"Pickaway County Commissioner Brian Stewart is known for saying what he's thinking..." - The Columbus Dispatch, February 26, 2015
Managing Your Tax Dollars
Brian Stewart ran for Pickaway County Commissioner in 2012 promising to be fiscally responsible with our county tax dollars - and he has kept that promise. Each year he has been a commissioner the county has maintained a balanced budget with no deficit spending. All the while, Commissioner Stewart has voted to spend money improving all county buildings, fixing roads, upgrading the county's IT capabilities, and funding every office at a level which allows county government to provide good services to residents. After years of flat wages during the recession, Commissioner Stewart also worked to ensure that the county's finances could again support reasonable wage increases for the county's workers. Sheriff's deputies, prosecutors, dog wardens, building inspectors, bailiffs, office staff, IT personnel, and many more, have all received pay raises for the first time in several years. To top it all off, Commissioner Stewart's commitment to fiscal responsibility - spending less than the county receives in revenue - has resulted in the county doubling the amount of money Pickaway County has in the bank for reserves. Under his leadership, Pickaway County is on a path to financial stability for many years to come. In his second term, Commissioner Stewart will continue these fiscally responsible policies and keep Pickaway County firmly "in the black."
Improving Our Economy
Brian Stewart also promised to work hard to improve Pickaway County's economy by working with employers, workers, and community leaders around the county. The results of this collaboration speak for themselves. When Commissioner Stewart took office in January 2013, the unemployment rate in Pickaway County was 9.3% - today, it is down to 4.2%. New employers are choosing to locate here, bringing new jobs with them, and many of our existing employers have added jobs as well. For example, in November 2015, Sofidel announced that it was bringing a new manufacturing facility to Pickaway County and over 300 new jobs. Commissioner Stewart was heavily involved in these negotiations and continues to help lead the county's efforts to facilitate the construction of this facility.
From the East-West Connector in the Rickenbacker Area, to Progress Parkway in Circleville, the Board of Commissioners has been active in projects that are spurring economic development, and Commissioner Stewart has personally visited DuPont, PPG, Trimold, FPE, Aleris, Ohio Willowood, Telesis, and others in order to discuss these businesses' needs and ensure that county government is helping them be successful. The Board of Commissioners has also partnered with Ohio Christian University by financially supporting the Southern Gateway Economic Innovation Development Center, which will provide an opportunity for local entrepreneurs and aspiring small business owners to get the resources they need to create the new great Pickaway County employer. In his second term, Commissioner Stewart will continue working to attract new employers to our county, he will support those that do business here already, and he also plans to be involved in the growth and implementation of the Business Gateway at Ohio Christian University.
From the East-West Connector in the Rickenbacker Area, to Progress Parkway in Circleville, the Board of Commissioners has been active in projects that are spurring economic development, and Commissioner Stewart has personally visited DuPont, PPG, Trimold, FPE, Aleris, Ohio Willowood, Telesis, and others in order to discuss these businesses' needs and ensure that county government is helping them be successful. The Board of Commissioners has also partnered with Ohio Christian University by financially supporting the Southern Gateway Economic Innovation Development Center, which will provide an opportunity for local entrepreneurs and aspiring small business owners to get the resources they need to create the new great Pickaway County employer. In his second term, Commissioner Stewart will continue working to attract new employers to our county, he will support those that do business here already, and he also plans to be involved in the growth and implementation of the Business Gateway at Ohio Christian University.
Upgrading County Government
Brian Stewart vowed to bring a modern, tech-savvy perspective to the business of county government, and this has led to great improvements throughout many county offices. Commissioner Stewart personally oversaw the implementation of a new website for Pickaway County - its first upgrade since the original version nearly 15 years earlier. This website provides residents, businesses, and potential visitors a greatly improved resource for all inquiries relating to county government. The county's overall IT network received a substantial investment of capital funds improving data security, reliability, backup capacity. While other governments - even including the federal Internal Revenue Service (IRS) - were stuck using out of date, unsecure operating systems, every computer in Pickaway County was upgraded to a secure platform. Commissioner Stewart also overseen the addition of public wireless internet access throughout the Pickaway County Courthouse, believing that modern technology will assist residents with business they have with the Treasurer, Recorder, Auditor, and other offices at the courthouse. He has also pushed transitioned the county towards selling obsolete county property via online auctions, resulting in a jump from $2,000 in sale proceeds to more than $50,000 in a single year.
Commissioner Stewart worked to improve numerous other aspects of county operations. By selecting and overseeing leadership at the Pickaway County Dog Shelter, the shelter has become a statewide model with a near 0% euthanasia rate and a record high number of adoptions. The Board of Commissioners has made investments to upgrade the county's 911 system and provide additional training to its staff. Commissioner Stewart has approved the purchase of approximately 12 new vehicles for the Sheriff's Office, and a new court administration software system for the Juvenile/Probate Court. Many of these efforts have led to prestigious awards for the county. In 2014 the county received Energy Star certification for the courthouse, ranking it among the top 16% of all building nationwide for energy efficiency, with a corresponding $171,000 in annual energy savings. The county also received the Ohio Healthy Worksite Award from the state, recognizing the commissioners' as one of the top 40 employers in the state in terms of employee wellness programs and activities.
