Allen County candidates agree, even in criticism

LIMA — Allen County commissioner candidates Lynn Mohler and Jay Begg agreed more than they disagreed Wednesday, even in sharing common criticisms of the current management of the county.

Begg and Mohler will face off in the March 6 Republican primary for one of the two open commissioner seats. Unless a nonpartisan candidate files for the seat by March 5, the winner of the primary will be the new commissioner. The winner will inherit the seat of Commissioner Dan Reiff, who declined to seek an additional term.

The two men see multiple issues at the county that need improvement, including budgets, capital and maintenance needs for the Allen County Courthouse and other county-owned property, and a strategic, multiyear plan for the county. They both said improvements begin with better communication.

“A lack of communication is the seed that develops a lack of trust,” Mohler said. “The first thing that needs to be done is sit down with other officeholders.”

Improving communication in the courthouse was a large piece of Begg's platform when he ran unsuccessfully in a challenge of Commissioner Greg Sneary. It remains at the top of the list of concerns that Begg hears from other county elected officials.

“Their voices being given proper respect at the Commissioners Office,” Begg said. “It's the attitude, and the way necessary directives are handed down. They aren't brought into the discussion. They are merely told the way it's going be.”

Better relationships would lead to cost savings, because those elected officials and department heads have ideas to help the budget, Begg and Mohler said.

Begg manages the Allen County Fairgrounds and is a sixth-generation owner of the family farm. He is a former Columbus Grove school board member.

Mohler is an American Township trustee who helped found Temple Christian School and ran it for more than 20 years. He is also known in town for his fundraising work for nonprofit groups.

Begg has advocated for annual reports, five-year plans with schedules for maintenance and capital needs, more shared services and zero-based budgeting. He said he would consider a tool provided by state government, selling some county-owned property and then leasing the space from the new owner. Begg would use the money earned in a sale to make priority repairs, such as to the courthouse bell tower roof. He also would move veterans groups to the Veterans Memorial Civic Center and move Memorial Hall to a public-private partnership to restore and keep the building viable.

“It's too good to tear down and it's too expensive to keep,” Begg said.

Mohler listed multiple points for economic development, including making better use of workforce development programs, continuing to fund Allen Economic Development Group and bringing more private business owners to the decision-making table.

Both men strongly criticized the condition of the courthouse and pointed to a long list of capital needs — from leaking roofs to sheriff's dispatch cubicles to a new phone system — they say commissioners are ignoring. They said by improving communication and finding cost savings, they could begin to devote a revenue stream to the needs.

Both also generally said they were opposed to tax increases to address budget shortfalls or capital needs. Mohler said he would “fight to the end” any kind of tax increase proposal. Begg defended support of a prior move to increase the county's sales tax, saying the budget situation the commissioners presented was not accurate.

“It was presented as Armageddon for county agencies, government was going to cease to function,” Begg said. “When we got done at the end of that year and the referendum was overwhelmingly defeated, there was a $3 million carryover.”

Much of the county budget debate has centered around “nonmandated” expenses such as OSU Extension and the Allen County Museum.

Mohler said he would fund mandated services and use what was left to fund other kinds of programs and agencies.

Begg said while endeavors such as the Allen County Airport or extension may not be mandated, he sees many of the programs as essential, improving quality of life, adding to economic development and bringing back state and federal tax dollars to the county.

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