Business Meeting
Approve the February minutes: 1st Russ, 2nd Josh
Treasurer’s report:
- The current balance in our account is $848.56.
- We have paid for the Elks through our May meeting, so Katie will pay the remaining $300 for the Sept-Nov meetings soon.
- Please pay your 2026 dues! Just $35. Mail a check (PO Box 221, Findlay, OH 45839), bring cash/check to a meeting, or use PayPal.
Old Business:
None.
New Business:
None.
Motion to adjourn the business meeting: 1st Jamie, 2nd Joe
Featured Speakers
Hancock County Commissioners candidates:
- Gina Campbell
- Orion Jones
- Rachel Rader
- Tim Bechtol
Opening Remarks
Rachel: Teacher for 41 years, 13 years high school + 28 years college. Math & stats at Ohio Northern University. 3 sons and husband, 6 grandkids, lifelong Eagle Twp resident. Fiscal officer in the township for 30 years. Currently working in the treasurer’s office to help process taxes. Keep this county the way she knew it and keep it prosperous and friendly.
Orion: Living in Hancock County for 10 years. Director of Operations and capital projects for UF and Tiffin University. Also worked in construction management. Has twin 12-year-old girls and loves this community. Wants to take the skills he’s been given to help out the county. Currently finishing his degree at UF. Runs a program to encourage high schoolers and college students. Trying to use his skills in a public setting to make the county the best it can be.
Gina: US Army veteran, lifelong Republican, born and raised in Findlay, graduated from Van Buren. Served in Germany, then came back and lived here and raised her family for 40+ years. Master’s degree in education from UF. Worked at Solomon Software for 6 years, working in accounting software. Worked at The Right Thing, then moved into HR, customer management, and recruiting. Served on the Van Buren school board and currently serving on the Central Committee in this area. Decided to do this because it’s a great place to raise a family, and there are things she would like to improve.
Tim: Incumbent in this office, first appointed in 2016 out of a field of 9 candidates. Been a registered architect since 2002, which is ideal because: 1) people want their problems solved, 2) we need to deal and work with incredibly tight budgets, 3) expect us to be experts, and if we’re not, we know where to find them. Important to be a caregiver and a caretaker at the same time. They give care to the staff of the county and the public. They take care of facilities for the public and for their own staff.
Q: What is something very specific about you that’s positive that you’ll bring to the office that will make a difference?
Orion: My attitude. I don’t change on a daily basis. My energy and motivation don’t change. I don’t let individual moments of the day dictate my happiness. My positivity and uplifting spirit are what we need to be able to work together.
Gina: My interpersonal skills. I truly care and love people. I have a lot of problem-solving skills, with recruiting and interviewing people. I have creativity and critical thinking skills to actually solve problems, not just put a band aid on them.
Tim: Relationship building is very important. A positive mindset is also important. There’s a lot of talk about the county and city getting along. There are many things we agree on, and the commissioners are at the heart of that. I got where I am from relationship building, both as an architect and a commissioner, and that is key to success.
Rachel: A fiscal mind, having been in a township fiscal officer position for 30 years and dealing with money every day. I have a good background on how to spend and how to save. I grew the township budget from $93k carryover to $2M. I guide the trustees in how to spend money wisely. I’m very analytical and a good problems-solver.
Q: How difficult do you think it will be working with the mayor of the city? What challenges do you expect in doing that?
Gina: I’m coming in completely fresh and keeping an open mind. I don’t follow hearsay, and I will work directly with the mayor and the other elected officials to solve problems. This is a team, not just one person making decisions. You are the voter, and you’re voting for all of the elected officials. You tell us what to do and how you want me to be a commissioner in your area. You have the power. I’ll always listen to people and your concerns. I will always take a public vote when needed, allowing the voters to be heard; it’s a constitutional right. Having served in the army, I respect that right.
Tim: This is the 2nd mayor I’ve worked with, plus a host of council members. We need to remember that there are different levels of government. The city and county are not governmental siblings; we each do different things. We’ve worked together on many issues, including some of the parking solutions we’ve come up with, specifically trading properties on Clinton Ct to make them all-day free parking to the public, to make street parking in front of shops more readily available.
Rachel: I met with the mayor last week to get to know her and see where she’s coming from; we had a nice conversation. My ultimate goal is to be able to work with her. My dad was commissioner for 16 years back in the 1970s and 80s, and he had a great relationship with the mayor. We need to work our way back to that kind of relationship. I want to keep her involved in as many projects as we can and find a happy medium if we disagree.
