OUTSIDER DEMARE WANTS TO USE SKILLS INSIDE COMMISSIONERS’ OFFICE
By JAN McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Joe DeMare wants to disrupt “business as usual” in the Wood County Commissioners Office.
The Bowling Green Independent candidate is one of three people running for one open commissioner seat being vacated by the retirement of Doris Herringshaw.
“I’m offering my services to the people of Wood County,” he said.
Though DeMare has multiple areas of concern, he is doggedly focusing on one issue above all else.
“Basically, I see things happening like the data center going in,” he said. “It’s business as usual. It’s time we broke it up.”
DeMare disagrees that his power as an Independent office holder may be muted by the two Republicans already on the county board. Instead, he thinks that just the knowledge that he is opposed to data centers and non-disclosure agreements would be enough to discourage similar projects from trying to build in Wood County.
“They won’t try for the sweetheart deals they know I wouldn’t approve,” he said.
Now retired, DeMare has experience in grant writing, budgeting and planning at a New York community college, and as a machinist at an industrial ceramics plant in Perrysburg.
“I have the mindset of the working people,” he said.
A member of the Green Party, he is a proponent of climate resiliency and if elected, would push for the county to increase the resiliency of its buildings, so they could be used by the public in times of climate emergencies.
DeMare said he would also use his position to advocate for greater sharing of state funds with local entities. For decades now, the state has denied local governments the funding they once shared, he said.
Ohio is currently sitting on a nearly $2 billion cushion, while local municipalities and social services suffer from reduced funding, he said.
“I think that would solve a lot of problems,” if that money would again be sent back to grassroots government, DeMare said.
As for the statewide debate over Ohio’s reliance on property taxes, DeMare said there is currently no better option. He objected to greater sales taxes, since those harm lower-income residents the most.
“I think they are essential right now,” he said of property taxes.
DeMare sees himself as a successful outsider – who can be even more effective from the inside.
He claimed victory when Bowling Green City Council recently did away with a fee DeMare had called a “rooftop solar penalty” that he had protested for years.
“I’m stubborn and a fighter,” he said. “I look at this as an opportunity for voters to get away from the two-party system. I’m looking forward to doing the job, and I think I’m the best person for it.”
LEE SEES COMMISSIONER ROLE AS NEXT STEP IN PUBLIC SERVICE
By JAN McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
During Ryan Lee’s lifetime, he’s spent more years in public service than not. At age 19, he was elected to Jerry City Village Council, followed by election as mayor in 1999 at age 23.
For 24 years, he has served on the Central Joint Fire District, where he is a firefighter and former assistant fire chief. He served 14 years on the Elmwood Board of Education, and currently serves on the board of the Northwestern Water and Sewer District.
This past summer, Lee saw another door open for a different public service role he has long pondered. When Wood County Commissioner incumbent Doris Herringshaw decided to bow out of the race due to health issues, Lee expressed interest and was selected to fill her place as the Republican on the ballot.
“It’s something I’ve always been interested in,” Lee said, sharing his appreciation for the past bipartisan commissioner team of Jim Carter, Tim Brown and Alvie Perkins. “I asked myself, ‘Why not now?’”
Lee, who is assistant superintendent at Penta Career Center, said he would leave that position if elected commissioner.
His focus would be on maintaining the quality of life in Wood County. “I can think of no better place to raise a family,” and his decisions would be based on that goal, he said.
While Lee is good at talking, he takes pride in his ability to listen.
“Wood County is extremely diverse in what people want and think,” he said, listing the varied viewpoints of township and city officials, and the residents they govern.
“I’ll try to figure out how we can talk together collaboratively,” he said.
“I have a proven record as someone who likes to engage in public dialogue,” he said. “I’m a respectful, engaged person. I listen to other people’s opinions, even when it’s difficult.”
Lee believes public officials should be accessible, whether during a meeting if appropriate, after a meeting, or at other times when constituents request.
“I’m not afraid to engage in conversations,” he said. “It’s not about party. It’s about the person.”
As for the touchy topic of property taxes, Lee believes there may be ways to reduce – but not remove the taxes.
“I’m opposed to abolishment of property taxes. I’m opposed to that without a plan,” he said. “We have to think about how to do that wisely.”
Lee is also against tax abatements and non-disclosure agreements between businesses and public officials.
“We should be open to talk about that in a public way,” he said. Government needs to be protective of its water and other resources, he added. “I may go against the grain, but I’m opposed to any economic development that’s not a good neighbor.”
There are bound to be tensions in parts of Wood County where growth is occurring – such as the CSX hub in North Baltimore, Rossford, and the Meta data center area along Ohio 582.
“I’m for responsible economic development,” Lee said. “We’re going to have to tackle that.”
REYNOLDS WANTS COMMISSIONERS OFFICE TO BE MORE ACCESSIBLE TO PUBLIC
By JAN McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Brenna Reynolds wants to make the Wood County Commissioners Office more accessible to local citizens.
The Democratic candidate for county commissioner would like to livestream the morning meetings of the commissioners and record them so they can be viewed whenever convenient for local residents.
“It’s definitely something I’ve heard from residents,” Reynolds said about the inconvenient meeting times during the workday.
As a Rossford City Council member, Reynolds found her constituents appreciated her hosting quarterly “community conversations” with coffee and doughnuts. The gatherings were an opportunity for Reynolds to explain decisions made by council, and an opportunity for residents to tell her what they want in their community.
“I’m always ready and willing to listen,” she said. “It’s really important for me to connect with residents and bring their voices to the community.”
Reynolds would like to adopt that model at the county level.
“I want to make it more accessible.”
Public service is part of her makeup, according to Reynolds. As a child, her family couldn’t afford to enroll Reynolds and her two siblings in summer camps, so instead they volunteered to help with the YMCA Youth Corp.
“It definitely sparked something in me,” she said. “Service has always been a big part of who I am.”
She went on to serve on volunteer boards with YMCA youth programs and a women’s shelter. “I always found a way to be of service,” she said.
Then in 2021, Reynolds ran for Rossford City Council. Now serving her second term, she was inspired to go back to college for a master’s degree in public administration. She worked with the City of Toledo Human Relations Commission and the Center for Regional Development at Bowling Green State University. She currently works in day care.
If elected as county commissioner, Reynolds would make it a priority to look into the county’s budget, which she said has approximately $26 million in its carryover. That’s a lot, she said, and warrants a budget analysis to better determine how much incoming revenue is one-time or recurring, and if there are restrictions on how it can be spent.
Wood County has several needs that are currently going under or unfunded, she said. For example, more than 100 county bridges and roads are presently rated in poor condition, the county garage has outlived its current location, and Wood Have Health Care hasn’t received any major updates since 1971, she said.
“Can we spend some of these reserves on facilities?” she questioned.
Reynolds also suggested the county may be missing out on available funding, such as federal money for infrastructure identified in the recently completed WorkLink Study.
As for the use of non-disclosure agreements between public officials and business, Reynolds said those deals deny citizens the right to voice their opinions – until it’s too late to make a difference.
“I think it’s really important that public officials not sign a NDA,” she said. “Resident voices are the most important thing.”
