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“I feel really blessed the people of this county voted to keep me in the seat,” Corbett said. “I really care about this county.”
Corbett won 56 percent of the vote in Champaign County compared to 43 percent for Bean with 100 percent of precincts reporting. Corbett has served as a Champaign County commissioner for more than two decades, while Bean was running for the seat for the first time.
Corbett, now serving in his 24th year, touted his history as a fiscal conservative and pointed to the county’s A-plus bond rating to highlight his ability to work with the other commissioners to be responsible with taxpayer dollars. Bean argued she had extensive ties in the community and could bring a fresh set of eyes to the job.
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Corbett will not face a Democratic challenger in the fall. The primary responsibility for county commissioners is to manage the county’s finances.
Bean congratulated Corbett on Tuesday night. She said she put a lot of effort into the race but will continue to find ways to serve the community.
“Champaign County and Urbana is my home and I will continue to support and serve the county because I love it,” she said.
Corbett based his campaign for another four-year term on the fact he’s worked well with other commissioners to balance the county’s budget despite state funding cuts that slashed the county’s resources in recent years. Along with state cuts to Local Government Funds doled out to the county and other municipalities in recent years, the federal government last year ended the state’s collection of sales taxes on services from Medicaid managed-care organizations.
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Bean had said she planned to push for more transparency in the county’s finances, noting the county does not currently make its finances available online through the Ohio Treasurer’s office Ohio Checkbook program. She also had said she would lobby state lawmakers to restore funding for the county if she wins the seat.
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Bean had said she has played an active role in several community organizations and has served as Champaign County Republican chairwoman, which gives her a good understanding of the county’s challenges.
She had also raised concerns about issues like opiate abuse and said she would work with officials in neighboring counties to look for ways to address the issue.
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