Did you know there is an elected representative in our County GOP who is supposed to be representing you in the Republican party? There are 78 voting precincts in our county and every one of them has a GOP Central Committee representative who is elected by the people. The Central Committee is the operating board of our county party. These representatives should be making decisions that put YOUR values into practice at the local level of the GOP. How can they do that if they’ve never met or spoken with you?

Sadly, very few people understand the structure of the party at the state and county levels. An effective, well-run Central Committee can be a very powerful body. But while we are distracted by national races in which our individual votes have little sway, the local party that is supposed to be representing us, where members are often elected by only a few hundred votes, sits mainly idle and woefully mismanaged.

It’s time for us to get on the ball. Conservatives in Geauga County deserve an effective, active party that represents our core values. Please join Fortify Geauga as we explore the purpose and promise of our Central Committee and work hard to educate the community on the power we could be taking hold of.

Start here to learn about the purpose of the GOP Central Committee:

Now take a look at Fortify Geauga’s Vision for a Vibrant Geauga County GOP:

• Open meetings where the public is welcome to attend.
• Meetings scheduled in advance to help increase attendance. The Geauga GOP leadership schedules last-minute meetings, often with only the minimum notice required by law. The sad result is very low attendance. For example, the October 2023 meeting where the GOP was set to approve expenditures for Issue 1 was announced at the last minute and so poorly attended that there was not a quorum; hence our county GOP could not approve expenditures to fight Issue 1.
• Roll-call votes so constituents know how their elected representatives are voting. How can we evaluate and support our representatives if we don’t know how they vote?
• Meeting minutes and attendance published for public view.
• Updated platform. The platform for our Geauga County GOP was last ratified in 2015. We elect new Central Committee members every four years. Shouldn’t they evaluate and ratify the platform with each new term?
• Welcoming, functional physical headquarters. The Geauga GOP currently has no physical headquarters, and the last office space they occupied was unkept and infrequently used. While the Democrat party in Geauga county has a busy, functioning office, our party has no home.
• Subcommittees. Other county GOPs have subcommittees to evaluate and address issues of concern in their communities. Examples include constituent outreach, education, economic, or fundraising committees.
• Effective constituent outreach. Most Geauga County Republicans aren’t even aware of the purpose of our Central & Executive Committees and are rarely invited to participate. The GOP website lists only home addresses for elected Central Committee members. How can citizens be engaged if they don’t have an easy way to contact their representatives?
• Training for committee members. We the People elect Central Committee members to be our voice in the party. The Central Committee ostensibly follows Robert’s Rules of Order to conduct their meetings, although the rules set forth are routinely violated. Leadership should provide orientation and training in Robert’s Rules of Order so our representatives can effectively participate in the business of the party.

Your next steps…

• Be curious, learn more, and help us spread the word
  Through our website, newsletter, community events, and advertising, we are on a mission to educate ourselves and the community. Sign up for our Newsletter and we will send you dates and details for future events where you can learn more about how our party works. Join us at one of our community events so we can plan future projects together. Invite your friends and neighbors.
• Find out who your representative is
  Click here to find out who represents you at the county level. For most Central Committee members, we only have home addresses, which are published on the Geauga County GOP website. A handful of Central Committee members have shared email addresses or phone numbers with us (only shared with their permission).
• Contact your Central Committee representative and share Fortify Geauga’s Vision for a Vibrant Geauga County GOP with them. Be respectful and positive. Many of our representatives would love to be more involved but they have not been given the training and opportunity to do so. Let them know you are learning more about Central Committee and you want them to understand your concerns for our county. Invite them to visit our website, attend our events, and to post their contact information so their constituents can contact them.
• Let’s organize. Your Central Committee representatives can’t represent you if they don’t know you. Let’s make that happen! Would you like to get a group of neighbors together in your precinct to learn more? Fortify Geauga would be happy to set up a get-together where neighbors can meet their local Central Committee members and spend time discussing the issues that impact you. You can reach us by email at FortifyGeauga@proton.me.