Incumbent Seneca County Commissioner Ben Nutter hopes to be re-elected because he thinks the board has "unfinished business."
Nutter, who serves as the board's president, offered his record as commissioner to show why he is a good candidate.
"My record is very clear," he said. "I'm fiscally conservative, but I'm still willing to spend money on crucial services and developing infrastructure so that we make Seneca County an attractive place."
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Nutter
He said that in the beginning of his career, he and other commissioners invested $1.4 million in a jail expansion project, which allowed them to bring in about $14 million in revenue. He also said commissioners have reduced debt in the Seneca County by more than 50 percent.
Nutter said he is willing to make tough decisions, even when it's unpopular . One of the biggest decisions of his eight-year tenure was demolition of the 1884 Courthouse.
"That was a problem for the last 50 years that elected officials have turned a blind eye to and were unwilling to address," he said. "We researched it. We went to great lengths to find adequate resources to renovate that building. And I would've loved to renovate that building. But when it became painfully evident that any renovation project would've been financially detrimental to Seneca County, we had to go the direction of removing it. Because allowing it to sit in the center of town- falling down was never an option. That's not what we're here for, in local government, to dodge tough choices."
Nutter said another achievement during his time as commissioner is building of the new Seneca County Youth Center.
"Youth centers are important because we haven't given up on the idea that we can rehabilitate youth and make them productive members of society," he said. "We want to try and help them, and give them the tools they need to succeed in the community. That's why I'm so proud of it."
While he is proud of what he and other commissioners have achieved, he reiterated that his work is not complete.
He said one of the biggest issues facing Seneca County includes the Seneca Juvenile and Probate Court, which he said is too small and is not ADA accessible.
He also said he wants to support county employees with better compensation, and he wants to find a way to get a more accurate prediction of county revenue. He said under the current system, numbers fluctuate and that makes it difficult to budget properly.
"While I don't take full credit for the current expansion, I would say that Seneca County commissioners have done a good job of making a business-friendly environment," Nutter said. "Government doesn't create jobs. Government supports the private sector, so the private sector can create jobs."
