United Way merger to proceed between Butler, Warren agencies

Butler trustees approve proposal; Warren officials must follow a different procedure.

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By Ed Richter, Staff Writer Updated 11:48 AM Wednesday, December 16, 2009

LIBERTY TWP. — A possible merger between the United Way organizations in Butler and Warren counties has cleared its first hurdle.

The Butler County United Way board of trustees voted unanimously Tuesday, Dec. 15, to approve the proposed merger, said Bruce Jewett, board chairman.

“But that’s only half the process,” Jewett said.

Both boards held separate meetings Tuesday night at the Butler Tech Public Safety Education complex off Ohio 4 in Liberty Twp. The Butler County organization met for about 90 minutes, Jewett said.

Across the hall, the Warren County board met for four hours, said Jonathon Sams, spokesman and attorney for the Warren County United Way board of directors. After which, Sams said, “There were significant yea votes to approve the process.”

Warren County, which has a different governance structure, also must include its member organizations, key donors and volunteers in a merger process.

The next step is to meet with those stakeholders to inform them of the proposal, to answer questions and “to affirm the mission of the board and the United Way,” Sams said.

After that information session, Sams said a 10-day notice will be given to Warren County United Way’s active volunteers who serve on the board as well as the organization’s committees and subcommittees to conduct the final vote to approve the proposed merger.

The Warren County United Way board has not determined a timeline or date for the information meeting or the final vote. However, Sams said the board “has no intention of it being done by the end of 2009.”

The Butler County and Warren County boards have been discussing a merger since talks broke down a few months ago to create a regional United Way that would have included the Cincinnati and Dayton organizations.

The possible merger would not include the Middletown area, which is part of the Greater Cincinnati United Way, or the Oxford area, which has its own United Way.

Last week, Jewett said if the proposed merger between Warren and Butler is successful, he “wouldn’t rule out” a future merger with the Greater Cincinnati United Way.

Contact this reporter at (513) 696-4504 or erichter@coxohio.com.

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