By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
The race for Wood County Commissioner this Nov. 3 is between Dr. Ted Bowlus, of Center Township and Bruce Jeffers of Bowling Green.
Following are stories on both candidates and where they stand on issues facing county government.
Incumbent Ted Bowlus, a Republican, wants to build on the work he has focused on in his first four years as a county commissioner. And he wants to develop a plan he calls “Focus on the Future” for Wood County.
During last four years
Bowlus listed some of the achievements during his term as county commissioner as the development of a strong economic base while maintaining a balanced budget, bringing in record-breaking sales tax revenue, progress on building a new memorial to veterans on the ground of the courthouse, and the addition of new voting machines.
“That will be an asset for the county,” he said of the voting equipment.
The county commissioners have also increased their support of infrastructure throughout the county, Bowlus said.
“It’s one of our top priorities,” he said, citing the commissioners’ commitment to put $200,000 annually toward county roads and bridges over the next five years.
Experience
Bowlus is a podiatric physician and surgeon, with a practice in Perrysburg. He has a degree in neuroscience and anatomy.
Before becoming a county commissioner, Bowlus served on the Eastwood Board of Education, the Wood County Board of Health, and the Behavioral Connections Board. He is a member of NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
Economic development
Bowlus touted the successes of the county’s growth over the past four years. The Home Depot distribution center in Troy Township originally projected 700 jobs, but is now nearing 1,400 employees.
“With Amazon coming online, we expect even more employees to come in,” he said, noting that these jobs have good pay, benefits and retirement.
The county is also working with Penta Career Center, Owens Community College and local unions on training programs and apprenticeships.
Planning for next pandemic
Bowlus is excited about his new project that he calls “Focus on the Future.” He said he is working with representatives of the Wood County Health Department, Bowling Green State University and Wood County Hospital to mitigate future pandemics and reduce the amount of economic problems seen with COVID-19.
Bowlus noted the weekly conference calls with elected officials throughout the county when COVID started hitting hard in the county.
“We held an educational weekly meeting about the COVID,” he said.
Bowlus said he did attend an “Open Ohio Now” rally in Perrysburg in May where protesters were critical of the state’s precautions to limit the spread of the virus.
“I went to hear both sides of the story,” he said. “I wasn’t demonstrative in my support. In my opinion, a commissioner has to know both sides.”
“They had some very good points,” Bowlus said about the “Open Ohio Now” group.
“My personal opinion was I believed we could get started with a cautious opening up of small and large businesses using CDC guidelines.”
Other priorities
Bowlus would like to see the county develop a shelter for homeless people, similar to the Cherry Street Mission in Toledo.
“We need temporary shelters for homeless people in Wood County,” he said.
Bowlus said the problem of overflowing recycling bins at the county’s satellite stations has been remedied by the county emptying them more frequently and asking people to flatten cardboard. “It’s not costing the citizens anything. We seem to be handling it with those modifications.”
As for transportation in the county, Bowlus said the Net Plus program provides about 1,400 rides per month to health care appointments. And the county is looking at expanding it to non-medical appointments. “That is a work in progress.”
The commissioners continue to try to reach out to all areas of the county by holding town hall meetings. “We try our best,” he said. “I believe communication is very important.”
Challenger Bruce Jeffers, a Democrat, would like to expand on his experience on Bowling Green City Council to work for all Wood County citizens.
“I really enjoyed being on City Council, digging into issues and looking for an opportunity to use my ideas,” Jeffers said. “I think I really bring something to the table.”
Jobs and economic development
Top on Jeffers’ list of priorities for Wood County is economic development.
“Growth can be good,” but it’s up to the commissioners to ensure the economic development truly benefits the county.
“We need to make sure we as citizens are not footing the bill for damage to roads for new construction,” Jeffers said.
The commissioners also must realize that not all new jobs are equal.
“We need to make sure they have good pay and good benefits that are going to be around for a while,” Jeffers said.
“A year ago we were struggling to find people to work. Now we are trying to find work for people,” he said.
And before businesses are granted tax abatements, the commissioners need to make sure the deals do not harm the county, he said.
As a teacher for 35 years, many at Otsego, Jeffers often negotiated contracts for the teachers. His theory was to “not leave any stone unturned” in the process.
COVID-19
Jeffers believes that it will take a consistent message on the coronavirus for the nation to beat the virus.
“We’ve had conflicting messages coming from national leadership,” he said. “Gov. DeWine has struggled mightily” to promote preventive measures. And the Wood County Health Department has presented a clear message, he said.
The county commissioners also need to have a consistent message, he said.
Jeffers pointed out that his opponent, Bowlus, attended an “Open Ohio Now” rally in Perrysburg in early May. The protesters pushed for the state’s COVID-19 restrictions to be lifted.
“If we really want to get things opened up, we need the county to be sharing leadership and setting good examples,” he said.
Balance on the board
The board of county commissioners is currently made up of three Republicans. Jeffers believes having a Democrat on the board would offer a different and valuable perspective.
“It matters. It’s very important to have balance in county government,” he said.
Experience
In addition to being a teacher and union rep, Jeffers took over his dad’s tree nursery business in Fostoria when his father could no longer handle it.
As a public official, Jeffers served on Bowling Green City Council for eight years. As an at-large member, he worked to be responsive to all areas of the city. During his years on council, the city had a balanced budget, grew its tax base by 42%, and put up the largest solar field in the state.
In preparation to serve as county commissioner, Jeffers said he has talked with several mayors throughout the county about their needs.
“I think I’ll be very attuned to what cities and villages need,” he said.
Other priorities
Jeffers said he will prioritize sustainability and energy issues, plus working with townships and villages on infrastructure issues.
“I’m going to be focused on smart growth,” he said.
Jeffers said expansion of the county jail is not top on his list.
“I’m not inclined to throw money at expanding the jail” to house inmates from other counties, he said. “Not while we are having a difficult time taking care of our own infrastructure.”
Jeffers is interested in seeing how the state’s H2O program for farms can be put to use in the county, and he has concerns about ongoing issues with large livestock farms called Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations.
He would like to see recycling efforts being expanded in the county, providing more bins and more frequent pickups.
“It’s just not acceptable to sit them out, and they fill up in a couple days,” he said. “It’s a service we provide to citizens. It’s not supposed to be a money maker.”
Jeffers also favors a county-wide transportation service that is not just limited to medical appointments. All of the counties surrounding Wood have more robust transportation programs, he said.
“The county plan says we should expand this service – so let’s do it.”
