Oct 28, 2023 7 min read

The general election on Nov. 7 will decide which party controls the Greene County Board of Commissioners.

The decision by Greene County Commission Chairman Mike Belding, who is a Republican, to retire at the end of his first and only four-year term has left an open seat on the board, with two incumbents running and two challengers trying to fill the void.

Republican Commissioner Betsy Rohanna McClure is running with Republican Jared Edgreen, while Democratic Commissioner Blair Zimmerman is running alongside Democrat Christine “Chris” Bailey.

Just like in the primary, the Observer-Reporter asked each candidate to provide emailed responses to two questions.

Question 1: What are the biggest issues facing Greene County over the next four years, and how will you address them?

Question 2: What will you do to spur economic grown and business opportunities to increase the county’s population and tax base?

Blair Zimmerman

Party: Democratic

Age: 70

Hometown: Franklin Township

Occupation: Greene County Commissioner

One of the biggest issues facing the county now and in the future is the loss of tax revenue from the coal industry. Each train load of coal leaving Greene County is less taxes for the County, Townships and School Districts. Housing along with infrastructure follows closely behind. We (economic and development and planning) work on this every week. Actually, everyday. We are seeing progress but like everything today it takes time. Loss of population is something a lot of counties are seeing and we are trying to convince people to stay and work in a clean and green environment. We see that after the pandemic that you can have a job in New York City or D.C. yet work from a much better environment here.

Again, our Economic Development and planning along with the IDA, RDA, and now working closely with the IDC are working to advance jobs and growth in the County. This will and has paid dividends for future growth and an increase in the tax base. We are making corporations aware of many properties, both County and private, to grow jobs, tax base, and infrastructure needs. This is what I see that can and will spur growth in Greene for the future of our families.

Christine ‘Chris’ Bailey

Party: Democratic

Age: 54

Hometown: Waynesburg

Occupation: Officer Administrator – Greene County Sheriff’s Department

Greene County is facing a crisis in Tax Base, as current budget is reliant on $5.4 million in Impact Fees. We need to redirect focus from tourism to industry. With a decline in population, we are not able to recover the loss in county taxes. We need to address the importance for industry to aid in reducing the demand on property owners to pay for the deficit. Our county has many attributes that would appeal to larger corporations. We have the available land mass, proximity to major highways, railway, rivers and proximity to major cities. Offering tax incentives, instead of tax abatements, to companies that employ more than 30 employees will encourage economic growth. Not only would this provide jobs to the area it would greatly reduce the strain of taxes on homeowners.

Betsy Rohanna McClure

Party: Republican

Age: 64

Hometown: Franklin Township

Occupation: Greene County Commissioner

Our community faces several issues. Number one on the list is declining tax revenue and lost jobs, primarily caused by coal industry closures. This decline impacts our county, township and school district budget revenues, and the services they can provide. Also, in earlier surplus years, our leaders failed to set aside funds, or to invest revenue, to maintain or advance critical infrastructure, including water, communications, and waste management. We have lost both population and workforce, due to the contraction of the coal industry. Upheaval in the power and natural gas industries from market contractions and regulatory constraints, also negatively impact our workforce. We have many single-family households, and few family sustaining jobs for women.

In 2020, as a new commissioner, with a $5 million budget deficit, my first goal was to end reckless spending, institute fiscal responsibility, and ensure that every dollar was spent to benefit taxpayers. I am laser focused on using all our county assets wisely, and getting a solid return for taxpayer dollars. During my first term, by smartly investing $5 million in local dollars, we delivered over $38 million in government and industry dollars back to our county, and used a significant portion to repair and expand infrastructure. We will continue to carefully target and pursue funding opportunities from all our partners, and make sure that project funds are properly utilized. I will continue to work with our Economic Development team, and industry leaders in coal, gas, and by-products to make sure that Greene County is positioned competitively to bring in more good jobs. I am pursuing resources and industry partnerships to improve workforce training and development. I will work to engage and support School Districts in this effort. I will continue to advocate for resources for the most vulnerable, children, elderly and the disabled.

Jared Edgreen

Party: Republican

Age: 37

Residence: Waynesburg

Occupation: Law Enforcement – School Police Officer

It is evident there are many issues facing Greene County now and in the coming years, and I offer my humble observations and solutions based on my experiences living and working in Greene County. I also recognize that the issues are complex and nuanced in a way that is impossible to fully address in this short segment. We are currently facing a situation within the county where we see an eroding tax base, fewer employment opportunities, population reduction (7% 2010-2020), our best and brightest leaving for other opportunities, depletion of natural resources, and overspending by previous administrations. Basic economics tells us this leads to higher taxes, and unfortunately they do not match what amenities the county has to offer. “How do we turn this around?” and “How do we spur economic growth?” are questions I am frequently asked in the community. In order to address any problem, it must first be identified and understood. I believe we must continue the path of fiscal responsibility started by our current administration and cut spending whenever feasible to stabilize taxes. We must be proactive in seeking grant funding to support us as we expand opportunities to live, work, learn, visit, and remain in Greene County. This includes continuing initiatives in infrastructure, education, industry, parks, and tourism. We must partner with local businesses and natural resource companies in the area to leverage creative thinking and innovative ideas for the future of Greene County. We must attract new businesses and industries, spurring infrastructure growth in developable areas.

Solving the issues faced by Greene County will require the work of multiple stakeholders at the federal, state, and local levels. We must unite as a community and strive to move sustainably toward the future while advancing the great Greene County we grew up in.