Judges in Greene County object to a $23 million plan for a new courthouse in Xenia

XENIA — A majority of the county judges in Greene County are calling “objection!” to a $23 million plan for a new courthouse in Xenia.

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As reported on News Center 7 at 5:30, county commissioners, in a meeting about the plan Thursday, said the new facility would make work more efficient.

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But one of the judges, the Honorable Michael Buckwalter, said, “There are four out of five judges that do not want to do this.”

The proposal would relocate court activity and several county departments to a new location. Social services would be relocated to still other buildings as well.

Some buildings would be razed or sold, but County Administrator Brandon Huddleson said the courthouse isn’t going anywhere.

“It would be more of a museum type building, back the way it was when, you know, years ago when the public could just openly walk,” he said.

The judges, meanwhile, said they were not made aware of the plan until September. They spent their time at Thursday’s meeting to explain why they oppose the plan.

Juvenile Court Judge Amy Lewis said there are at least seven concerns, including that there was no collaboration between the judges and commissioners. She also said the plan causes probation officers to be separated from judges, which would slow the work. And, she said, judges are concerned about mixing children and adults in the same courthouse.

“Think about what this would do to the kids,” she said.

Huddleson said to his thinking, the proposal was made for one reason: “It’s efficiency and customer service, right?”

The judges argue that the proposal does just the opposite for the actual work being done in the county buildings.

“If it’s not broken, don’t fix it,” Judge Buckwalter said.

Huddleson said the plan has not been finalized, but he notes the two sides are much closer after having heard from the judges at the meeting.

A decision on the new courthouse could come in November, he said.

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