"I am deeply appreciative of the trust the people of Lawrence County have placed in me and to honor their trust, I promise to continue to work for fairness and equality in the treatment of all taxpayers."
A message from Stephen:
Hi, this is Stephen Dale Burcham, Lawrence County Treasurer. Aren't you tired of negative campaign ads?
My opponent's supporters have distributed campaign materials that are misleading and deceiving. The issue referred to in the ads is nothing news. Let me tell you the truth and as Paul Harvey used to say, "and now the rest of the story..."
- FACT: The individuals were caught using the safeguards I put in place.
- FACT: Once they were caught, I worked closely with the sheriff and prosecutor.
- FACT: They were tried, convicted and now have criminal records.
- FACT: They have repaid every penny stolen.
- FACT: I have always been honest and open about my office and how we handle your money.
- FACT: The thefts were committed by the granddaughter of the Chair of the Lawrence County Republican Party and a Special Deputy of the Sheriff's office.
Therefore, I ask you, the voter, to consider all the facts. Do not be deceived, mislead or manipulated by the desperate campaign of my opponent. I assure you that your money will alway be handled with the utmost care and dilligence.
I ask you to vote for me, Stephen Dale Burcham, for Lawrence County Treasurer on November 6.
The Ironton Tribune Endorses Stephen Dale Bucham!
"Now, Burcham is the right answer for the position of county auditor. All his qualifications simply add up to be the best choice."
- Ironton Tribune (Oct. 28, 2010)
Read the entire story "Burcham fits as auditor".
More Attacks:
"More deliberately misleading information and outright falsehoods have recently circulated by mail regarding my performance as the Fairland Local School District Treasurer. The truth of the matter on my resignation was that I left the board on good terms to start my own business. At the time that I left, there were no outstanding financial issues of concern. The Fairland School Board Members at the time of my resignation were: Mike Shepherd, Charles Workman, Iva Jean Willis, Richard Burns, Stephen Ward. Mr. Burns and Mr. Ward have since passed away but you can contact any of the remaining three members for the truth." - Stephen Dale Burcham (Oct. 2010)
This Tuesday November 2nd, please cast your vote for honesty, integrity and experience; elect Stephen Dale Burcham Lawrence County Auditor.
The truth about the Attacks:
"My opponent has recently sent out a mailing indicating that I was for cutting 4H programs and raising property taxes. This is simply not true. I have always supported 4H programs, buying livestock at the auctions and serving as 4H judge. The former 4H director, Laura Jane Murphy, resigned because the commissioners would not support her and they cut her programs - call her and ask. Also, as is evidenced by my platform, I am NOT proposing any tax increases and have shown my support to roll back ANY increases in this difficult economy. My opponent has continually asked the auditor's office for revenue estimates of proposed tax increases. In short, the comments he makes are taken out of context. It is sad that he is resorting to such desperate tactics in order to win." - Stephen Dale Burcham (Oct. 2010)
The context of words and who said those words is always important in knowing the truth. The truth about this mailing is that it referenced an article by the Ironton Tribune in 2006 titled, "County asks for ideas in saving funds" that explained how the County Commissioners asked the "Lawrence County Budget Commission to provide an update on the state of the county's finances." The budget commission at the time consisted of Lawrence County Auditor Ray T. Dutey, Lawrence County Treasurer Stephen Dale Burcham and Lawrence County Prosecutor J.B. Collier, Jr. The budget commission stated to the county commissioners that it could not, "in clear conscience provide an increase in revenue certification." As a result, the budget commission did make several recommendations on how the county could save money but as Stephen Dale Burcham was the minority member on the budget commission, he did not agree with several of the recommendations that the budget commission suggested to the county commissioners. If you see him at the fair buying 4H animals, going door to door asking for votes or if you visit the Treasurers office in Ironton, he would gladly clear up any misinformation that has been spread about him. Read the entire article here on this site, hosted here since 2006 or read the archived article on irontontribune.com.
Unfortunately, this is not the first attack made against Stephen Dale Burcham this political season. A series of calls were placed in the form of a poll, that echoed some of the same misinformation expressed in this recent mailing.
The most powerful book in the world states, "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. (Exodus 20:16)"
It is our hope that the voters of Lawrence County will see the truth and do the ethical, moral and right thing this election and vote for Stephen Dale Burcham.
Mission as Auditor:
- Reduce property tax burden for senior citizens (preventing senior citizens' property taxes from increasing greater than the percentage increase in their income).
- Ensure property taxes are not raised based on misleading data from a suffering economy.
- Transparency - All checks written and financial statements will be available on the Auditors website.
- Prevent the county from being fined every year for not having proper financial statements. Stephen Dale Burcham as a Certified Public Accountant is the only candidate in this race that has the credentials to complete these financial statements without outsourcing to a third-party firm.
Qualifications:
- First elected as County Treasurer in 2004
- Certified Public Accountant - 40 years
- Private Practice - 34 years
- Securities Investment Licensed
Education:
- The Ohio State University
- Fairland High School
Family:
- Debbie Burcham, wife of 47 years
- Isla Hall, granddaughter: Jodi and Evan Hall, daughter and son-in-law
- Thomas Fox, grandson: Jessica and Jared Fox, daughter and son-in-law
- Dale & Betty Burcham, parents
New Hope United Methodist Church:
- Praise and Worship Team Member