2-19-26 - Buckeye Schools Spending Showdown With C.C. Huttinger
Podcasts > The Jake Underwood Show
The Jake Underwood Show is the daily conversation hub for Northeast Ohio, delivering fast, honest talk on politics, culture, faith, sports, and everyday life. Jake talks about the issues other voices avoid, and brings honesty and clarity back into public conversation.
Educating and enlightening our fellow Ohioans in a style that encourages active audience engagement is what drives and motivates Jake. Jake enjoys mixing it up with those of our audience with whom he agrees…and with those of whom he disagrees.
Thursday, February 26, 2026
The Jake Underwood Show – Buckeye Schools Spending Showdown
We dive deep into the growing controversy surrounding Buckeye Local School District’s plan to move forward with a massive capital project despite three failed bond issues and an ongoing emergency levy.
C.C. Huttinger joins the show to lay out serious concerns about transparency, fiduciary responsibility, and financial risk. We break down the district’s decision to “self-fund” a project now estimated as high as $78 million, the transfer of $32 million in reserves into a newly created capital fund, and the implications of signing an ELPP agreement with the State of Ohio.
We examine:
• Whether Emergency Levy funds can legally support capital projects
• The Ohio Open Meetings Act and what it requires
• The district’s five-year financial forecast showing potential losses
• Conflicting descriptions of the project scope
• Why three failed bond votes still matter politically — even if not legally
This isn’t about partisan politics. It’s about local accountability, financial stewardship, and whether elected officials are honoring both the letter of the law and the will of the voters.