Orion: I believe strongly in objective-based problem solving. I’m not going to be fully with or fully against the mayor or city council; my only objective is what’s best for Hancock County. I’ll assess each individual situation and look at it objectively to accomplish the objectives through meeting every person who has influential control over some area and learning their goals. How do their goals line up with what’s happening in the city and the county? How can we work together as the county with the residents’ best interest at heart?
Q: The mayor is the administrative head, and the council is the legislative authority. The prior council eliminated the inter-governmental committee that was the liaison between. Do you feel there needs to be more dialogue with the council?
Rachel: I think that would be a great start. The mayor will be involved, but having a good representative of the people would be great.
Orion: Same carryover – each individual situation requires individual assessment. Where does everyone stand on the issue? What is my objective? What do the people of the county want? There have been divides where those in the county think the city is trying to take over. I want to make sure they’re not taken advantage of. What’s in the best interest of the community as a whole?
Gina: The problem is that the people feel they’re not being heard. That may be occurring because that piece was removed. The people’s wellbeing is at stake, so they should be concerned. It may be wise to put that piece back in. There needs to be give-and-take of communication.
Tim: We need to bring the inter-governmental committee back. It’s always interesting to watch how the votes go in city council. The county has to come to a consensus to get things done. When Findlay succeeds, Hancock County succeeds, and vice versa. We also have the other villages to keep in mind, and we are just as interested in them as we are with the city of Findlay, though Findlay is the heart of the county.
Q: How do you plan to protect townships around Findlay against annexation?
Tim: Who has been to an annexation meeting? [Few people raised hands.] They are open to the public, advertised in the newspaper and on the website. It is a very important process in our county. Findlay used to be a village inside a township, and then it grew large enough to consume the township. That’s how we got the funny borders between Marion, Liberty, and Allen Townships. There are annexations that make sense where there are un-annexed islands. The expansion requests are taken on a case-by-case basis; some make more sense than others. The Sheetz gas station at CR 99 & N Main was a particular situation where they were only developing a small portion of the entire portion they wanted to annex.
Gina: I think annexation is being abused right now. There are times it’s needed. Anytime a company comes into a township, that’s not a reason for the city to come grab it. The city should allow each individual township to function. Downtown is not bursting at the seams; let the trustees and the community thrive with those businesses.
Rachel: Eagle Twp is familiar with this problem. It’s just a matter of time before we have this issue. Townships are becoming smarter. It’s usually for water and sewer that townships are annexed, so we’re looking at other options. The big picture is that Findlay is in Hancock County and should not be a separate government. The commissioners should work for both the county and the city. The city provides great services and most people are employed in the city. But the townships are also important; they don’t want to live in the city, that’s why they live in the townships. We’re looking at ways we can avoid being annexed, and we’d like to see it stay that way. We want to make sure we do the best for our residents.
Orion: There are always complications to issues. I will always stand up for individual property owners’ rights. The city should not have imminent domain to annex township areas to fund their own agenda. I will fight against those clauses and pushes for the city to take over individual properties and businesses. Townships need to have other options for utilities. They can band together and look at the different aspects to protect themselves. If the township is prepared, then they won’t be at risk. We need to talk about planning for how the townships can protect themselves from annexation.
Q: What is your personal position on data centers coming to the county?
Rachel: Data centers are scary and we don’t know enough about them to make great decisions. They’re a strain on the power grid and water supply. We also have National Lime & Stone that’s a strain on our water. We can’t take much more in Eagle Twp for sure. They are going to keep coming, we can’t stop technology. But I think we need to be wise about where they are and how they’re operating. I’m not a fan, and I’m skeptical that we can support them.
Orion: I’m not a fan. I think they came too quickly. I would not support it until there are more studies. On the east coast, they can increase everyone’s utilities. First of all, we need support of the community. Second, they would need to be able to produce their own power; solar and wind is not the answer. I don’t believe in taking over land for solar or wind power, but there are other options. They have become more efficient with water. For us to be able to expand economically, we do need to look toward different business options, but that isn’t necessarily where we’re at right now. I’m not writing them off the table forever, but right now I don’t support them. We need more studies and more information before it’s pushed down our throats.
Gina: I’m not for the data centers. Most were in big cities; this area is small, especially for the amount of water that it would take. Technology moves very fast, and by the time they build it, the tech may be obsolete. Before we put up this monstrosity and can’t claim the land back, we need to be careful. We need to keep agricultural land to sustain the people of the county. You’ll never get that land back. There’s no reason to put something like that here. There are people who do want it, but let’s do more research and take a few years to make sure.
