TIM DONOVAN http://www.cleveland.com/mycleveland/index.ssf/2012/04/tim_donovan_helps_to_revive_a.html
Tim Donovan is the executive director for the Ohio Canal Corridor and has been for 22 years.
Donovan is also an employee for the City of Cleveland - Board of Zoning Appeals.
The combined salary for both of Tim Donovan's positions is nearly $100,000 annually.
Donovan is not able to manage his own financial obligations and should not be an executive director of the Ohio Canal Corridor- which is blowing millions and millions of dollars on a towpath which should have been completed years ago. If the towpath was completed in a timely manner, there probably wouldn't be much of a need for an executive director of the Ohio Canal. I suppose I would hold on to this high paying position for as long as I could and for as long as taxpayers keep throwing millions and millions of dollars in the pot, why should he stir it?
Donovan certainly should not be involved with board of zoning appeal decisions either.
An executive director and an employee that is making important zoning appeal decisions must be held to a much higher standard than the average John Doe.
Tim Donovan recently lost his home via property tax foreclosure after he failed to pay his property taxes for many years. The current property tax bill - which will mostly be forgiven by the county minus the two tax liens purchased by tax lien investors- is $ 16,359.18.
Donovan's house is now owned by an out-of-state tax lien investor. A shady tax lien investor which is under investigation by county officials and is well known to be a contributor to neighborhood blight.
According to the City of Cleveland's website, Donovan had housing court costs and / or fines which were not paid for many years, resulting in an arrest warrant which was recently resolved. The housing code violations were ignored for a long time and resulted in the housing court case, along with a judge's threat of jail time.
A concerned citizen recently discovered that Tim Donovan also has delinquent water / sewer bills in the amount of $2,433.54. The concerned citizen has a relative whose water was disconnected by the city due to a delinquent water bill for a few hundred dollars. Other property owners face similar penalties with water disconnection for a few hundred bucks. How Donovan got away without paying water / sewer bills for so long and owing nearly $2500 is alarming.
The City of Cleveland also charged Donovan for grass cutting fees as Donovan was apparently unable to cut his own damn grass.
Tim Donovan lacks the ability to pay his property taxes, maintain his home free of code violations, cut his grass, or pay his water bill.
Something isn't quite right here. I don't believe that a person who is unable to maintain his own personal affairs should be paid nearly $100,000 a year to maintain our affairs.
An immediate investigation is warranted for possible abuse of taxpayer funds with this long drawn out towpath ordeal. The city had to step in and cut Donovan's grass, so what else is Donovan neglecting?
Despite Mr. Executive Director's high salary, Tim Donovan has cost taxpayers thousands of dollars in unpaid property taxes, water / sewer bills, grass cutting services, along with feeding out-of-state tax lien investors another property to neglect and add to neighborhood blight.
Tim Donovan must be held to a higher standard and should immediately resign from both of his positions. If he can't handle his own affairs (cutting grass), he should not be in charge of zoning appeal decisions or an executive director of anything. His neglectful behavior is highly suspicious and must be addressed immediately. This goes beyond personal financial issues which many people are experiencing as Donovan makes nearly $100,000 per year for many years. There is a serious problem with Tim Donovan and his employers have been put on notice by local media. Tim Donovan has cost taxpayers thousands of dollars while collecting two taxpayer funded paychecks. It is time for Donovan to hit the road and address whatever personal issues he has on his own dime. Party time is over.