Muskingum County Board of Commissioners candidates answer questions
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ZANESVILLE — Anthony Adornetto and Melissa Bell will face off in the May 3 Republican primary for Muskingum County commissioner, the only contested local race on the ballot.
Adornetto is self-employed, working in commercial real estate and consulting on fundraising and grant writing projects. He is a Marine Corps veteran and former chief of staff of Zane State College, and is endorsed by the Ohio Young Republicans. He hopes to bring a fresh perspective to the Muskingum County Board of Commissioners.
Bell operates the finances at Bell Farms Ag in Falls Township and is involved in 4-H in Muskingum County. She has said she wants to give farmers a voice as she is in the local agricultural industry.
Candidate interview:Anthony Adornetto to run for Muskingum County commissioner
Candidate interview:Melissa Bell wants to give farmers a voice on Muskingum County Board of Commissioners
They responded to a questionnaire from the Times Recorder about the issues facing the county and how they’re prepared to face them if elected as commissioner.
Anthony Adornetto
1. What do you see as the biggest issue facing our county?
Muskingum County faces many challenges, including insufficient housing, increasing demand for mental health and substance abuse services, expanding water and sewer services, brownfield remediation, strains on the criminal justice system, and growing costs per mile for road and bridge work.
However, I am running for this office because the most significant issue facing Muskingum County today is leadership. Since the challenges facing us aren’t new or necessarily unique, I want to ensure our planning is comprehensive and that the strategic objectives are manageable and realistic.
As a conservative Republican, I want to make sure that we manage the budget today, looking out 10, 20, and 30 years. Too often, we are putting band-aids on the problem; however, based on the current economic conditions and the rising costs of goods, materials, and labor there must be a focus on creating sustainability plans for the engineer’s office, senior center, the criminal justice system, and mental health and substance abuse response.
2. How would you help promote new business in the county?
As we all know, new business development and job creation are critical to our community’s vibrancy. It is crucial that, as a county, we consider the needs of both our existing businesses and industry as well as marketing opportunities for companies to relocate here.
During my final semester at Muskingum University, I had the opportunity to work for Mike Jacoby at our Port Authority. This provided me a front-row seat to work on the projects that brought Fanatics and Halliburton to Muskingum County. In my experience, new business development requires an available workforce, utilities, and an effective transportation network. Other essential factors include proximity to suppliers, customers, and ready-to-develop commercial sites.
As a community in Appalachia, we are fortunate to have had strong, consistent leadership working to recruit and retain new business development. I look forward to working with our local economic development professionals to take advantage of the Intel investment in western Licking County.
3. How would you like to see remaining ARPA dollars spent?
To spend ARPA dollars, rather than arbitrarily decide the winners and losers, I prefer to name a committee to review proposals and recommend actions. From my experience working with the Center for Seniors and the sheriff’s office, I can easily advocate for funding in these areas. However, I’m sure that if I had firsthand knowledge of the water, sewer, and road construction priorities, I could make a compelling case for those departments and projects.
As commissioner, I plan to develop our funding priorities and what other resources we can use to aid in the completion of crucial county projects. It is vital that wherever funds are spent, we look at leveraging other resources through JobsOhio, state capital budget, or federal grant opportunities. If we are more comprehensive with our planning, we can maximize our financial investments and leverage more projects.
Another key element to evaluate is the sustainability of the project. Too often, I have seen well-meaning projects focus on whether it is feasible. Instead, we need to focus on whether we can afford to maintain it after being created.
4. Can you provide one or two examples of a time in your life where you used skills that would be necessary to be a commissioner? How do you think that prepares you for the job?
Thanks to my time in the Marine Corps and my professional experiences while studying at Muskingum and Ohio universities, serving Ohio’s 6th Congressional District, and working at Zane State College, the last two decades have prepared me for the county commissioner role.
While working for a conservative member of Congress, I became intimately familiar with projects across eighteen counties. I observed thriving communities that worked collaboratively to achieve their outcomes. As commissioner, I will seek every opportunity to work with the townships, villages, and municipalities to all grow together.
As the technology sector grows in Licking County, we should collaborate to maximize this new sector’s impact in Muskingum County. I am committed to retaining and growing jobs, preparing our workforce with relevant training, and encouraging new, affordable housing development for the residents of Muskingum County.
As the chief of staff at Zane State College, my day-to-day work was very similar to that of the commissioner. I enjoyed weekly and monthly check-ins with departments related to budgeting and business processes as we worked together for the organization’s continuous improvement. As commissioner, I will work with employees and other elected officials of Muskingum County.
Melissa Bell
1. What do you see as the biggest issue facing our county?
Our county has proven to be resilient and adaptable over the past years as we have dealt with issues and concerns never before experienced by our community. Moving forward, there are many issues that we need to address, not limited to one. The need for improved infrastructure, most specifically rural broadband needs, is at the forefront for our area.
Rural broadband access leads to greater job growth, increased population growth, newer job formation and potentially higher property values for landowners. In addition, the expansion of the Intel project in our neighboring county, will have a tremendous impact on the growth and development of our county and its needs.
From infrastructure, to business growth, to housing needs, we must be prepared to proactively work to meet the ever-changing demands and pressures facing our county. Lastly, we must address the need for a comprehensive solution to the ever-growing drug epidemic in our area. This solution must address education, rehabilitation, and improved jail facilities for more housing and a safer environment.
2. How would you help promote new business in the county?
Promoting new business in our area has been a long-standing challenge for our county. Improved infrastructure will play a large role in allowing for the creation of new and innovative business opportunities in Muskingum County. As mentioned earlier, rural broadband access for our county will lead to greater job growth, increased population growth, and new job formation.
In addition, we need to continue to foster an environment that encourages new businesses to come to the county. Working with constituents to understand what types of businesses or services are needed in the community, working with colleagues to identify those businesses, and encouraging them to invest in our community will provide solutions to new business for our area.
3. How would you like to see remaining ARPA dollars spent?
The original funding provided from American Rescue Plan Act spending program has provided a chance for our local government to make strategic investments in our community, help to enhance financial stability, and cover temporary operating shortfalls until economic conditions return to normal.
The remaining ARPA dollars need to be spent in a way that can benefit the most number of people in the county by adding value or service to the area. Evaluating the proposed projects and determining which are the most important, fiscally responsible and provide the most value will be where these dollars should be utilized.
Care must be taken not to create new programs that would need continued funding once the ARPA dollars have been used. ARPA dollars need to ensure long-term financial stability and sustainable operating performance.
4. Can you provide one or two examples of a time in your life where you used skills that would be necessary to be a commissioner? How do you think that prepares you for the job?
The power of local government rests in the ability to organize and collaborate with grassroots constituents to identify needs and problems, and then working together to find solutions while being fiscally responsible. My entire career has been based around work with grassroots organizations, including the Ohio Farm Bureau, where we were able to organize local members, discover their needs and carry out effective problem-solving solutions on tight budgets.
Our members were able to rely on me to provide thorough research, sound advice, and responsible planning to implement change and solutions effectively and practically. Moreover, being a small business owner, and member of a family farm, I have been charged daily with being fiscally prudent and responsible. The combination of my professional career and work with our family farm, has given me ample opportunity to grow my skills as a strong leader, collaborator and decision maker.
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