Two Salem residents are vying for open commissioner seat | News, sports, jobs

LISBON — Voters will choose between Salem residents Tim Ginter, a Republican, and Ray Cox, a Democrat, on Nov. 5 when they decide who to replace incumbent Columbiana County Commissioner Tim Weigle.

A Republican, Weigle decided against seeking re-election to a fourth term, instead choosing to retire after a long career in public service, first as a Unity Township trustee, then as a commissioner.

Ginter, a former Ohio state representative who served four terms in Columbiana County, won the Republican nomination in the spring against Lisbon resident John P. Williams. Cox was able to run unopposed for the Democratic nomination in his first public election.

Now they face off on Jan. 2 for the Columbiana County commissioner term.

Asked why he was running, Cox, 70, said he was a Salem businessman who was a former police officer, deputy sheriff and deputy marshal and also served in the U.S. Army, Army Reserve and National Guard “I just felt like the citizens deserved a better voice in their government.”

He realized that he had questions about something and tried to get answers, but it was extremely difficult. At his previous job, he got all the problem reports and had to try to find a happy medium by working with customers and figuring out how to do it better.

“I can apply that to the district.” he said. “If I listen to our citizens’ concerns and present them to the commissioners, there is hope for a better relationship with the citizens and county government.”

He said he wants to be a full-time commissioner and has the time. He said more needs to be done than just approving budgets and he will actively seek out and bring new businesses to the county.

Ginter, 69, pastor of the Church at the Center in Salem, said he decided to run for commissioner when he had the opportunity “Serving people in very real and tangible ways. It is a continuation of what I have done for the people of Columbiana County for eight years. It is an opportunity to continue my service to the people of Columbiana County in a new role.”

Ginter will remain pastor of the Church at the Center in Salem, but said he will “committed to investing the necessary time” to the office of commissioner.

He said the district is in very good financial shape and he wants to maintain it.

“I would like to see a continuation of the practices and policies of our current commissioners.” Ginter said.

Qualifications

As for qualifications, Cox said he has a diverse range of experiences, from the military to law enforcement to private industry, where he has worked for firms building security for Fortune 500 companies. For G4S Secure Solutions, he led a multi-state region, employing thousands of people and with a budget of over $300 million, headquartered in Louisiana.

His job was to resolve acquisition issues, maintain the company’s business, acquire new business, and continue to make the company profitable. He also served the company as district manager in Ohio and Pennsylvania and then worked as regional director for MetroOne LPSG for two years before retiring in 2023.

In law enforcement, he was a police officer in Mobile, Alabama, a deputy marshal in Columbus, Georgia, a bank investigator in Atlanta, Georgia and once owned his own security company in Atlanta, Georgia.

He earned an associate degree in criminal justice and a bachelor’s degree in criminology, both from Columbus State University in Georgia, and earned a degree in criminology from Georgia State University in Georgia. He served in the U.S. Army, the U.S. Army Reserve in Mobile, Alabama, and the Georgia National Guard in Columbus, Georgia. He noted that he has been a member of the FBI Critical Infrastructure InfraGard team for 20 years, working with law enforcement agencies and companies.

According to Cox, all of these experiences translate well to serving citizens.

Ginter’s service to the people includes eight years in the Ohio Statehouse as State Representative from Columbiana County from 2014 to 2022, serving as Speaker Pro Tempore by majority vote in his final two-year term. The committees he served on included public utilities, which addressed utility issues, and the Aging/Long-Term Care Chair during the pandemic, when special hearings were launched to address issues facing families related to care their relatives were struggling.

He served on the State and Local Government Committee, which directly addressed all legislation passed by the House of Representatives that affected local government. He said he has co-sponsored many bills that are beneficial to local government, including a bill enacted in 2021 that addressed communities’ concerns about nuisance properties and also communities’ parameters for maintaining cemeteries .

“The fact that I have served in government and have some experience in these areas will help me qualify to be a county commissioner.” Ginter said.

The relationships he built as a legislator still exist.

Ginter trained for ministry at Mount Vernon Nazarene University in Ohio and Nazarene Bible College in Colorado while working full-time as a machinist. He also worked in construction and served as development manager and vice president of sales at Newbold Technologies in East Liverpool.

Ginter’s ministry as a pastor has spanned 44 years, all in Ohio, including 13 years at Church At The Center in Salem. He said all of his combined experiences helped him deal with people.

Topics and goals

Both candidates were asked to describe the biggest issue facing the county and both gave different answers.

“I personally think it’s because of accessibility to the public.” Cox said.

If people had more access to the meetings where they could get more information, it could have a positive impact on citizens and give them more confidence in how the county operates.

Cox had come to the commissioners’ meetings and said they were getting better at explaining why they do what they do.

Ginter had two answers to the biggest problem. He said the county needs to continue working to centralize 911. He also said he wants to ensure the state provides the promised new equipment for the new 911 system.

Another issue close to his heart is the rising health care costs at the county jail, as the county must pay those bills for inmates while they are in the county’s custody. He said it’s something all counties are facing. Before Medicare intervenes, the inmates must be released.

Ginter said one of his goals is to work with the state and federal government to find a better way to deal with health care costs for inmates “There has to be another way to reimburse these counties.”

Ginter also said he wants to work with the state on the property tax issue, saying a bill has been introduced to adjust property tax laws, but it is about continuing to support schools and other facilities.

“A further increase in property taxes for homeowners and our businesses will no longer be sustainable,” he said.

Property tax increases are prohibitive for seniors, he added “I think we need to take a fresh look at the homestead exemption.”

Cox outlined several goals if elected, including monthly meetings throughout the county to hear residents’ concerns and ideas, actively seeking businesses to locate here, more sheriff’s deputies and establishing sheriff substations in the area entire district for quick reactions and more safety for the residents.

Cox also said he wanted to work on reopening a maternity ward at one of the county’s hospitals and wondered how the county could expect to bring new families here and keep current ones if mothers had their children in other counties or upstate giving birth would need an ambulance if they couldn’t get to the hospital in time.

He said he would like to see what can be done to increase affordable housing and talked about a program he had heard about in Mahoning County that builds homes where properties have been torn down and then rented out at a lower price.

Cox said he wants to help bring new businesses, including retail, to the county. The more companies join, the more revenue the district will generate, which could lead to an increase in services.

Final thoughts

“I believe our officials should be responsive to citizens and listen to their concerns and then offer them a solution.” Cox said. “I’m doing this because I want to do everything I can to make the district successful.”

He was a problem solver in his job and said he wanted to get involved and help the county.

He and his wife Jan have a blended family with eight children and eleven grandchildren. Jan grew up in Salem and when they returned to the area they opened the Salem Music Center.

Ginter and his wife Pam have a daughter and three grandchildren. He said he will always strive for excellence and said the county is blessed and in a very good condition.

“I will continue my conservative, common sense approach to government and serve the people of Columbiana County with integrity.” Ginter said.

[email protected]