The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Troy, Young vie for Lake County commissioner seat
Voters across Lake County will decide whether to retain longtime Lake County Commissioner Daniel P. Troy or elect challenger and current state Rep. Ron Young in the Nov. 6 general election.
As the Democratic incumbent, Troy has been served as a county commissioners since 1999.
Young, a Republican first elected to the Ohio House of Representatives, representing District 61, in 2010, is unable run for re-election in 2018 due to term limits.
According to the Lake County Elections Board, 158,625 people are eligible to vote in the race as of Oct. 11. The position carries a term of four years and pays an annual salary of $84,666 for 2019.
The winning candidate will begin serving Jan. 1.
Here is what some of the candidates had to say on the election questionnaire sent to them by The NewsHerald.
Troy
Troy, 70, said he pledges to continue to enhance county government partnership with the state and federal governments to improve service delivery to the county’s mutual constituents.
Last month, he was appointed to the National Association of Counties’ Finance, Pensions and Intergovernmental Affairs Steering Committee as a vice chairman by NACo president Greg Cox.
Currently president of the County Commissioners Association of Ohio, Troy also serves on NACo’s Board of Directors.
“We need to educate (people to the fact) that county government is the front line of so many state and federal programs that comprise the basic components of a civilized society, for example, criminal justice, the courts, elections, child and adult protective services, environmental infrastructure and transportation infrastructure,” he said.
“We also have to take the necessary steps to address our county’s rapidly aging population and the new challenges that presents. We need to maintain the quality of life for our seniors by working collaboratively in addressing health care, protective services and reducing isolation and loneliness. We need to continue to improve collaborative efforts among our wonderful array of non-profit agencies, educational institutions and diverse employers to attract and sustain the workforce necessary to keep our economy vibrant.”
Troy added doing whatever is necessary to address the addiction issues “that are way too prevalent in our county, and are impacting employment stability, is absolutely essential.”
“I have many years of experience in government, and I have demonstrated positive results to improve the quality of life for the citizens of Lake County at every level at which I have served,” Troy said. “I am not looking for a new job; I am asking to remain in the one I hold and in which I believe I have performed exceedingly well.
“This is a well-run, well managed and fiscally sound county government; I believe that my proven ability to work with officeholders of both parties over the years has been an integral part of making that happen,” he continued. “I understand government and its functions, and I work hard at making sure it operates effectively every day. I know how to compromise
when necessary to reach common ground, and in the end make sure that Lake County and its citizens are better for it.”
Young
Young, 72, believes it’s time for a change in Lake County and he said, if elected, he’d focus on economic development, job training and Lake Erie shoreline development.
“Good high-paying, challenging careers are the basis for a successful thriving Lake County. County government needs to interact positively with job creators to understand their needs and effectively promote their operations. Government officials should be accessible to private sector leaders. When Steris, Cleveland Construction and Metal Seal informed me they were considering leaving Lake County I introduced them to JobsOhio in Columbus. We worked with the city of Mentor and generated a plan that provided Job Creation Tax Credits that was instrumental in keeping their operations and more than 1000 jobs in Lake County.
“With an aging population and ever increasing demands for skilled trades professionals from Lake County’s advanced manufacturing firms, we should act in collaboration with our local schools to provide vocational high school training for our students,” Young said.
“These programs help support our children and young families so they can remain in Lake County to raise their families. I helped fund local public school pilot programs specific to Lake and Geauga Counties. The programs focused on the introduction of CNC Programming and talent acquisition software to advertise the student’s skills for local manufacturing jobs.”
In addition, Young said the economic and recreational development of the shoreline is critical to the quality of life in Lake County.
“County government can allocate more resources and take a leadership role to make our most valuable natural resource more attractive and enjoyable, and I have provided funding for break walls, storm water sewer systems and shoreline parks,” he said.
“Working with the Port Authority, I passed legislation allowing Lake County to create a revenue stream designed specifically to fund lake-shore improvements and to protect our precious natural resources from harmful chemicals. Recently working with Commissioner Cirino, ODNR and the local commercial and recreational fishing communities, I brokered a historic deal to restore the Lake County recreational perch fishing industry.”