MANSFIELD — Incumbent Cliff Mears takes on challenger David Morgenstern on May 5 in the Republican Party primary for the Richland County Board of Commissioners.
The winner will face Democrat Mark Kaufmann in the November general election. Kaufmann is unopposed in May.
It’s a rematch of the 2022 GOP primary between Mears and Morgenstern. In that race, Mears received 62.8 percent of the party vote, winning 8,693 to 5,141.
A former member of Mansfield City Council, Mears was appointed to the county Board of Commissioners in 2021 to complete an unexpired term and ran a successful campaign to be retained in 2022. He was unopposed in the general election that year.
Morgenstern is making his ninth try for a commissioner’s seat, running every two years since 2010.
What is the role of a county commissioner?
County commissioners make up the general administrative body for county government. They can only perform duties specifically authorized by state lawmakers.
Commissioners are the county government taxing, budgeting, appropriating and purchasing authority. They hold title to county property. Individual commissioners have no power to act independently. All formal and official actions must be taken by the board of county commissioners acting as a body by majority or unanimous vote.
Commissioners also have a myriad of other responsibilities, including hearing and ruling on annexations, approving drainage improvements through the petition-ditch process, establishing water and sewer districts and making improvements, and providing for solid-waste disposal.
Commissioners also appoint department heads of offices for which they have responsibility and also appoint members to a variety of boards and commissions.
Commissioners must work with other elected officials and judges in the county to assure they are properly funded to perform their statutory duties.
Here is a look at the two candidates, in alphabetical order, based on recent interviews with each:
Mears: ‘I think it’s important for voters to know we’re taking care of the money’
The 72-year-old Mears, a Mansfield resident, said the current three-member Board of Commissioners has helped to deliver the highest credit rating in the county’s history.
“I think that’s no small task,” he said. “I think it’s important for the voters to know we’re taking care of the money. We’re good stewards of the public’s money.
“We have had health carryovers that allow us to do a lot of things. But the important thing is we’re looking out for (residents). We’re looking out for the tax dollars.
“I have said this many times: I don’t like spending my own money. But what keeps me up at nights is spending other people’s money. I think we have been so careful about that and that created the credit rating we have now,” Mears said.
In terms of other accomplishments over the last four years, Mears cited the renovations to the county courthouse, the demolition of the former Westinghouse factory site and property tax relief.
“I think the renovations to the courthouse have got to be No. 1. It was such a major, all-encompassing project, adding a fourth courtroom, which Judge (Brent) Robinson said has improved court time turnaround by 33 percent. I think that’s important for law enforcement and the justice system in general,” Mears said.
The Westinghouse demolition was done in conjunction with the Richland County Land Bank board (where Mears is a member) and the city of Mansfield, fueled by grants from the Ohio Department of Development.
“Westinghouse had been an eyesore in Mansfield and Richland County for a long time. It was cool (to see it demolished) because Westinghouse brought me here (for work in 1981) and how often do you get to demolish your former employer’s place of business?” he said with a laugh.
“That was very exciting,” he said to see the removal of the Westinghouse facility that closed at the end of 1990. “It was a long time coming.
“Third, and this is a topic that’s very controversial right now, is the $1.7 million in property tax relief that (commissioners) granted to Richland County taxpayers.
“One of the reasons we voted that direction is we all know there is a (statewide) initiative to eliminate property taxes altogether. Our hope was people would see, “OK, we’re working on it,” Mears said.
During his private career, Mears worked in a variety of capacities, many of them involving finance and data, for R.R. Donnelley & Sons in Willard, Ideal-Southeast Technologies/General Motors in Mansfield and Skybox Packaging, LLC, in Mansfield.
“I love Richland County. It’s been good to me. The whole community has been great.
“This is America. You can be anything you want to be. My dad was an orphan. He worked as a postman. I didn’t have a silver spoon. I worked two jobs while I was in college, but in America, you can do anything you want to do.”
Morgenstern: ‘I’m not running against him. I’m running for the office’
The 63-year-old Morgenstern, a Lexington resident, said he is not running against Mears.
“I’m running for the office,” he said. “He has nothing to do with what I am doing. Anybody can run and I choose to run.
“If I win … great. If I don’t … great. I tried. Nobody else is and that’s what is sad in our society,” said Morgenstern, who developed an interest in local government as a sophomore in high school when former Common Pleas Court Judge James Henson visited his class.
“I always got the best grades in government because I could remember (our nation’s) history.”
A self-financed candidate, Morgenstern remains undeterred by previous election defeats.
“What bothers people is I am self-funding (my campaign). Nobody gives me anything. I have to buy my own land to put my signs on,” he said with a laugh.
“I love county government,” he said, lamenting a lack of involvement in local government and politics. “There should have been 10 people on the ballot. It’s sad no one wants to get involved.
“I’m not doing it for the money. I’m not doing it for the insurance. I have to try to do it.”
Morgenstern said his top priority would be improved safety for county residents, including greater support for the Richland County Sheriff’s Office. He said he is also interested in a proposal that could create joint fire districts among townships in the northern and southern areas of the county.
Morgenstern operates a car service with several hundred customers and has served on a citizen advisory committee at Mansfield Correctional Institution and Richland Correctional Institution for more than 20 years.
“I have great business experience. I’m very personable. I am easily approachable,” Morgenstern said. “I have attended hundreds and hundreds (of county commissioner) meetings. I know exactly how it works and I could hit the ground running.
“I’m very qualified. It’s not a full-time job. Did you know that? These people make it sound like a full-time job,” Morgernstern said.
He said there are far more independent voters in the county than there are Republicans or Democrats. He called for those independent voters to request a Republican ballot and support him in the GOP primary.
“The independent voters have a voice to make a change in Richland County,” he said.
“Everybody has become complacent. We have to change things. Change is the best thing for our health. We have to have a healthy economy, a healthy county.
“I own multiple properties in this county with my brother. I would not be investing here if I didn’t love this county. I put my money where my mouth is.
“Everything I have is paid for. I’m very frugal. I have no debt. Do you want someone managing your money who has no debt?” he asked.