Tim: The county commissioners have not yet been asked by any data center companies to build here. Who will benefit from data centers? Will it benefit for us, or is this for other counties, cities, states, or countries? Architecturally, does it have to all be on one floor? Could we stack it on multiple stories for a smaller footprint to use up vacant land that we can build on? We need to think creatively and plan ahead. There needs to be a lot more studying before we let one come in. This will play into the annexation questions and how the city and county negotiate. It could also be in a city like Bluffton or Fostoria that we share with another county. But the high demand on utilities means we need a lot more information.
Q: What is your view on solar and wind power coming into the county and using farmland?
Orion: I’m not a fan of commercial operations. True independence is to produce your own fuel, food, and power. As individual residents, you should produce your own power. But for a commercial operation, it has not been beneficial. I did commercial wind farm construction, and it’s not beneficial. It was a negative for the community. I will not support large-scale wind and solar. It’s not in our best interest for our community or for the people. They don’t benefit our individual pockets. The acreage it takes up is not worth the benefit that we get from it. There are other ways we can reduce power usage and generate more, like methane gas in the landfill and biofuel tech. How can we utilize our resources to keep it here?
Gina: Large solar and wind fields did not play out the way they hoped they would. They are not biodegradable; we learned that when a blade fell off a turbine. We’re finding out globally that these are not the good options we were told they were. Technology is surpassing these things; there are other options. You don’t have to destroy land to put up a big turbine and solar panels. They can put water lilies on the reservoir that do wind and solar and are much smaller. Who are these benefiting? It’s usually not the local residents getting a break on their utility bills. We need to be respectful and keep the land well.
Tim: The Ohio Building Code is 3” thick. If I could add one more paragraph, I’d mandate that every large-scale flat building must incorporate solar panels on its roof. Large parking lots should add solar panels over them to shade cars and provide power. Why aren’t EVs being installed with solar panels on top of them to charge them? There are lot of inventive ways to use solar. Look up helical blade wind turbines that are more elegant and less dangerous than traditional windmills. There are lots of ways we can be more creative rather than these mass farms.
Rachel: I think wind and solar has not produced how everyone thought. It takes a lot to do much for the electric grid. I’m not a fan of taking good farmland and making it into a solar field, but there are farms that aren’t that productive. Landowners have a right to sell to who they want to sell to. I don’t want to control what people do with their property, so I have a mixed emotion on this. But there are better ways to generate energy than wind and solar.
Q: As industrial growth expands into rural areas, what will you do to include township residents in the conversation?
Gina: Communication is key! I live in Allen Twp and we’ve found that out. Dissent has been created because we’re not hearing what’s happening. We would like to be prepared. We can’t tell people what to do on their property, and not everyone purchases property for the same reason. Some build homes, and some are left with a decision made by a parent or grandparent and they want a return on investment. Be up front and on the table, even when we don’t feel the same way. Keep open lines of communication. Sometimes people make points that we don’t think about, and one situation helped me pray a different way and got me to think differently. Fear creeps in when communication stops.
Tim: We have 17 townships and 17 different ways of doing things. Different trustees operate in different ways, so it’s often a case-by-case basis. It also has to do with utilities and what that facility turns out to be. We’re always open to discussions, and we want to see everyone succeed. It’s always interesting to see the differences of opinion and navigate those challenges.
Rachel: The townships definitely need to be in the loop. The Alliance brings most of the industry in, and townships are always the last to know. The basin in Eagle Twp is 600+ acres, and the trustees were never at the table for this process. They would ask questions and not get answers. They lost a lot of tax money because they can’t collect from that land. We can’t answer our residents’ questions because we don’t know. It’s been a rough road. We now have some say since the project is moving along and we have a representative, but we need to be at the table.
Orion: This is absolutely baffling that industry could come in without the leaders and residents knowing about it. That would never happen under my watch. I would let people know when there are any hints of conversation. I’ll look at everything on a case-by-case basis and obtain as much knowledge and information that I can. How will that benefit the township? We need economic development without raising taxes on individuals. We need to allow businesses in, but the lines of communication must be open. I need to let them know potential pitfalls and make sure industries aren’t taking advantage of the residents. It’s my job to protect them from dangers, not tell them what to do. They need to know all the benefits and potential risks to make good decisions. What outweighs the most? Be transparent and allow them to vote.
