By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
The Wood County Commissioners took their local concerns to a higher power earlier this week. The three went to Washington, D.C., to meet with federal officials about issues that matter back here in Ohio.
As part of an invitation to the National Association of Counties, 82 county commissioners from across Ohio spent the first part of this week making connections in the nation’s capital.
“The purpose was for us to learn more about the federal departments and what they can do for us, and open the lines of communication,” said Doris Herringshaw, president of the Wood County Commissioners.
Though governors and mayors are frequently on the guest list in Washington, D.C., this was reportedly the first time the focus was on county commissioners. This was an effort to reach more local grassroots government, Commissioner Craig LaHote said.
The expenses for all three commissioners – Herringshaw, LaHote and Ted Bowlus – will be picked up by county taxpayers. Flights, hotel lodging and food added up to a total of about $1,500 – with the education and connections made by the commissioners well worth the expenses, they agreed when they talked Thursday after their three days in D.C.
While there, the commissioners met with Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and Vice President Mike Pence, toured the White House and heard from Kellyanne Conway, counselor to President Donald Trump.
“She’s an excellent speaker,” Herringshaw said of Conway.
The commissioners met with representatives of 10 to 15 federal agencies, and were scheduled to meet with others, such as HUD Secretary Ben Carson, but several officials were in Texas responding to Hurricane Harvey.
While meeting with Perdue, many of the Ohio commissioners took the opportunity to talk about Lake Erie’s harmful algal bloom issue. Perdue promised to help the commissioners get answers to their questions about Lake Erie.
“It may not be the answers we want to hear,” Herringshaw said.
“But he said he would cut through the red tape and bureaucracy,” LaHote said.
Perdue also addressed commissioners’ concerns about funding for Community Development Block Grants that had been vetoed in the president’s budget.
“That funding helps low income communities to do a multitude of projects they couldn’t afford otherwise,” Herringshaw said.
The federal officials they met with seemed “very attuned to local and state issues,” Herringshaw said.
Pence tasked agencies with doing a better job of streamlining processes and sharing information, “so projects don’t drag on for years,” LaHote said.
Pence also discussed plans for changes in the tax code.
“The priorities they have are for tax reform, not necessarily tax cuts,” Bowlus said.
The commissioners learned about opportunities at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Ohio, and discussed the opiate crisis – with Ohio leading in the number of overdose deaths.
“They talked about more funds available to fight the crisis, including funds for recovery,” since Ohio needs more treatment beds, Bowlus said.
“They want to more diligently pursue over-prescribing. That’s one of their goals,” LaHote said.
Federal officials also discussed collapsing some agencies, to make government more efficient, LaHote added.
“The whole thing was non-political,” Herringshaw said. “How we can help you? What we can offer? How we can be more transparent?”
