Hours before the nation’s presidential candidates lit up prime time television, local candidates debated who is best to serve Madison County residents.
About 50 guests gathered Tuesday evening at the Madison County Senior Citizens Center in London for the two-hour event, which was sponsored by the Community Matters radio show of Ready FM and host Greg Eades.
Henry Comer, who ran for London mayor as a Republican last year and is the co-owner of Mandy’s Daycare, served as the moderator.
County commissioners
Among the topics discussed was whether a county administrator should be added to the county’s payroll — a move Commissioner Mark Forrest, the only incumbent of the four commission candidates, defended.
Comer asked the candidates questions about business recruitment, drugs and what policy changes should be made, but it was an audience question posed by David Wheatley that seemed to trigger the most discussion.
David Hunter, a Republican, will face off against Andra Troyer, an independent, in the commission seat currently held by Paul Gross. Both candidates said they were against the new position, which Wheatley suggested would cost the county more than $100,000 in salary.
Hunter, a 12-year member of the Madison-Plains school board, said commissioners should be handling those responsibilities personally. If the position was needed, it would be better to start the salary in the $80,000 range, he said, emphasizing that Madison County is not the same size as many others.
“You have to look at what the county can pay,” he said. “We can’t afford that.”
Troyer agreed. As a longtime state trustee for the Ohio Farm Bureau, she is ready to hang up that hat and put time in at the commissioners’ office, she said.
“I’m not in favor of it,” she said. “It’s not a problem for me to spend three to four days at the office.”
Ron Roach, a Democrat challenging Forrest, a West Jeff Republican running for his third term, also said he was against the commissioners making such a decision in the weeks leading up to the Nov. 8 election.
Roach said there hasn’t been a strong case to justify the position and blasted the current board for making “information hard to come by for civilians.” If the county is pursuing the position, it should be made with the new commissioners, he said.
Forrest stood by the move, citing the various aspects of the county that need the oversight of someone who is in the office 40 hours per week. Those responsibilities include $80 million in real estate and 200 employees. The county needs someone who is experienced in negotiating contracts and is an expert on the personnel manuals.
“It’s not what we’re doing, it’s what we’re not doing that would get us in trouble,” Forrest said. He also thanked Wheatley for applying for the position.
Forrest emphasized the commissioners race is not for “a me position but a we position,” crediting his fellow commissioners Gross and David Dhume.
“We are transparent,” Forrest fired back in his conclusion. “You just have to look.”
State legislature
A retired school teacher, London Democrat Barb Niemeyer said the state needs to stop balancing its budgets on the backs of local government, especially local school districts.
Niemeyer is facing State Rep. Bill Dean, a Xenia Republican who was appointed to the 74th district seat in the Ohio House of Representatives. He was appointed when now State Sen. Robert Hackett, a London Republican, was appointed to the senate and left the house.
She specifically criticized state legislatures for cutting from public school districts to fund charter schools. London schools lose $700,000 annually, she said, with Jonathan Alder and Madison-Plains losing $300,000 and Jefferson schools losing $200,000.
Since 2011, about $1.7 billion has been cut from communities, she said.
“The state keeps the revenue instead of sending it back,” said Niemeyer, who has also worked on water quality issues in the Choctaw Lake area. “The state should live up to its promise to return that money.”
Dean did not attend Tuesday’s event.
Establishment politics must come to an end, said Democrat Matthew Kirk, who is challenging Hackett for the 10th District seat in the Ohio Senate.
Hackett, who was appointed to the seat and is running to keep it, was not at the event Tuesday because he was accepting an award for Legislator of the Year from the National Insurance Association. His prepared statement was read by Comer.
Kirk used the event as an example of why Hackett isn’t the right man for the job. Insurance companies, such as Nationwide, are some of Hackett’s biggest contributors, Kirk said.
“Who is he really accountable to?” Kirk asked.
Hackett’s statement also touted bringing jobs to the county, a success aided by JobsOhio. He said his focus has been bringing jobs to the region as well as implementing the Common Sense Initiative, designed to ease regulatory burden on businesses.
Kirk also criticized JobsOhio, as well as the state’s cuts to local government.
County engineer
In the final locally contested race, Bryan Dhume said his vast engineering experience in the private and public sectors is what makes him best for the job.
The Republican was appointed following the death of former engineer David Brand before running in the primary uncontested. He is running against independent candidate Steven Lamphear, who did not attend Tuesday’s event.
Dhume, the son of Commissioner David Dhume, said his office operates on a perspective of public service.
“These are the roads and bridges our family and friends drive on,” he said.
He touted his leadership in modernizing the staffing and software in the office, as well as reviving the county’s bridge crew. This year the crew built its first bridge in 15 years, he said.
“My heart is in this job. I want to make our infrastructure better,” he said. “This is a dream job for me and not because it’s easy. This is the hardest I’ve ever worked.”
Uncontested candidates
Uncontested candidates — all of which are Republicans — for county office were given the opportunity to speak for up to three minutes. The following individuals spoke on Tuesday:
• Jim Sabin, for Madison County sheriff
• Stephen Pronai, for Madison County prosecutor
• Eamon Costello, for Madison County common pleas judge
• Chuck Reed, for Madison County recorder
Other uncontested candidates for county offices include:
• Renae Zabloudil, for Madison County clerk of courts
• Donna Landis, for Madison County treasurer
• James Kaehr, for Madison County coroner
The Madison Press will publish an election preview during the coming weeks.
Dhume
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Dhume
Andrea Chaffin | The Madison Press
Kirk
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Kirk
Andrea Chaffin | The Madison Press
Niemeyer
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Niemeyer
Andrea Chaffin | The Madison Press
Eades
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Eades
Andrea Chaffin | The Madison Press
Forrest
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Forrest
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Troyer
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Troyer
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Hunter
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Hunter
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Roach
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Roach
Andrea Chaffin | The Madison Press
Candidates talk county administrator, state funding and jobs
By Andrea Chaffin
achaffin@civitasmedia.com
Andrea Chaffin can be reached at 740-852-1616, ext. 1619 or via Twitter @AndeeWrites.