Butler County Controller Ben Holland doesn't wish he had it to do all over again.

Holland, 28, who is wrapping up his first year as a row officer, said he's glad he didn't choose another path even though it's been a tumultuous year in county government.

“I don't regret it at all,” he said.

Though not as heated as the ongoing feuding among the county commissioners, Holland occasionally had dust-ups with the board.

He said any issues officials had with him were not due to a significant age difference.

“It's more of a cultural gap,” Holland said.

He said his background working in a fast-paced corporate world entailed streamlining and narrow margins.

Holland said he's always looking for ways to improve the controller's office and other areas of county government.

“You can take something and make it better,” Holland said.

Fully using technology is one of those goals.

“I see a lot of people benefiting from automation,” Holland said.

He said the private sector is heading to a nearly paperless way of doing business.

Holland said there were several important fiscal steps taken in 2014 by the county.

“Even amongst all the chaos, we still managed to get things done,” he said.

Although Holland didn't support construction of a new office building, he did advocate using the revenue from the sale of the Sunnyview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center to pay for it in lieu of borrowing.

He also pushed for the commissioners to put the money left from bond refinancing into escrow to help pay off 2006 borrowing in 2016.

Holland said the county could eliminate all debt in 10 years.

“The county can be debt-free,” he said. “That's something I'll continue to emphasize.”

Holland said a third accomplishment was closing out Sunnyview finances this year.

“That was a huge workload without overtime,” he said.

Part of that workload was processing the Sunnyview retirements resulting from the nursing home's privatization.

“We got everybody squared away,” Holland said.

As in previous years under former Controller Jack McMillin, the controller's office this year received the Certificate in Achievement from the Government Financial Officers Association for the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report.

Holland said the controller's work is tied to what the commissioners do.

“It's the commissioners' job to manage the money and the controller's job to supervise it,” he said.

Holland said he has ruffled feathers by expressing different views than all three commissioners.

“I wanted to be my own person,” he said.

Holland said he is committed to watching out for the taxpayers' interests.

“My goal is not to be liked, it's to be respected,” he said. “I knew tough decisions would have to be made.”

Many of those decisions are made by the county salary board, which is comprised by Holland and the commissioners.

He often finds himself the swing vote when the commissioners disagree on an issue.

Holland said basing nonunion workers' 2015 pay hike on a salary study's findings was the best option available.

He said simply giving all 150 employees a 2 percent increase, which the county calls a cost-of-living adjustment, would have been detrimental due to some people being overpaid and others underpaid.

“That inequity is going to compound,” Holland said.

He pointed out the private sector doesn't have COLAs for employees.

As his predecessor often expressed, Holland is concerned about the growth of human services in county government.

Holland said the rationale that some posts are funded by the state doesn't mean existing ones should receive automatic pay hikes or new ones be created.

“It's still county employees, and it's still taxpayers' money,” he said.

Holland said there isn't personal responsibility anymore.

“I think we've enabled a portion of the population to become dependent on government,” he said.

County Treasurer Diane Marburger praised Holland for his efforts in 2014.

“I think Ben's been doing a very good job,” Marburger said. “He dove in with both feet.”

County Commissioner Bill McCarrier, board chairman, declined to comment on Holland's first year in office.

Holland said he hopes 2015 brings more cooperation among salary board members, as opposed to the territorial and adversarial climate this year.

“Sometimes, outside these walls, it can be a very unhealthy environment,” Holland said.

The commissioners office is across the hall from the controller's office.

He compared the atmosphere in county government to an old boys' club, saying it's a culture of “entitlement and favoritism.”

McCarrier took exception to Holland's characterization.

“I think that's ridiculous,” McCarrier said.

Despite the challenges, Holland said there have been plusses to the job.

He has enjoyed working with the county pension fund, which is mainly in the form of investments.

Holland also is grateful for his staff.

“They are by far the most delightful thing about my job,” he said.