Dayton Public Schools said they have no responsive records related to Stacey Benson-Taylor applying for a job there — or the job being publicly posted — before she was hired in December after being voted out of office as Montgomery County recorder.
The Dayton Daily News requested records showing when and where Lieberman’s and Benson-Taylor’s jobs were posted, records submitted by anyone applying for the jobs and records that showed the jobs’ descriptions and salaries.
Montgomery County Republican Party Chairman state Rep. Phil Plummer criticized the hires, saying the jobs should have been competitively posted.
“These are current officeholders and two people who formerly led offices. They should know how to post a job, know how to arrange interviews. Be fair to the citizens and stick with the established process,” he told this news outlet.
Debbie Lieberman
Montgomery County Clerk of Courts Mike Foley — who won reelection in November despite facing criminal charges alleging theft in office and improper political and other activities involving public resources — did not respond to a request for comment regarding when and how Lieberman received her job and what led to the new position being created.
Lieberman was first elected to the county commission in 2004. In November, the Democratic commissioner lost her race against Republican challenger and former Trotwood mayor Mary McDonald.
Lieberman was hired as Foley’s community development director at $40 per hour ($83,000 a year salary). This is a pay cut from her job as county commissioner that was statutorily set at $113,446 in 2024.
The letter addressed to Lieberman offering the job in the clerk’s office is dated Dec. 3. She started work Jan. 2.
The community development job was approved on Dec. 1, records show. The role’s primary purpose is “leading, planning, organizing, developing, coordinating and directing improvements, projects and community development for the Montgomery County Clerk of Courts,” according to Montgomery County Clerk of Courts personnel records.
The resume that Lieberman submitted for the job lists intergovernmental relations, community engagement and workforce development as her top skills.
There is no record of anyone else being considered for the job.
Lieberman told the Dayton Daily News that the job is centered on community connections. This includes expanding events like the monthly “Connecting with the Community” sessions ― a clerk’s office event series ― at locations around the county.
According to the job description, the community development director role will also be tasked with creating and enhancing programs for veterans, people reentering society after incarceration and more. Also included in the job’s duties are grant writing and research.
Foley is a prominent Republican, though has been at odds with leadership in his party since his indictment. Lieberman is a prominent Democrat.
Stacey Benson-Taylor
Benson-Taylor, former Montgomery County recorder, became assistant business manager at Dayton Public Schools after her term in office ended.
The Montgomery County Democratic Party appointed Benson-Taylor as county recorder in 2023 after the elected recorder resigned to take a position as municipal judge. Benson-Taylor in November lost her election to Republican Lori Kennedy.
The Dayton school board voted unanimously to hire Benson-Taylor with no public discussion at their Dec. 17 board meeting.
Benson-Taylor is expected to make $105,000 in her new role, according to Dayton Public Schools records. The statutory salary for Benson-Taylor as recorder in 2024 was $92,876.
Benson-Taylor’s start date with DPS was listed as Jan. 6.
Benson-Taylor declined to comment for this story.
A district spokeswoman previously said the position was posted online. But in response to a records request from the Dayton Daily News, Dayton Public Schools could provide no record of a job posting, or any record of Benson-Taylor or anyone else applying for the job — not even a copy of Benson-Taylor’s resume.
Both DPS superintendent David Lawrence and the president of the school board in December, Will Smith, said the job was not created for Benson-Taylor.
“Jobs should be for qualified people,” Smith said.
Lawrence, who was the business manager for DPS until he was appointed interim superintendent in July 2023, said he had someone in a similar position working for him when he first became business manager in September 2022 called the chief of operations. The person who filled that role resigned in March 2023, according to district records, and was never replaced. This role would replace those duties.
The associate business manager’s essential duties and responsibilities include helping prepare and monitor department budgets, reviewing expenses, overseeing operations, and helping with hiring, evaluating and training non-educational staff.
The current business manager, Marvin Jones, asked for an assistant, Smith and Lawrence said.
Smith said he had no doubts that Benson-Taylor was qualified and noted six of the seven board members voted to approve Benson-Taylor. Board member Chrisondra Goodwine was not present and did not vote.
Benson-Taylor is a Democrat, as are the majority of Dayton’s school board members.
