A Republican county commissioner nomination featuring a candidate with a business and economic development background and a longtime firefighter and retired school buildings and ground supervisor is among races to be decided in Tuesday’s primary election.
Paul Benedetti, 67, head of the Logan County Chamber of Commerce and retired photography business owner, is facing Dan Defibaugh, 55, who retired from Benjamin Logan Schools and has 34 years as a volunteer firefighter with the Lakeview and Indian Joint Fire District.
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BENEDETTI |
DEFIBAUGH |
They are looking to earn the GOP nomination to replace Commissioner Dustin Wickersham, who opted not to seek re-election.
The winner will face Teresa A. Johnston, the current mayor of Belle Center and former council member, who is running unopposed as a Democrat. A lifelong Logan County resident and product of Belle Center and Benjamin Logan Schools, Johnston earned a degree from Northwestern Business College in computer programming and worked for Nash Finch as a computer operator for more than 20 years.
There is also a second commissioner seat on the ballot, in which Joe Antram, who was appointed in late 2017 to fill an unexpired term vacated by Tony Core, is running unopposed in both the primary and general elections.
The only other countywide position on the ballots this year is the Logan County Auditor. The lone candidate for that job is current city auditor Jack Reser.
In the commissioner primary, Benedetti said his experience as a business leader makes him well suited for the job, while Defibaugh believes he could be an asset in dealing with infrastructure issues such as the installation of a wastewater treatment plant in southeastern Logan County or the long-term needs of the Logan County Fairgrounds.
“Six months ago, I didn’t know I was going to run, but with the changes that arose at the commissioners’ office, I felt my background in economic development would position me well to be aware of the challenges and opportunities our community is facing,” Benedetti said of his decision to seek his first political office.
“My number one issue is that we don’t miss out on economic opportunities. When times are good, you invest in infrastructure, your people and your community. I think it’s very important to support our first responders, law enforcement and the courts. We should also look at our other county agencies and their needs and broaden our business and resource base so when the economy does slow down, we have positioned ourselves for a shallow recovery.”
Defibaugh, who previously ran against Commissioner John Bayliss in 2016, said he wants to focus on agriculture, infrastructure and public safety.
“I’ve had an interest in running for county commissioner for five or six years now,” he said. “I want to see Logan County continue to grow. I very much support farmers and agriculture and want to see them thrive. I also want to try to improve on the fairgrounds.
“The other thing is the sewer district. I have a Class 1 wastewater license and I know quite a bit about them. I feel that would be very useful to the county. If you don’t have the infrastructure — roads, water and wastewater — you won’t draw the business. But I’m also for the small business too; I like the mom and pop shops.”
Benedetti also stressed the need for infrastructure improvements, including water and wastewater, to help prepare for both commercial and residential growth that could flow up the U.S. Route 33 corridor.
“As Dublin, Marysville and Union County continue to grow, Logan County will grow organically from the southeast. The question is how do we prepare East Liberty, Perry and Zane townships for the potential growth that will take place in the next 20 years?”
In addition to infrastructure needs like a sewer plant, Benedetti said Logan County has a housing shortage that needs to be addressed.
“We have housing needs on every end of the spectrum — from entry level housing for young families to condos for baby boomers and empty nesters. We need to position ourselves for measured and sustainable growth so we can continue to enjoy the services we have become accustomed to.”
Defibaugh said he believes the commissioners also need to be prepared to address trends in countywide public safety that have resulted in declining membership and higher costs for volunteer fire departments.
“I’ve been with Lakeview for 34 years and I’m also with Indian Joint Fire and it’s no secret that we have personnel trouble getting volunteers,” he said. “Anything the commissioners can do to try to get young people interested and involved in their fire departments would help.
“We also have to start thinking about switching over to MARCS (Ohio’s Multi-Agency Radio Communications System) radios,” he said, noting that the switch would cost a department the size of Lakeview an upfront cost of between $60,000 and $70,000 with annual fees of $175 per radio.
“Our departments are hurting and the commissioners should be ready to help them,” the candidate said.
The two candidates also answered questions about their opinion on the Logan County Courthouse restoration but both said because it will be finished by the time the office is filled, it will be water under the bridge.
“I wish we would have researched all of the problems we could have run into and let the people decide whether we should repair this one or build new,” Defibaugh said. “But it is what it is and we are going to have a beautiful new courthouse when we are done.”
“The biggest expense of the courthouse project is not the money, but the distraction and attention from other important things in the county. They were so focused on that project that other things they should have paid attention to may not have been given the attention they deserved.”