Josh Schaad, whose office is in downtown Cincinnati, worked in his Blue Ash home once the pandemic set in. The Ohio Supreme Court ruled it was constitutional for him to pay Cincinnati taxes.
The effort is notable in light of the PUCO’s role in the biggest corruption case in Ohio’s history, House Bill 6. According to court filings, FirstEnergy admitted to bribing former PUCO chairman Sam Randazzo to draft provisions ensuring the company could bill consumers more if its revenue fell below a 2018 benchmark. That year was its best in a decade.
Ohio Democrats believe they can improve a powerful state utility regulator by changing the nomination criteria. The governor selects the Public Utility Commission of Ohio’s five-member board, but he works from a short list devised by a nominating commission.