Party: Dem
Occupation: Electrician
Position you are seeking: County Commissioner
Work Experience: Inside Journeyman Wireman (electrician), 2004-present
Education: Princeton High School Sharonville, OH class of 1998, IBEW electrical apprenticeship, class of 2009
Campaign email: brad@combsforclermont.com
Website: combsforclermont.com
Facebook: Combs For Clermont
Age: 44
What in your background qualifies you to serve in this position?
I have served my union in a capacity similar to that of a commissioner for nearly a decade, and during that time our pension funding has increased from 84% to 96% and our monthly benefit has nearly doubled without any bailouts or significant increases to contribution rates. We also opened two medical clinics that provide no-cost care to our members and save our healthcare plan significant money and allowed for expanded coverage without a significant increase in rates. Beyond that, over the course of my 20 year construction career, I have run several multi-million dollar electrical projects. In order for those projects to be successful, you have to ensure that the right people are assigned to the right jobs and they have the tools and information they need.
Why are you running for this position?
The current board has objectively failed to operate the animal shelter effectively, they have no cohesive long term growth plan for the county, and have signed off on tax abatements that hurt current residents while failing to hold our legislature accountable for massive tax increases. Clermont county deserves better leadership.
What is your platform?
I seek to bring openness and accountability back to the county’s administrative body and form a partnership with community members to ensure that their tax dollars are being spent effectively. This office is administrative and has no authority over any of the political hot button issues that legislators run on, so this race should be about who can lead most effectively.
What are the most pressing issues facing Clermont County that come before someone who is elected to the position you seek?
County Commissioners are responsible for ensuring that the agencies that we deal with on our worst days are effective, and they are also our direct line to state legislators. Making sure that our agencies are well equipped and properly funded to meet the needs of the people they serve, where and how they serve them, is the most immediate issue facing the county. Property taxes and who has to pay them is a close second.
If elected, what would you seek to enhance and improve Clermont County?
My first goal is to increase the accessibility of local government. Scheduling meetings when most people can’t attend and outright ignoring emails and phone calls has to stop. Following that, I would like to see stakeholders in each county agency form an advisory council to communicate directly with Commissioners about what’s going right, what’s going wrong, and what we can do to improve on both fronts.