To the editor:
I have lived in Richland County for a long time, and I have watched our county commissioners make decisions that affect every one of us. On May 5th, voters have a chance to push back on one of those decisions, and I hope you will not miss out on that opportunity.
Last year, the commissioners passed a ban on large solar and wind projects in 11 of 18 townships without asking the people who actually own that land. For farmers who depend on every available option to keep their operations going and pass that land on to their children, that ban isn’t just overreach. It’s a door slammed in their faces.
Voting NO on May 5th doesn’t approve any energy project. It simply restores the rigorous, case-by-case review process that already existed. It puts the decision back where it belongs, with farmers and landowners, not with commissioners who seem to think they answer to no one but themselves.
This isn’t about data centers. It isn’t about property taxes. It’s about who gets to decide what happens on private property in Richland County, and that should stay in the hands of the property owner.
Vote NO on May 5th. Tell the commissioners that we are paying attention.
Billie Brandon
Mansfield, Ohio