Montgomery County Commissioner
Carolyn Rice (D) |
Doug Barry (R) |
Bio: My work and volunteer life give me context for the issues this region faces. My background includes 14 years in business; 6 years in public education; 11 years in county government and politics; and a lifetime of volunteer work, from reading to elementary school students with my Rotary Club to serving on the board of the Dayton Council on World Affairs. When I became Montgomery County Treasurer, the county and the rest of the country were beginning to deal with the fallout of the Great Recession. We saw massive foreclosures, families struggling with a wide range of financial issues, abandoned houses, neighborhoods succumbing to blight. I worked with state and local officials to create the Montgomery County Land Bank, which has generated more than $25 million in neighborhood investments in the Greater Dayton region. My perspective and the decisions I make are informed by hearing from many people with diverse views. During my time as Treasurer, I have made it a point to visit regularly with all the subdivisions and bodies that comprise this county. I have listened to the concerns of elected officials and citizens and I advocate for bringing many voices to the table, to strengthen our region. |
Bio: Grew up in Huber Heights and graduated from Wayne Highs School. Attended Ohio Northern Univeristy graduated with degrees in Marketing and Management. While at ONU earned 4 varsity letters in football and 2 in track. Upon graduation moved back to Dayton to work in the family business. Took over as President in 1998 after the passing of my father. Taking over a business at 26 years old was a daunting task. Miami Township is home with my wife Jessica and 2 high school aged boys. For the past 10 years I have been an assistant football coach at Miamisburg. I have also been involved in the Miamisburg Rotary serving as President in 2013. Also served for 9 years on the Sinclair Foundation Board, the ED/GE Board, American Business Club, Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce Board, Downtown Dayton Partnership Board, Job Center Board, Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission and the Miami Valley Fire District. |
What will be the top priorities for your term? The top priority is ensuring that we have a balanced budget, especially with more than $30 million in revenue cuts by the state. We have absorbed those cuts and maintained a high level of services. The opioid crisis is having a devastating effect on our community, with a deep impact on families, and health care, mental health, and criminal justice systems. The Great Recession’s lost jobs reduced access to health care. Opioids were over-prescribed and when residents no longer had access or could no longer afford prescription drugs, criminals had easy access to our community because we sit at a crossroads of major interstates. We have made some progress – reducing the number of deaths by overdose each month by about half – but we are still seeing far too many families destroyed by these tragedies. I’m happy the county has decided to pursue litigation against the drug- makers, but we have more to do. These issues tie back to economic and workforce development. When people have good jobs, they can invest in their communities, their homes; they have access to health care and treatment. We must continue the success we’ve had in bringing good paying jobs, with benefits, to Montgomery County. |
What will be the top priorities for your term? We need to work with the Dayton Publis Schools. A strong public school system in Dayton will increase home ownership and ease the tax burden on all county residents. We need families to move back into Dayton's neighborhoods, right now those moving in are millennials and empty nesters. The problemis that families won't move in as long as DPS is suffering. The millennials will head back to the suburbs in a few years once they start having children. Without more families in the city of Dayton, downtown and it's neighborhoods will continue to decline. The fact is Dayton needs to be strong if we want Montgomery County as a whole to be strong. Turning the population drain around should begin with the schools. Furthermore, schools are tied to property taxes. The issues of blight, workforce development and boosting the tax base are all tied into this issue. A commissioner's role in the issue should be of leadership and getting the right foks to the table to address and fix the issues. |
How do you plan to support and/or promote local businesses? A key way government can support local businesses is by ensuring infrastructure like roads and water mains are safe and kept up-to-date. One of the most important resources we have is an abundant, safe water supply, which we have to continue to protect. This water supply helps us stand out from other areas when businesses are choosing where to locate. Our efforts to match well trained workers with a broad range jobs and careers from area businesses helps to ensure a customer base for local businesses. Montgomery County partners with local organizations to promote local businesses around the region, the country and the world. There is a world-wide market for the products and services that start here in Montgomery County; local businesses of all sizes can benefit as others lean about the great things happening here. Community development efforts also help local businesses by helping communities grow. The Montgomery County Land Bank, a program I championed, has invested over $26 million in making neighborhoods better be renovating or removing run-down properties. There is more to do, but we have made an important difference in many areas of the county. |
How do you plan to support and/or promote local businesses? I have served for the past few years on the Economic Development/ Government Equity Board (ED/GE). The county sets aside $2 million dollars to help attract business to the county and to help small businesses grow and expand. This is a vital investment in our county. It help incentivise companies to locate in county or give a small business the boost it needs to expand their facilty or add equipment. The county also needs to take a leadership role with our other local elected officals to get and stay engaged with companies in their jurisdiction. By being egaged they can help direct those local business owners to services they may not know exist. Many business owners are not aware how our local governments can assist them. |
What can the county commissioners do to bring more jobs to the county? By having safe communities made up of workers with the skills that employers need and business locations that have the transportation, water, utility and other infrastructure businesses need to grow their organizations, Montgomery County can continue to attract new employers and can help existing companies grow. Most new jobs come from businesses already in the community, not from new employers moving in. Montgomery County’s efforts in law enforcement, workforce development, and road and water infrastructure are all designed to make the County attractive to the widest range of employers. We recognize that government does not create a lot of jobs-most jobs are created by existing businesses in the community and others are created by new companies coming to the region. But all levels of government have a role in creating the environment that allows these businesses to choose to locate and expand their businesses here. Everything we do-from protecting citizen’s safety to protecting the environment to ensuring safety in job sites and businesses-we do to help this region succeed and help businesses and families succeed here. |
What can the county commissioners do to bring more jobs to the county? We have a number of different economic development groups throughout the county (Downtown Dayton Partnership, Dayton Development Coalition, Citywide Development and the Port Authority). Along with those entities, we need to put together a plan with tangible measurements to help our local businesses grow and attract companies to the region. In Montgomery County we have the means to attract a broad spectrum of jobs. For example, our infastructure (interstates airports and light rail) will provide easy movement of goods while our colleges universities and trade schools all provide great resources to attract and fill high tech, IT, healthcare, engineering and design. |