Q: With everything going on in the ag program in the county fair, where do you stand? What do you plan to do to work with and not against the board, the public, the families, and the kids?
Tim: The bed tax we have currently suspended is on hold until they get their audit worked out and can provide us with a clean bill of projects they’ll use the money for. It is only for capital improvements, not operations. We’re confident they’ll get through this process and get back on track. You have to be part of the process to appreciate it; you can’t just sit back and watch it happen. You have to learn about their projects and how they get things done on an annual basis. The one fair week is a culmination of a year of work. There are 51 weeks of other activities to help benefit that organization so they’re in the green.
Rachel: I don’t exactly know what’s going on with the fair board, I’ve heard two different things. I was a 9-year 4H member as were my kids. It’s a great process for county kids and teaches great skills. I don’t want to withhold money from the fair. To be fair to the situation, I know their books were said to be un-auditable, and I can’t speak to that situation. A few years ago, there was no guidance on classifying funds that we needed to do. The auditors wouldn’t guide when we didn’t know what to do. I don’t know this particular situation, but it can mean it’s not a big of a deal, just not done the way the auditor wants to see it done. I’m a fan of the fair, and I think it’s a great experience for the kids.
Orion: My first plan would be to dive down and find out what happened. I don’t have that answer right now, but that’s what I will do. Where did things go wrong, and how can we get it back on track? I think this is a great thing for the community and for supporting future farmers. We need that for our community! This is what creates enthusiasm for future generations, and we need that backbone. I support that 100% and would never take funding away, but there is a problem and we need to fix it. When I was at UF, we were significantly in the hole. I was able to come up with plans and solutions to make this situation right.
Gina: Audits are a pain, but they do serve a purpose. There could be something minor that can be fixed, and the kids should not have to suffer during this. We need to give them confidence that their fair will be there. FFA has blown up into an amazing thing to give kids responsibility and leadership skills. I want more of that. They want to farm, but they can’t afford it. We can’t allow this situation or negative news from it to affect the kids in a bad way. We need to rally behind the kids. The Republican party went through several audits that made us a better and stronger organization. But we need to finish the audits, fix things, and move forward, setting up guidelines for the future to not make more mistakes like this.
Q: What are your thoughts on the ideal balance between farm experience and non-farm experience on the 3-commissioner board?
Rachel: Right now we have a farmer and a township trustee, so the county is represented. I think that’s a great thing. A balance is not necessarily the most important thing, and you need to look at both sides. My biggest fear would be all city residents, then the county can easily get overlooked when they’re not represented.
Orion: The community wants whoever’s in that role to take the objective view of what’s in the best interest for the county as a whole. I can look at things from different aspects of my upbringing. I used to work on my grandparents’ dairy farm, and now I live in the city. Balance is important, to focus on both the city and the county. I’m rooted in this community but not in any one area. I can be objective and make decisions for what’s best for the county as a whole.
Gina: This is a really good question. I live in the county, so I can’t be on the city council, but some of their decisions affect me and I don’t have a voice there. To better represent the county, it’s a plus that I live in the county. I get to see things from the county point of view that may be missed by someone who doesn’t live in the county. It’s important to keep an open mind. My father farmed in McComb area; I’m not a farmer, but I was raised by one. So many things that contribute to the county may be missed. It’s a positive for me that I live in the county.
Tim: We’ve had a different mix every time. Right now, we have an active farmer with factory work experience, one with agribusiness experience, and I grew up from a farming background – my grandparents had active farms, and my father became a home builder and my mom a deputy clerk. I’m a step removed, but I loved my time spend on my grandparents’ farms. That experience gives a lot of perspective both for rural and urban neighbors.
Q: Referring to the recent Heartland Forward, what’s your opinion of having outside entities involved in our socioeconomic development?
Orion: That info was available online. The sales pitch was that it’s inexpensive. But all of that information they would provide was available to the public. I will never look outside of the city and county to help solve our issues. We have the talent in this area, both economically (keep local dollars local) and that outside influences don’t understand our local problems. They don’t know more than us. I would never support that.
Gina: Just because you can doesn’t mean you should. There needs to be some wisdom in what is best for our county. We have a lot of talented people from financial to engineers, farming, and skilled trades. Findlay is a little piece of heaven with talent acquisition. Always go local first! The big issue is that it was duplicating efforts with our existing departments, so why would we pay for that with our tax dollars? I’m fiscally conservative and very frugal. I would not have paid anybody anything that we’re already paying tax dollars to do.
