MOUNT VERNON – The race for county commissioner heated up Thursday night when two Knox County natives took the debate stage.
Thom Collier (R), a longtime public official seeking his third consecutive term in office, battled Barry Lester (R), a longtime executive in the automobile industry, in the Knox County Primary Election Debate. Local residents packed Mount Vernon Nazarene University’s Jetter Hall to hear the candidates answer questions from a panel of local media representatives.
Candidates for two county commissioner seats, county sheriff, and county probate/juvenile judge participated in the debate. All four positions will be up for grabs in the March 17 primary election.
Collier, 55, has served as a Knox County commissioner since 2012. A lifelong resident of Knox County, Collier has been self-employed for 35 years. He recently founded an e-Merge Real Estate office in Mount Vernon, where he works as a sales agent. Collier has worked in government at the city, county and state levels over the past two decades.
Lester, 60, worked as an executive in the auto industry for nearly three decades before recently becoming the manager of Mount Vernon Country Club. A Fredericktown native, he spent 10 years as the operations manager of Midwestern Auto Group of Dublin, where he oversaw 270 employees at 15 locations and handled $54 million in inventory.
Collier and Lester began Thursday’s debate by discussing the importance of representing the entire county as a commissioner.
Lester said all areas of the county should be treated equally in the decision-making process, and that transparency “should be at the forefront of any decision we make.”
“It should be an unbiased, well-researched decision that doesn’t adversely affect anyone…” he continued. “I think that these commissioners, over the last years – for the job that was handed to them during the recession period and stuff, have done a great job. But everybody deserves a turn, everybody would like to see change.”
Collier said that in his time as a commissioner, the county has taken transparency “very seriously.” The commissioners have moved their schedules and meeting minutes online, he said, allowing anyone with internet access to follow their discussions.
The commissioners have also become involved in Ohio’s Open Checkbook program, in conjunction with the county and state auditor’s offices, so that people can view the county’s financial operations online.
“We are strong about transparency,” Collier said.
He added that the commissioners regularly visit villages and townships across the county, in order to hear the concerns of their constituents.
“That’s a very important part of our job…” Collier said. “We’re all important. There’s no difference in size or scope for who has more or less say in any decision. We represent 60,000-plus people in Knox County, and that’s the way we make every decision.”
In discussing the importance of grant funding for county projects, Lester questioned whether or not it was fiscally responsible for the county to hire a grand coordinator to manage the application process. He suggested it might save money to have someone in-house handle those duties.
“I respectfully disagree with my opponent on that,” Collier responded.
Collier explained that the commissioners only hire a grant coordinator to apply for Community Development Block Grants, which are used to fund critical infrastructure projects. The application process for those grants is highly complex, Collier said, which is why the county hires a grant coordinator for it.
“There are a handful of people throughout the state who provide those services… ” he said. “We get great value for our dollar. There’s no way that an individual in-house could do what they provide.”
After years of working at various levels of local government, Collier believes Knox County utilizes public-private funding partnerships “better than 90 percent of the counties throughout the state.” The rehabilitation of the old Central School is an example, he said.
“That was a $4 million job; only half of that had to come from the bond, from our funds. The other half was a generous donation from private citizens and from the Ariel Foundation. We’ve had a number of those types of projects…” Collier said.
“I could go on and on about the public-private partnerships we’ve established to ease the burden for the Knox County taxpayer, and to provide the best service to Knox County’s youth.”
Both Collier and Lester emphasized that, if elected, they would be fully committed to their role as commissioner, while also maintaining their respective roles in business. When Collier listed the organizations he’s been a part of during his time as a commissioner, Lester questioned the incumbent’s ability to be fully dedicated to each board.
“It’s very easy to gather a list of credentials, a list of foundations, a list of ‘I-dids,’ a list of ‘I-woulds.’ The question that I have for anybody who lists those very things, those very topics: What’s the devotion of time and soul you’ve put into that?” he said. “Have you overrun your ability to put heart and soul in all of those foundations and committees?”
Collier responded by saying that each commissioner is required to hold leadership positions on certain boards and committees.
“It would be great to say, ‘You don’t want to overextend yourself and I’d be very careful about how many I’m going to,’” Collier said, “but you still have to cover all the bases.”
Collier added that, on top of his commissioner duties, he also volunteers with various local organizations as a way to give back to the community. All of the county’s current commissioners do this, he said.
“That’s called community service. That’s called public service,” he said. “That’s called what we do.”
The debate’s next question centered around priorities: What are the most pressing issues facing the commissioner’s office right now, and how should those be addressed?
Collier said making the county more economically efficient will be – and has always been – one of his top priorities as commissioner.
“I’m very proud of the fact that we have made a number of great improvements in efficiencies just in the last few years, including job sharing, technology and energy efficiencies,” he said, citing the county’s new solar energy initiative as an example.
“We have saved literally tens of thousands of dollars a month in utility bills, and in other technological types of improvements. We’ve improved the security and safety of our facilities and the public.”
Having first taken office near the end of the economic recession, Collier said he’s proud of how the county has regained financial stability in recent years.
“We have done an excellent job of creating financial stability,” he said. “Our income exceeds our expenses and we have a self-insured health insurance plan that is well-funded and stable.”