In his second term, Commissioner Stewart will lead the county's Records Commission in implementing a records digitization effort aimed at preserving records digitally, freeing up storage capacity, and ensuring that natural and man-made disaster cannot destroy crucial public records. He also plans to explore the creation of a county land bank in order to continue tackling the issue of blighted properties in our communities.
Commissioner Stewart worked to improve numerous other aspects of county operations. By selecting and overseeing leadership at the Pickaway County Dog Shelter, the shelter has become a statewide model with a near 0% euthanasia rate and a record high number of adoptions. The Board of Commissioners has made investments to upgrade the county's 911 system and provide additional training to its staff. Commissioner Stewart has approved the purchase of approximately 12 new vehicles for the Sheriff's Office, and a new court administration software system for the Juvenile/Probate Court. Many of these efforts have led to prestigious awards for the county. In 2014 the county received Energy Star certification for the courthouse, ranking it among the top 16% of all building nationwide for energy efficiency, with a corresponding $171,000 in annual energy savings. The county also received the Ohio Healthy Worksite Award from the state, recognizing the commissioners' as one of the top 40 employers in the state in terms of employee wellness programs and activities.
In his second term, Commissioner Stewart will lead the county's Records Commission in implementing a records digitization effort aimed at preserving records digitally, freeing up storage capacity, and ensuring that natural and man-made disaster cannot destroy crucial public records. He also plans to explore the creation of a county land bank in order to continue tackling the issue of blighted properties in our communities.
Taking a Stand for Pickaway County Values
Brian Stewart has been a leader on other issues affecting Pickaway County as well. In just his second year as a commissioner, Commissioner Stewart was elected to the Board of Directors for the County Commissioners Association of Ohio (CCAO). In this capacity, he has had a voice in supporting taxpayer relief efforts in the General Assembly, indigent defense, agricultural policy, and many other issues, while also sharing Pickaway County's effective solutions with other counties statewide. Commissioner Stewart led Pickaway County in becoming the first county in Ohio to pass a resolution agreeing to put our local checkbook online with the Ohio Treasurer's Office for taxpayers to see. The commissioners were also the first county in the state to pass a resolution supporting Secretary of State Jon Husted's successful initiative to implement online voter registration, which would save taxpayers money and enhance the the security and integrity of our elections system.
Commissioner Stewart also stood up for local taxpayers when the state of Ohio attempted to make Pickaway County alone pay the costs of Ariel Castro's autopsy. Castro, infamous for his heinous crimes against women in Cleveland, was in Pickaway County for a very brief while incarcerated, and hanged himself in his cell. Commissioner Stewart and his colleagues objected to paying the bill, shed light on the state's system of assessing statewide prison costs on individual local governments, and ultimately secured reimbursement for Ariel Castro's autopsy costs from the state. In covering the commissioners' success, the Columbus Dispatch wrote afterwards, "Chalk one up for the little guys."
Commissioner Stewart shares the values of many in southern Ohio as well. He is a strong defender of the 2nd Amendment and gun rights, and is strongly pro-life. He has continued the commissioners' tradition of beginning each year with the Commissioners Leadership Prayer Breakfast, inviting government and school leaders from across the county to fellowship together and begin the year with a message from a member of the local clergy. He has been an outspoken voice against the implementation of Obamacare and other intrusive federal government regulations, has taken numerous stands for limited government government and private property rights, and has worked diligently to improve public records compliance and other policies that make county government more accountable to "We the People."
Commissioner Stewart also stood up for local taxpayers when the state of Ohio attempted to make Pickaway County alone pay the costs of Ariel Castro's autopsy. Castro, infamous for his heinous crimes against women in Cleveland, was in Pickaway County for a very brief while incarcerated, and hanged himself in his cell. Commissioner Stewart and his colleagues objected to paying the bill, shed light on the state's system of assessing statewide prison costs on individual local governments, and ultimately secured reimbursement for Ariel Castro's autopsy costs from the state. In covering the commissioners' success, the Columbus Dispatch wrote afterwards, "Chalk one up for the little guys."
Commissioner Stewart shares the values of many in southern Ohio as well. He is a strong defender of the 2nd Amendment and gun rights, and is strongly pro-life. He has continued the commissioners' tradition of beginning each year with the Commissioners Leadership Prayer Breakfast, inviting government and school leaders from across the county to fellowship together and begin the year with a message from a member of the local clergy. He has been an outspoken voice against the implementation of Obamacare and other intrusive federal government regulations, has taken numerous stands for limited government government and private property rights, and has worked diligently to improve public records compliance and other policies that make county government more accountable to "We the People."