It is a total disregard for the truth,” Jolivette stated. “Zettler’s false claims are an attack on my character. People who know me, and there are many people in this county that know me, know that I would never engage in such tactics. Zettler’s attacks are so dirty and inaccurate that I challenge Jack to prove his claim now or publicly apologize and then clean up his act. I will not be used for a mudslinging campaign without some type of accountability. Jack has decided to drag my good name into the dirt in a feeble attempt to win this campaign, and it is a sadly unethical move.” Reynolds believes his hard work to turn around a scandalized office has made Zettler bitter. “I have one thing in common with Jack; we both lost campaigns to the previous auditor. That auditor has been indicted and resigned her office, and since then I was appointed to the vacant position by the Republican Party and have achieved success in changing the tone of the Auditor’s Office. We have fought the state bureaucracy to keep property valuations as low as possible. I have promised to hold my own reappraisal next year to lower valuations for all citizens. We have put all office expenditures on-line for full disclosure, and we have cut costs and returned over a quarter of a million dollars to the community. All this was done in less than five months time. I think Jack Zettler is bitter at our success in turning things around. He has no real claims or positive vision of his own, so he makes false attacks and hides the truth. I believe Butler County is tired of these worn out, gutter politics and they want what we are offering; a fresh new start and an office that fights for the people of this county and doesn’t play dirty politics. That is the problem with Jack Zettler. There is that old cliché, ‘you don’t know jack’. Well, people are getting to know Jack Zettler well, and they don’t like what they are seeing. We now know Jack, and we know he can’t seem to tell the truth.” (see media advisory below) -30 REYNOLDS AND JOLIVETTE WILL BE AVAILABLE TODAY FROM 10:30 am UNTIL 12:30 pm FOR ON-AIR COMMENT AT BUTLER COUNTY REPUBLICAN HEADQUARTERS, 5964 GOLF CLUB LANE IN FAIRFIELD TOWNSHIP– IT IS LOCATED JUST NORTH OF HAMILTON ACROSS FROM THE WALDEN PONDS GOLF COURSE, TWO MILES FROM BUTLER COUNTY REGIONAL HIGHWAY, NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF MILLIKIN AND RT. 4