Michael B. Colbert

Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services

Lazarus Building 50 West Town Street, Columbus, Ohio

 

I have been questioning the makeup of the Ohio Child Support Review Council and whether 3 members are statutorily permitted to serve on this Council. I just received a phone from Brian Kessler of ODJFS as a result of my inquiry as to the question of whether Steve Killpack was an obligor and if Phyllis Carlson-Riehm was an obligee. Brian has now admitted that these two do not meet the statutory requirements to serve on this council. Steve Killpack is not an obligor and Ms. Carlson-Riehm is not an obligee and by Brian Kessler’s admission there exists no court case in which they were adjudicated as such.

This is an admission that the Child Support Review Council was assembled and contains members that are not permitted to participant under Ohio Law.  This is a willful and total disregard of the laws of the State of Ohio and this must be corrected immediately.

When Ohio law is specific as to what the composition of this Council is to be and that law is not followed, the public trust has been broken. (ORC 3119.024) Is specific on who can be appointed to this Council. It does not say someone that they FEEL (Brian’s words) is knowledgeable and can represent that obligors and obligees, it says that the Council is to contain an actual obligor and an actual obilgee. The law is also specific in that the Council is to contain a judge, not a magistrate, a judge. Serpil Ergun is Magistrate within the Cuyahoga Country Domestic Relations Court, not an elected judge as by law.

Federal law requires the State of Ohio to hold these reviews on four year intervals. While the State of Ohio has met this requirement, by failing to meet the requirements of Ohio Law in the composition of this council they have continued to ignore and address the numerous problems that exist. 

Ohio’s Child Support Laws are woefully in need of revision but these revisions must come within the guidelines set forth by Ohio’s laws. If the required legal shareholders are not represented the results of this Council are flawed and any suggestions made must be disregarded until the Council has the required shareholders presenting and working towards the intended goal.

Until the corrections are made to this Council, all work must cease. The parties that have made these improper appointments must be held accountable for their actions and their disregard of Ohio law. Should the improperly appointed parties have received any compensation from the State of Ohio, those funds must be returned immediately.

It is time for the process to be done correctly. This Council in numerous past attempts to address the issues has failed. That failure will protect no child or parent within the State of Ohio.

I am open and willing to work on this issue and have the knowledge and the qualifications to serve.

I am available 24/7 at 440-281-5478 to discuss this problem.

Ray Lautenschlager

Ohio Family Rights

President

 

CC: Governor John Kasich

 David Yost, Auditor, State of Ohio

Mike DeWine, Attoney General, State of Ohio

Michael B. Colbert, ODJFS