Tim: It seemed unnecessary. The process resolved itself as far as I can tell, and I hope we’re all wiser because of it. Learn lessons for the future and look more locally in the future. There are outside experts with unique perspectives, but there is a cost to that. I don’t think that brought much value.
Rachel: I am not a fan of studies because most get published and thrown on a shelf. We spend a lot of time, effort, and money doing studies and most don’t pan out too well. I would rather see us put our money into doing things instead of studying them.
Q: This is a Republican primary. How would you assure the Republican voters that you’re not a Republican in name only and should be on the ballot?
Gina: As a state central committee member for district 1, voter integrity is issue #1. It’s not personal, it’s protocol. The public are expecting us to make sure that all candidates are vetted. That’s our job. Throughout the state, we have several people switching to the Republican party, and I love that. We want to make sure that we can trust them with a Republican vote. The #1 thing on the platform is that we are pro-life; that’s what we are, not in name only. We made that the first thing on the website that differentiates where you really sit in your views. We welcome everybody; if you have a question, go to the Ohio Republican Party website and you can see the platform.
Tim: I’m a lifelong Republican, first voted in 1988 for George H. W. Bush. A few years ago, I stumbled across Charlie Kirk – he clarified issues so well and so deeply, like the right to life, the 2nd amendment, etc. I’m right there with him. The Democrat party now is not what it was, and the Republican party is there to welcome anyone who wants to come to their senses.
Rachel: I’m a lifelong Republican as well and have never voted anything but. I come from a strong Republican background. My grandfather never swore but would insult people by calling them Democrats.
Orion: I feel like this question could be directly towards me. I was raised by a Marine Corps dad who spent time in Vietnam. He had character, principle, and work ethic. I was raised with all the Republican values but never had party affiliation. As a man without faith at the time, I had different political views. 5 years ago, I hit rock bottom. I brought God, faith, and Jesus Christ into my life, and this is the most important thing I bring to each day. As I look at this position, how do I fit with this party? I own guns, I believe in the right to life, I am a fan of Charlie Kirk. The person I was 5 years ago does not dictate the man I am today. None of us have a completely perfect past. I wish it wasn’t that way, but the man I am today is a red-blooded, gun-owning Republican.
Q: If you’re standing in a room shaking someone’s hand and you have one sentence to tell them why they need to vote for you, what is that one sentence?
Orion: How can I best serve you?
Gina: Hancock County is going in the wrong direction; vote for me because I’ll bring it back!
Tim: When you look at the last 10 years of finances for Hancock County, it’s better than any other 10-year period in our lifetimes. Why would you want to make a change away from that?
Rachel: I will look out for the county’s money; that is my sole responsibility.
Closing Statements
Tim: Facilities are one of the most important items for us. We have 20 facilities that are all unique, and an architect is the best person for the job to do the caregiving and caretaking that is needed. The work is never going to end. Why would you want to give up on an architect who is currently doing this job and giving guidance free of charge? I gave guidance to many boards for fees, and now that’s part of my job. If there’s one thing you can take with you: let’s keep Bechtol on board for another term.
Gina: If elected, I will listen to your concerns and work with you on resolving these issues. I will protect private property ownership. I will be transparent and fiscally responsible. I will end tax increases without a vote. I will stop unnecessary tax abatements. I will support locally owned businesses, local law enforcement, and public safety. I am confident that we can turn this county around.
Orion: With a decade of experience in management, I have the skills to manage all of our facilities, budgets, etc. I will incorporate the future plans that we need to do what we want to do for jails, emergency services, landfills, etc. The gift that God gave me was a positive attitude plus a creative brain to solve problems. The only solution is not raising taxes to get more dollars. How can we look at our current resources and use them better? How can we stay local with our resources rather than being affected by the changing global markets? Keep money in Hancock County without raising taxes.
Rachel: I am very tied to this community, and my experience in township government for 30 years brings something to the table, along with my fiscal background. I would like to bring some of the departments back into line with their spending after all the excess money from Covid. I would like to see building and remodeling projects be done in a timely manner with good use of taxpayer money. I also know what it’s like to be a property owner; my sons own rental properties as do many family members. Property owners need to be represented. Economic development is important, but it must be wise for the community. We need to be responsible in our major decisions.
Thank you all for being here tonight! This is an important part of who we are and what we do. The level of care and concern that the Apartment Association has for this community is huge.