There are times in our government that shall remain in our memories forever. I’m sure when women got the vote was a forever moment. For those of my generation, the Fair Credit Act of 1973 finally meant women could get a credit card or a mortgage. That was good government. I served on the Finance Committee during my time in the Legislature and I saw my share of bad government. Finance Committee set the budget for the State and I saw millions whisked away for projects that were of benefit to the delegate, but of no benefit to the State.
But, at the most recent Hancock County Commission meeting, I saw the worst ever in government when two County Commissioners, Paul Cowey and Eron Chek, gave $400,000 in Opioid Funds to Family Care Excellence. The machinations that the two have gone through in past months to get this award approved would have made Houdini look like an amateur. The award defied any standards or requirements set forth to guard against giving to organizations who show no evidence of actually helping addicts. Did the two demand to see that evidence? Nope, Cowey and Chek, reminded me of my granddaughter Abbi, who when she was little defied the rules and used to tell her sister “I do what I want!” That’s exactly, what these two county commissioners did despite Family Care Excellence twice failing to provide the information that Asst. Prosecutor Mike Lukas stipulated.
….. Commissioner Tommy Ogden has been the voice of reason in the meetings saying you can’t award money to a project for which you lack adequate information. No matter that the original funding request was for $800,000 for a men’s residential structure to house 40 men. When Ogden questioned the cost per square footage the project continued to morph into a congregation/meeting room with bedrooms upstairs. No professional renderings, just a few pictures. One official who frequented Commission meetings said there were two stories, but no stairs in the drawings.
I was so appalled that the faith-based, non-credentialed organization which is incorporated in Ohio and serves predominantly Ohio residents pulled this off, that I wanted to yell, “This is bad. This is soooo bad. You can’t do this.” Members of the media are not permitted to speak, so I shook my head, rolled my eyes and engaged the eyes of others in attendance who registered disbelief. I had a lot of camera equipment around me and would have kicked a camera if my co-workers in the media weren’t so nice.
So I went back to the office (which is my family room) and began an even deeper dive into Family Care Excellence. Here’s what I found:
**The organization is totally faith based. Not one staff member is credentialed to handle addiction. The organization relies on peer couseling, training.
**But it is family oriented because the majority of the staff are Lytles. Don Lytle, the father, originally served as the President and his son, Josh Lytle, the vice president. In recent years that has flip flopped as Don serves as vice president and Josh as president. I looked at 990s, the income tax returns and Guidestar, which rates charitable organization. Don Lytle spends 3 hours per week on Family Excellence business, for which he receives $16,440.00 per annum. His son, Josh, spends 40 hours-per-week and receives a salary of $32,550.00 per annum. Alessha Lytle serves 40 hours-per-week as the treasurer for which she receives $26,000.00 a year. There is a Dennis Lytle listed on their Board, and a Dave Good and Pastor Gary Lilly. The entire board are Ohio residents except Lilly a Weirton resident. Lytle brought another Board member, the East Liverpool Chief of Police with him to a workshop where distribution of the opioid funding was discussed.
**One of Hometown News readers, wrote that the danger of organizations like this is that they have no training, but claim to treat addicts and heal them of their addictions. “People may go to them for help, which prevents or delays them from seeking treatment from a qualified provider.”
**Josh, who serves as the President has no training other than life experience as he relays how he was addicted to drugs and incarcerated before he changed his life through religion.
**In 2025, Family Care Excellence had revenue of $1.53 K and expenses of $1.45K. They list salaries of $81,090.00
**While the organization claims they never charge anyone for services, their material suggests the person seeking help contribute $200.00 saying that they need a “dog in the fight.” Other material lists “tuition” as $500/per person and asks supporters to sponsor a resident for $45/month. For that sponsorship the donor will receive a monthly report on the progress. Fund raisers are held to raise money and include t-shirt sales. The one I found most ironic is the gun raffle they held. I question the message they send when they raffle guns. I also question if they have a raffle license;
**Josh Lytle was repeatedly asked how many of his residents are citizens of West Virginia versus Ohio residents. Their material states they have a close working relationship with the East Liverpool Police Statement. I can count at least four times Lytle was asked to produce that information, the last time by the assistant prosector. Lytle has yet to produce those numbers and I would guess he is not doing so because they treat predominantly Ohio residentsl
**Addiction is not only the only issue addressed. The organization has housing for couples who have children, Some of them work, but continue to live as a family, While Freedom House (the former Charles Taylor residence on Pyramus Rd in Chester) is listed as a women-only, the new structure will be barracks for men. I do not know where the apartments that house families are located.
**At the prior Commission where the budget was presented, the opioid funding was used to pay the Regional Jail bill freeing up the general fund to reduce the Sheriff’s budget cut from 15% to 5%. I am assured that the Sheriff will remain at 5%. The general fund will be used to pay the regional jail fund;
**Family Excellence presented no statistics on how many of their residents remain sober after seeking help at the facility. They did not tell us the average length of the stay. There were no measurements taken to tell if faith-based treatment works. Any questions lobbed at Josh Lytle, seemed to bounce off him with a “God will provide” response given;
**A requirement of any County Commissioner is that they perform their “due diligence” regarding an issue before they cast their vote. Clearly, Cowey and Chek, looked the other way when Family Excellence did not adhere to the requirement to produce information. A Memorandum of Understanding must be drawn up and approved by the Commission before Family Excellence gets their money;
**If approval is received, I would suggest future Commissions make an annual evaluation of what that $400,000.00 accomplished. Will a structure be built? What will its purpose be (building the steps to nowhere)? And, did Cowey and Chek ramrod the funding to achieve good.
