My candid personal reflections on the Geauga County Commissioner candidates

by Tiffanie Broadbent
These views are mine. Other members of Fortify Geauga may hold different opinions.

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Don’t miss our in-depth interviews with Skip Claypool and Ralph Spidalieri.

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It’s interesting how people vote for vastly different reasons.  Some people use their vote for a purpose other than filling the position…they vote to give a certain candidate a chance or to send a message to “the establishment” or to promote one identity group or another.  Sometimes they choose a candidate for arbitrary qualities or because of their position on a single issue.

Here is what drives my choice right now:  our way of life here in Geauga County will not stand still, and I know there is great effort, money, and pressure ranged against us.  If you haven’t been paying attention, that might seem dramatic.  If that’s the case, please look into NOACA (don’t worry if you don’t know what that means or why it’s a big deal – it’s all explained on this page).   NOACA is only one example.  There is also a movement at the Statehouse now to take zoning authority away from townships. (Stay tuned to FortifyGeauga.org – we are working on more posts describing other imminent threats to the rural character of our county. UPDATE: Please visit our Zoning page for developments and to learn how you can help.) 

In this particular race, I vote because I’m worried about the trajectory of our county, and I recognize that who sits in the Commissioners seats will make a huge difference to where we end up.

Everyone has things they are mad about right now, decisions made by one candidate or another that they think are bad.  Even the public servants we appreciate the most make some decisions we don’t agree with.  But remember:  all action draws fire; making decisions and asking tough questions will always upset someone.  The safest way to be liked is to appear supportive but not put yourself on the line.  None of the Commissioner candidates can be accused of that. The trick for voters is figuring out how much weight to give those choices and what they tell us about the future.

Carolyn Brakey vs Skip Claypool

The most sociable personality in this race is Carolyn Brakey.  Her opponent, Skip Claypool’s personality might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I really like him.  He’s smart, warm, generous to his community, and the epitome of a “high information voter”.  I think most people who complain about him see his questions as challenges rather than opportunities, but I’ve never seen him question something for the sake of upsetting people.  I’ve agreed with Skip on some things and disagreed on others.  Same with Carolyn, same with Ralph.  (There is only one candidate for Commissioner whose bad choices put her completely out of the running for me, and that is Nancy McArthur.) 

But personality is one subjective factor, and not the sum total of a person’s fitness for a certain role.  An illustration from my personal life:  many years ago, I had a serious problem with my spinal cord that required surgery.  I was in danger of losing my mobility.  Only a few surgeons in the country had extensive experience with the rare procedure I needed, and luckily, one of them was local.  His reputation was enormous; his ego even bigger.  I’ve never had a more abrasive, less friendly doctor.  But he knew how to do what I needed, he performed “flawlessly” (in his own words!), and I can still walk.  Would I have preferred a surgeon with world-class expertise and a stellar personality?  Of course!  But thankfully, I chose him based on his experience and got the result I desperately needed.

In the Commissioner’s seat, I don’t need a best friend or a kindly, mild-mannered neighbor, and I definitely do not need a scheming political insider who dilutes the values of our party.  I need experience NOW, competence NOW, and someone I know WITHOUT A DOUBT will protect our county, even if that makes him unpopular.  In my estimation, that’s Skip.

When I think about Carolyn, I see someone who is passionate and works hard; a genuinely kind, smart person, and I do believe she is conservative.  I knew her before this race started.  I liked her then and I like her now, but I am deeply worried about those who support her and whose endorsements she has sought.  Maybe it’s a good political strategy on her part, but I am extremely uncomfortable with a certain stripe of people who currently call themselves Republican, and I do not want to elect someone they endorse.  While I wish her the best in resisting their bad influence, I just can’t feel good about their interests in her campaign.  I continue to think very highly of her, and I cherish the hope of Carolyn being involved in future races without their involvement.  I’d love to have her on the side of fighting the establishment, but that’s really hard to do if the establishment gets you elected. 

I firmly believe both Carolyn and Skip strive to do what is right.  I’m 100% certain Skip can do that without entanglements.  If Carolyn were running against anyone else, she would likely have my vote, and on a personal level: yes, I do want her to “have her chance”, but no person’s “chance” is more important to me than stopping the slide of our county into a regionalism that discounts and denigrates our rural character. I don’t trust the establishment GOP to put our sovereignty above self-interest. I do trust Skip to protect our county, honor the Commissioner’s role as a servant of the people, and to have the independence to do so without expectations from the establishment.

Ralph Spidalieri vs Nancy McArthur

The biggest surprise for me in this race is Ralph Spidalieri.  I’d heard complaints about Ralph from other citizens:  that he missed meetings and didn’t want meetings recorded, and I’ll admit I was swayed by those when I first moved here.  But then I noticed who supported Ralph, and it was a bunch of people whose values and experience I truly prize.  I later learned Ralph’s attendance in Commissioners meetings is actually better than I’d heard, and most of his absences were due to a major surgery (obviously I, of all people, can‘t fault him for that).  [See my interview with Ralph, PART 2, timestamp 01:00 for his explanation of his 90%+ attendance record] I also learned there is more nuance to the recording issue than I originally understood. [See my interview with Skip, timestamp 19:22 for a discussion on the complexities of recordings and retention laws]

Regardless, I would have voted for basically anyone other than Nancy McArthur – that part was easy to figure out.  But I am so very glad I didn’t leave it at that.  I am deeply grateful to Ralph for speaking with me about his time as Commissioner, his views on public service, and his hopes for our county.  The private conversations I had with him and the interview we conducted changed me from “Anyone but Nancy” to “Definitely Ralph”. 

Reflecting on what I know about the difference between being a candidate and being a public servant, I can say I am now very glad Ralph is in that seat.  He puts his energy into building and protecting our county, not into worrying about how he appears to everyone else.  Unlike his opponent, he is unconcerned with personal power and willing to discuss and explain his positions. What we see in a 45-minute meeting on a Tuesday morning is about 15% of a Commissioner’s job.  I urge everyone to watch my interview with Ralph to understand how hard he works at the other 85%.

As for Ralph’s opponent, Nancy McArthur, I’ve written quite a bit about her already. [See Commissioner Candidate & County GOP Chair Nancy McArthur’s Legacy of Questionable Behavior and Establishment GOP Attacking Tea Party, Squawking About “Fake Slate Cards”] I feel she is a chaotic and counterproductive force for our party with a long history of self-dealing and poor leadership. Her management of the Central Committee and our county party has been hostile and ineffective. She frequently shows outright animosity toward conservative ideas and people. I do not feel she has the will or skills to protect our county against the progressive elements that seek to erase what is special about it.

Regardless of the outcome in the Primary, I wish the best possible results for our county. I hope the candidates that move forward in this process are ready to put the needs of our county above all else.