Clark County candidates debate for March primary election

Only candidates running for contested primary seats were invited to the debate. A November general election debate will be held Sept. 26.

Clark County Commissioner

One county commission seat will be vacant when Commissioner Lowell McGlothin steps down at the end of his term. In the March 19 primary election, New Carlisle council member Bill Lindsey will face off against David Marshall, a teacher at Greenon High School; Matt Quesenberry, a senior construction inspector; and retired Health Commissioner Charlie Patterson.

Lindsey did not attend the debate.

Former Springfield City Commissioner and Democrat Kevin O’Neill will face the Republican primary winner in November.

Current County Commission President Melanie Flax Wilt will run unopposed for her seat.

Quesenberry told voters he is a lifetime Springfield resident who decided to run for commission to “see a change” from the “revolving door” of the same people representing the county.

He said his top budgetary concern is public safety, followed by roads and bridges. He said to fund a new jail — a concern brought up by moderator Elise Spriggs — he would look for federal dollars to avoid new local taxes.

Marshall said he was born and raised in Springfield, and was on U.S. Senate candidate Mike Gibbons’ and Ohio State Rep. Phil Plummer’s campaigns. He said he wants to help reduce everyday concerns like high water and electric bills.

Marshall said he likes the idea of “satellite jails” in the county, and he wants to focus on work programs to release inmates faster.

“I think there should be more ... incentive programs to where if you go in the jail, if you go out and work a day, you’re going to get a day off of your sentence,” Marshall said.

Patterson, who was health commissioner for 23 years and is nearly a lifelong county resident, said the criminal justice system would be a priority for him, and making the 911 center more efficient is important.

Patterson said the jail, which the commission funds, is a big concern and he would rely on monies being set aside as well as bonds to fund a new facility. He said current commissioners are already looking at feasibility studies for a new facility.

Clark County Sheriff

Incumbent Republican Sheriff Deborah Burchett, who did not attend the debate, will face off against current Madison Twp. Fire and EMS Chief and former sheriff’s office Maj. Chris Clark.

Clark headed the efforts to launch the new combined 911 dispatch center that opened last year. He also led the sheriff’s Special Operations Team and often gave media briefings regarding incidents involving the department.

During the debate, Clark said he does not believe the 911 center is operating at the efficiency it should, and he said with it being 10 dispatchers down, it needs help.

“The people they have in there are top notch, the dispatchers,” Clark said. “They are great. They just need help.”

Burchett fired Clark last year just after the dispatch center opened with a letter the News-Sun obtained using public records laws and signed by Burchett saying Clark was “terminated because I have lost trust in you as my fiduciary.”

Clark worked for the sheriff’s office for nearly 26 years. He received the Ohio Distinguished Law Enforcement Valor Award in 2011 from then-Attorney General Mike DeWine.

Clark’s personnel file includes a number of awards and honors, including Meritorious Service Awards and the Sheriff’s Award, the department’s highest honor, which recognized to the public, co-workers and supervisors “what a Clark County deputy should be … the best of the best.”

Clark is a lifelong resident of Clark County and a 1994 Southeastern High School graduate as well as graduate of the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy – Clark State College. His work at the sheriff’s office included roles as a communications dispatcher, jail deputy, in uniform patrol and on the Criminal Investigations Division.

Clark cited the sheriff’s office budget as a major concern he would address if elected sheriff. He said through public records, he learned that in 2022 and 2023, the office has almost $2 million in overtime budgeted.

He said when Burchett took office, the overtime budget was $207,000 dollars.

“There’s no rhyme or reason for that; if you have overtime costs that are that high, you need to re-evaluate your staffing,” Clark said.

Clark said one of his top priorities as sheriff would be drug enforcement.

“We’ve had no narcotics enforcement in Clark County since July of ‘22,” Clark said. “That’s unacceptable. Narcotics touches every dollar of that $21 million budget.”

Burchett was elected sheriff in 2017 after defeating 30-year incumbent Democrat Gene Kelly. With her election, she became the first female sheriff in county history and the third female sheriff in Ohio.

According to a statement read at the debate, the sheriff could not make the debate.

“Citizens of Clark County, due to circumstances out of my control, I am out of town and will not be able to attend tonight’s debate. I will be attending the Republican Women’s Club Meet the Candidate night on Feb. 20, 2024, and State Theater Meet the Candidate night on March 5, 2024. If you wish to contact me to answer any questions that you may have, I will be back in my office on Feb. 16, 2024. Respectfully, Sheriff Deb Burchett,” the statement read in its entirety.

CTC’s 1.4 mill levy

The CTC’s permanent improvement levy — which failed last November — would cost $4.08 per month for property valued at $100,000, according to Superintendent Michelle Patrick. It is estimated to generate $4,469,000 annually.

The levy would fund the local cost to build a nearly $90 million new facility, with the state contributing 62% of the base $63 million building cost. The CTC was given until September to come up with its share of the money to be granted the state’s portion.

Patrick said the school would replace its seven existing buildings with one updated facility that could accept more students and would include more classroom facilities, equipment and more.

Deadlines

Absentee ballot applications for the primary are available now, and the ballots will be mailed starting Feb. 21. Early voting will take place from Feb. 21 through March 17.

The registration deadline to vote in the March 19 election is Feb. 20.