To the Editor,
I’ve been at the front of this issue from the beginning. I serve as the business manager for IBEW Local 688, and yes, if a project were built, our members could benefit from the work.
But here’s the truth: there are no solar projects coming to Richland County right now, and there likely won’t be anytime soon.
That’s exactly why this vote matters.
This referendum isn’t about approving a project. It’s about whether we permanently ban the possibility of one, before a single proposal is even brought forward, before any facts are presented, and before any landowner has a say.
A NO vote does one simple thing: it restores the process.
It puts decisions back where they belong, case by case, with public input, local review, and accountability. Every project would still have to go through a long, regulated approval process. Nothing gets built without scrutiny.
A YES vote does the opposite. It locks in a blanket ban and takes that process away entirely. It removes the ability for landowners to even consider an opportunity on their own property.
And that matters, because decisions like this have real economic consequences.
A recent study from Ball State University found that counties restricting solar and wind development consistently experienced weaker job growth and slower economic expansion than those that allowed projects to be considered.
In fact, similar restrictions have been linked to tens of millions of dollars in lost economic activity each year.
This isn’t about being “for” or “against” solar.
It’s about whether we believe in a process or in preemptive bans.
In Ohio, we don’t ban factories before a proposal is submitted. We don’t ban businesses before a plan is reviewed. We follow a process, weigh the facts, and make informed decisions.
That’s all this vote restores.
I’ve stood in those meetings. I’ve listened. And like many others, I believe this decision was made without full public input and without giving residents a real voice.
On May 5th, we get that voice back.
Vote NO to restore the process. Vote NO to protect property rights. Vote NO to keep decisions where they belong, with the people, not a permanent ban.
Brian H. McPeek II
Mansfield, Ohio