Commissioners determined to bring change on heels of devastating 2008, 2009
Hard work has never been a problem when it comes to the entrepreneurial people of Holmes County. It has, in fact, been synonymous with the way Holmes County has been able to buoy itself despite the sinking feeling many of Ohio's counties have felt in the past. However, both 2008 and 2009 proved that Holmes County is not immune to the pitfalls of a horrible economy which saw the nation's unemployment rate skyrocket, job opportunities shrivel, and the stock market take a plunge before a late-season comeback last year.Faced with the task of turning the county's fortunes around are a trio of commissioners that include a pair of rookies who called 2009 their freshman year in that role. While stepping into the eye of the hurricane that was 2009 wasn't ideal for Ray Eyler and Rob Ault, both willingly and gladly took on the role of trying to find ways to make Holmes County prosperous along with incumbent Joe Miller.
"We've been in survival mode for the past year, and the different departments within the county have done a great job of working together to keep the budget where it is," said Ault. "But no matter what we do with the budget and with savings, the one thing we have a lot less control over is the revenue issue, and we'll have to adjust to that. Obviously, bringing more revenue into the county is going to be a large issue for us. We will turn our attention to bringing in new jobs, while working at retaining the ones we already have, and all of them are vital to our success. We've got a lot on our plate for 2010, and it is going to be a very interesting year, but we believe that we can turn things around."
What they do know is that facing them is an economy that has shown signs of turning around, but is far from breathing on its own, a landfill that is truly a mess, an ever-growing infrastructure, a dire need for the newly acquired fairgrounds and convention center to grow up in a hurry, along with finding ways to bring jobs into the county.
All of this plus much more will keep the commissioners, chamber of commerce, planning commission, economic development group and more working diligently. And despite wanting much, the commissioners understand that these things will not come without costs, and they most certainly won't be done in a heartbeat.
"There is no overnight fix for all of the things we want to accomplish," said Eyler. "We've got some important, key issues to deal with as we move forward this year, but we won't cut corners, and we will not do anything which does not benefit the people of this county. That is one of the most important things we all agree on."
The budget, which saw another three percent dip in 2010, after dropping a whopping nine percent last year, is the obvious issue with which the county must deal. Just as important, at least for the commissioners, are the problems with the landfill, which was closed down last year, as the county was basically sued by the state for not conforming to a number of issues.
"The state fined us because they don't want any environmental issues, and we don't want any either," said Miller earlier this year. "We understand that. It's amazing to think that at one point, this landfill was a real asset to our county. I think 10 to 15 years ago, we thought the county would get rich off of it. Now, it couldn't be a bigger headache. Looking back, we should have never gotten involved with it in the first place. Government should not mess around with public businesses. I will never, ever sign off on anything relating to the landfill again."
The commissioners remain in talks with a number of different entities which may be viable options for at least reopening the facility. The goal would be to bring in a landfill operator that could help the county move toward eventually closing the facility. The commissioners realize that no matter how hard they work in 2010, this may not be the year in which the county says "finally" to the landfill issues.
While the solid waste woes continue on top of the hill on SR 241, other waste issues point to more positive trends. This will be the year in which the growth in the Walnut Creek wastewater treatment plant expansion takes shape, signifying one area of major growth in the county. The other wastewater expansion hopefully will take place at October Hills, a large area just southeast of Loudonville, where the commissioners are working hard at finding grant money to begin a wastewater project similar to Walnut Creek.
"Walnut Creek is coming together nicely and should be in great shape by the end of the year," said Ault. "We've recently applied for a grant for October Hills. There's a lot of people hooked up over there, and that area is a very unexplored part of our county that could really grow. We'd love to help growth in that part of the county."
Another area of growth lies in the new fairground and convention center land located just west of Millersburg. The land was donated to the county by Paul Weaver, and the first item on the agenda is getting the proper wastewater treatment to the area that will be capable of handling a massive amount of water and sewer.
Eyler said that getting these wastewater plans up and running will be crucial to the county's eventual success, but he is certain that 2010 will be more of a planning stage than one of action for these upcoming tasks. "We've got to plan ahead, otherwise we end up behind the eight ball," said Eyler. "A lack of vision put us in some of the places we are now."
Eyler was referring to the "good times" in the years leading up to 2007, when money seemingly grew on trees, and rather than saving by creating a rainy day fund, the county, like most counties around the nation, assumed the good times would roll forever. Such was not the case, and the commissioners have made a pact that they will focus on creating a rainy day fund despite the economic troubles. He used the landfill as an example, noting that no money was ever set aside for the eventual closing of the facility when it was up and running well, thus leaving it as a huge liability for the county at present.
While revenue may be down from prior years, Holmes County continues to be a vibrant player in the tourism industry. Fewer big ticket item purchases is one of the main culprits in the lessening revenue, but people still continue flocking to Holmes County, where they envision the opportunity to take mini-vacations to get away from the burdens of their everyday life.
"We've got a unique county here because we are seen by many people throughout Ohio and neighboring states as a destination to get away from the rat race for a day or two that is still within easy driving," said Ault. "I think we're still much better off than most counties right now in terms of our fiscal status. I think much of that is attributed to our willingness to work, and much of it is because of our conservative nature.
"Our chamber of commerce and tourism, the planning commission and the economic development council have done a remarkable job of promoting Holmes County as a destination. They've kept us out in front of people, and our tourism should remain a strength for us," Ault added.
The challenges facing the county in 2010 are many. The good times may have to take a back seat to some tough times. Improving the county's thoroughfares, filling factory buildings which currently are empty and climbing health care issues are not uncommon issues that every county in the nation faces in 2010. Having hope, and relying on the county's biggest asset — its people — is what the commissioners think will get Holmes County through 2010 in a positive manner, as the county grinds out the year and strives to lead the way into a new era as one of the state's leaders.