Here’s what Licking County Commissioner candidates want voters to know

• Voters in Licking County will choose between two party candidates and a write-in for a county commissioner seat.
• Republican Mark Van Buren and Democrat Mary “Kathy” McLeish are the party candidates in the commissioner race on the November ballot.
• Key issues that the candidates have discussed with voters include managing county growth, fiscal responsibility and data centers.
• The winner will succeed current commissioner Rick Black and join Tim Bubb and Duane Flowers on the board.

Licking County voters will decide between two party-backed candidates and a write-in option in the race for a county commissioner seat.

Mark Van Buren, 59, and Mary “Kathy” McLeish, 70, are facing off in the November election, with Brian Belcher, of Johnstown, on the ballot as a write-in candidate. Van Buren, of Hebron, secured the GOP nomination with 43%, or 7,605 votes, in the May primary and McLeish, a Newark Democrat, ran unopposed in her party's primary.

Van Buren served as county commissioner in 2008, stepping in for Marcia Phelps at the time. He also was a Harrison Township trustee from 1997 to 2008 and assumed the role again in 2010. McLeish has 20 years of experience in public education, starting with early childhood education.

She also worked in administration at River View Local School District in Coshocton County and was regional director for the Child Care Resource Network and director of the Licking County Children and Families First Council.

The winner will succeed Rick Black, a county commissioner since 2014, who didn’t seek reelection.

Here’s what Van Buren and McLeish have shared with voters and what they want them to know before they cast their ballots. 

Van Buren, McLeish on what their focus would be in the role

One of the more pressing issues in Licking County is growth, Van Buren said. Townships, villages and cities in the county feel that from developers, businesses and companies seeking to build or move to the area. He views planning as key to helping manage that growth, particularly with more people moving to the area and multiple municipalities anticipating an increase in population in the coming years.

“The pressure of growth in Licking County – we’ve got to get a handle on it now and plan for long term,” Van Buren said. “A lot of the issues are because of growth, and the pressure to grow. The road infrastructure, all that is being pressured because people want to come to Licking County.”

McLeish says familiarizing herself with the county budget is a top priority, particularly so she can make decisions that best serve working families. She said she feels a county budget identifies what a county’s priorities are and would want to make sure those are benefiting those families.

She would also want to review who sits on advisory boards and surround herself with subject matter experts, stating that she feels public service isn’t about policy but people. 

“My philosophy my whole life has been, ‘Never do something about me without me,’ and I really believe that,” McLeish said. “If I’m making decisions about people, then I need to hear from those people who those decisions will affect.”

The candidates' thoughts on the role of a county commissioner

Commissioners oversee several functions, including spending to county departments and agencies, approval of the county budget and development of possible infrastructure projects. 

Van Buren said a key component of the role is being fiscally responsible, largely because of all the services the county provides that residents rely on.

“[Commissioners] fund most accounts, and there isn't a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow – there’s only so much,” Van Buren said. “That’s probably the number one responsibility when it comes down to it.

“A lot of general fund dollars come from sales tax, so how can we get people to not drive into Franklin County and Fairfield County and spend their money in Licking County [is also a focus].”

McLeish called appointments for advisory boards critical, stating that she feels people directly affected from those board decisions could be fit for those groups. She also mentioned the county budget as something she would directly review and analyze to ensure responsible spending.

What Van Buren and McLeish think about data centers

Commissioners don’t have large roles with data center proposals, often just considering tax abatements from developers. It’s one of the larger issues in the county with dozens of them already built and residents concerned about their water and electrical usage.

Several municipalities have issues on the November ballot seeking to ban data centers within their borders.

McLeish said assessing the short and long-term impacts of data centers could better help villages and townships make decisions on them. 

“We don’t have enough long-term information about data centers,” McLeish said. “We’re just gambling away our future here, so we just need to slow down, take a breath and let zoning work.

“I feel like the federal and state governments have let us down with data centers. County government doesn’t have very much control over data centers, and the buck stops at all the townships. It just seems like we have not done justice to listening to people.”

Since commissioners have limited say with the centers, Van Buren said he wouldn't want to tell a township what it can or can’t do with development. The people living in those areas should be making those decisions, he said.

Van Buren also said he understands the challenge municipalities are facing in trying to balance commercial and residential growth. He said he feels decisions about data centers largely come down to zoning, and township or village leaders should decide how to best handle zoning plans.

What else to know about the race

The winner will join Tim Bubb and Duane Flowers on the board. Voters reelected them both in 2024, with the next opportunity for reelection in 2028.

McLeish seeks to become the first Democrat since 2007 to serve as a county commissioner. Phelps, the last Democrat identified on the ballot to win a countywide election, did so that year before ending her team early to serve as Licking County Municipal Court clerk.

Advocate reporter Josué Perez can be reached at [email protected].