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During my lifetime I have lived in other places, other states. Yet, Jackson County is home. My home. Your home. My husband and I chose to raise our son here. After his tour of duty in Iraq, he will again call Jackson County home.

In my professional business, my husband and I inspect homes for people in a 17 county radius. Our business is to let people know if there are problems with their homes.

I am sad to say, there is a problem in our home…. Of Jackson County. That is why I am running for County Commissioner. We need a new perspective on how to look at the problems in our county and we need to think outside of the box for new answers to correct them.

We have a negative population growth. Our greatest export is our talented young people. We need to find responsible employers who are willing to come to this county to provide jobs that will let young people raise their families her.

Our countywide sales tax is not generating the revenue that we were told it would. It is consistently falling short. Real Estate taxes were raised while our real estate market value falls.

We need initiatives for our agricultural community to strive again. That does not include closing the research farm. It means working with the research farm, the department of energy, USDA and the State of Ohio to look at “energy farming” in solar, wind, and renewable cellulose based products.

We need an infrastructure to attract higher learning institutions and manufacturing firms. Something as simple as a county website, which can be paid for with USDA grants, needs to be looked at. Imagine, from your home, and from the classroom, being able to pull up a COUNTY website that has all offices on it. This website can have meeting agendas, meeting minutes posted, and other important records, which would also satisfy laws regarding access to public records. We are only 1of 12 counties in the state’s 88 that does NOT have such a website. Businesses looking to relocate here notice these omissions.

I believe county government belongs to the people of this county. Once a month, the Commission should meet in Wellston and Oak Hill for the convenience of the population who wish to attend. Once a year, county government should go to the 3 area high schools and hold meetings to energize our seniors about government. That is the time to reach our youth to participate. Let them see how this county is run.

In the past months, I have been attending the commissioners meetings weekly. I want to be knowledgeable of the day to day issues facing this county as well as the larger issues that need to be dealt with. This has enabled me to learn, and it will help me make a seamless transition into the office.

I am well qualified, have fresh ideas, and am always open to listen to what the people of this county have to say….and that is really what our government is about: to follow the wishes of our constituents, and to inform our constituents and that has been forgotten!

I respectfully ask for your support and vote for Jackson County Commissioner.