Issues & Answers – Perry County’s Top 3 Issues
The March 6, 2024 edition of the Perry County Tribune offered Perry County candidates for public office an opportunity to answer six questions. Candidates were asked to limit their answers to 150 words. I complied with those restrictions to the letter. However, with my website, I have the opportunity to provide you with more in-depth responses if you wish to read them. Here is my complete response to question number two…
What do you consider the three most important issues facing the county today, and should more be done to address any of them?
The greatest “immediate” issue facing the people of Perry County is the March 19th General Election. There are two County Commissioners to be decided on the republican ballot in March. Challenger D. Kinsel and I for my current seat. Chase Bennett and Thad Cooperrider for the open seat vacated when Commissioner Derek Householder was appointed Auditor.
Exercising your right to vote is critical, and it is critical to be informed. Take time and research any candidate running for election Being a 2024 Perry County Commissioner in 2024 is not a part time job. Anyone that treats it as a second job just does not understand the responsibilities of the office.
I think the people want and need commissioners who work for all citizens of this County and not a political party. The only way to ensure it continues to be transparent and working for all citizens is to vote on March 19th and keep me in office for another four years so we can get back to work on all the other Perry County needs.
The lack of adequate Broadband service continues to be a problem for many people in the county. Of course, Perry County is not a broadband provider, but the Perry County Commissioners are constantly looking to discover new opportunities to bring broadband providers into Perry County. Perry County is a member of the Buckeye Hills Regional Council (BHRC) and the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC). I represent the Perry County Commissioners on both those regional councils. Through those councils we are in contact with every company that may provide an opportunity for Perry County.
On October 27th, 2021, the Perry County Commissioners passed resolution #21-1027-16 approving the Ohio Residential Broadband Expansion Grant Program Request for Providers. The following week on November 3, 2021, we passed resolution #21-1103-06 pledging to contribute up to $475,000 of ARPA (American Rescue Plan) funds for the broadband project submitted by Spectrum MidAmerica LLC to be managed by Charter Communications. This commitment of 10% local match helped to successfully leverage a 4.7 million dollar grant for fiber installation in Perry County.
On January 13, 2023 the Commissioners submitted the first check to Spectrum for approximately half the amount pledged at $237,500.00. We have yet to receive the request for the second round. As work progresses and we receive updates of that work and their locations, I will continue to share that information as well.
Fire/EMS/Law Enforcement throughout Perry County is another issue that has been discussed and deliberated for years. This is not a new issue. Many village and township Fire/EMS departments struggle to maintain volunteers’ equipment and training. I would love to work with adjacent villages that may want to merge and consolidate resources. This would allow the County to assist in a “regional” type of Fire/EMS station. However this initiative needs to originate and be mutually agreed upon by the respective small departments. It is not the place of the County Commissioners to hand down directives to departments to work together and consolidate resources. Until some villages come together there is not a great deal the county commissioners can accomplish. The Perry County general fund budget cannot sustain the idea of simply funding all the village departments.
Fire and EMS Service is and continues to be on the shoulders of Villages, Townships and their core of community volunteers that have been the life blood of every department. There is no “County” Fire / EMS. That would be the most massive change to Fire / EMS ever and would have to be led by those Villages and Townships. The Perry County Commissioners have absolutely no authority to direct or dictate operations to community departments.
Another issue that will become more of a challenge for Perry County is the inevitable growth due to Intel, Google, Amazon and other giant companies coming to Licking County. The growth of business and population is coming, and it is coming at a greater rate than ever before. We can stick our head in the sand the try unsuccessfully to ignore and postpone the inevitable, or we can work with communities and businesses to plan smartly for this growth to the benefit of the County and everyone living here.
Those are just three more issues that continue to rise to the top of conversations throughout Perry County. Please take time to read through other articles regarding many more issues here on my web site.