Lester also listed financial prudence as a priority. Given his history in business management, he said he’s well-equipped with knowledge to keep the county headed in the right direction.
“Financial prudence is what I’ve brought to my core for every job I’ve ever had,” he said.
Lester also said he’d push for the installation of broadband internet in rural parts of the county. This will be key, he said, in attracting businesses and economic growth.
“You can go all over Knox County and not have internet,” Lester said. “If you’re gonna increase business structure, they’ve gotta have internet to be productive. So broadband would be my first conceptual idea.”
Collier said the county commissioners are currently working with state representative Rick Carfagna on legislation that would help make this happen.
“We want to do everything that we can to bring broadband internet to Knox County and the more rural areas. It’s not something we can do alone,” Collier said. “It’s something we work with at the state level, at the County Commissioners Association. We’ve been on committees and worked hard in that way. That is a priority of ours, and we will continue to work hard on that.”
The key difference between Collier and Lester emerged early and often on Thursday night: political experience. Collier has spent decades serving at various levels of local government, while Lester is running for office for the first time. Both noted this distinction in their closing statements.
“While I haven’t held a political office, I do bring people skills, process knowledge, and procedure development, and they’ve served me well throughout a successful career in a variety of business settings and responsibilities…” Lester said.
“My business and management experience give me the ability to contribute effective ideas and solutions. I author clear and present direction, successful management through training and delegating and expectations; being a professional in crucial conversation, where stakes are high, opinions vary, and emotions run strong.”
Collier, meanwhile, went the other direction – but came to a similar premise.
“Over the years of my service and times in business, I’m proud of my record. I’m proud of my involvement locally. I’m proud of my record as a county commissioner, and I’m not afraid to run on that record…” he said. “I’m running because we’ve made great progress and we have much more to do.”
MEET THE CANDIDATES: Collier, 55, is a lifelong resident of Knox County. A Mount Vernon native, he has been self-employed for 35 years. He recently founded an e-Merge Real Estate office in Mount Vernon, where he works as a sales agent.
Collier began his political career in 2000, when he served on Mount Vernon’s city council. He spent eight years working at the state level, as a member of the House of Representatives.
There, he was part of several committees, including Economic Development and Environment (where he served as chair), Education, and Commerce and Labor. Collier was first elected to the Board of Knox County Commissioners in 2012 and is now seeking his third term in office.
Collier has received numerous accolades during his multi-level political career, including the Watchdog of the Treasury Award from United Conservatives of Ohio; the Henry Toll Fellow designation and the Legislative Leadership Development Award from the Council of State Governments; the Legislative Award from the AMVETS Department of Ohio; and the Outstanding Service to Agriculture award from the Ohio Farm Bureau.
Collier currently serves on dozens of local committees and non-profit boards, working with organizations like American Red Cross, Place 4 Grace, and Big Brothers/Big Sisters.
“I’ve established a number of contacts and relationships, not only in the community, but also in the political realm with leaders across the state, and that’s been very beneficial to us in Knox County,” Collier said.
Collier said he chose to run for re-election because he wants to continue to play a role in the county’s development.
“I think we want to continue that progress as a team,” he told Knox Pages. “We’re a board of three, and I’d like to be a part of the future of Knox County in planning and preparing and making Knox County a better place to live and do business, and raise a family.”
If re-elected, Collier said a major focus of the commissioners will be to plan for Knox County’s predicted population boom. The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission predicts Knox County will add 17,000 people by 2050, as a result of the growth coming from Columbus. Collier said the county will need to be proactive in preparing for this growth.
“We’re really doing a lot of planning – not only financially, but in other ways…” he said. “We need to expand opportunities for housing. Certainly an intrical part of what we do is to plan for the future, as far as infrastructure and need. We want to keep our tax base low, our crime rates low, and do everything we can to maintain the rural feel of Knox County.”
Lester, 60, is a Knox County native and Fredericktown High School graduate. He enlisted in the Army after high school and was honorably discharged three years later. Lester started in the car industry in 1982 and proceeded to spend the next 36 years there. He spent the last 10 years of his career as the operations manager for Midwestern Auto Group of Dublin, where he oversaw 270 employees at 15 branches and handled $54 million in inventory.
“Over 10 years, the team that I created declined in turnover and created more profit year-over-year,” Lester said.
After retiring from the auto industry, Lester became the manager of Mount Vernon Country Club, where he has worked for the last 19 months.
Lester said he’s been thinking about running for county commissioner for three years, and this year he decided it was time.
“I’m looking forward to doing civil service. I finally have time,” Lester told Knox Pages. “You know, for 30-plus years, I worked six or seven days a week, and this opportunity would not have been presented. I’ve been blessed by the board of directors at the country club, to take all the time I need to perform the duties of this job. I have a well-trained staff.”
If elected, Lester said his top priority would be financial prudence. He also hopes to provide additional resources to the sheriff’s office and local mental health/drug addiction services, to improve the quality of life for county residents.
“As a citizen who greatly values my lifelong connection to Knox County, I’ve decided it’s time to invest my time and my talents into the county’s future,” Lester said. “No other office would be more suiting than the Knox County commissioners’ vacant office.”
Knox Pages, the Mount Vernon News, WMVO/WQIO, and Mount Vernon University sponsored Thursday’s debate. To view the debate, go to mvnu.tv.
