The recent letter from Mike Marsh urging us to vote for Connor Rose for Wood County Recorder is the most lukewarm candidate recommendation letter I’ve ever read. As the former chair of our local Republican Party, Mr. Marsh has written much more effective letters in the past. Voters may want to ask themselves why his recommendation in this case was so tepid.
Possibly relevant here are recent news stories reporting that Rose used an app, available only to Realtors who specifically agree to its terms in advance, to search for information about his fellow political candidates. He did so in direct violation of the app’s rule limiting its use to professional needs (for example, personal safety when meeting alone with unfamiliar clients to show properties). Also in direct violation of the rules, he publicly shared at least some of that information. He was subsequently suspended from using the app for a period of time. He says he was suspended for not answering an email from the app in a timely manner. Given the circumstances, I can’t help but wonder if the email in question was one inquiring about his inappropriate use of the app.
His “defense” of his behavior was that all the information he found is available in public records. This does not alter the fact that he broke at least two rules that he had previously agreed to follow for the apparent purpose of personal political gain.
In my view, such an unethical, rules-are-only-for-other-people candidate should not be elected to a position that requires obeying and enforcing numerous state laws, assessing and collecting fees from citizens, and maintaining accurate, accessible legal records about (among other things) all properties located in Wood County, Ohio.
I urge you to carefully consider your vote for Wood County Recorder, because this time, caution is needed.
Tamara Sharp
Bowling Green
