Licking County Commissioner
County Commissioners are elected officials who serve on the Board of County Commissioners, the chief administrative and fiscal authority of the county. Commissioners set county policy, adopt the county budget, oversee county buildings, roads, and infrastructure, approve contracts, and manage the use of county funds. They also supervise county services and departments, represent the county in regional matters, and ensure that county government operates efficiently and in accordance with state law. Decisions are made collectively by the Board.Source: Ohio Revised Code §§ 305.01
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Mary K. McLeish
(Dem)
As a candidate for county commissioner, what do you see as the main challenges facing Licking County over the next four years?
How will your skills and experience help address these challenges?
Discuss the opportunities and threats that Intel and related development will bring to Licking County. How will you address these issues?
What is the main improvement you wish to achieve for Licking County during your term?
Contact Email
kathymcleish@gmail.com
Campaign Phone
740-502-1785
Current job (10 words)
Retired
Education (30 words)
Licking Valley H.S. / The Ohio State University, Associate of Arts / Malone College, Bachelor of Arts
Work experience/qualifications (60 words)
Owner/ Administrator - Rainbow Center for Child Development, Administrator/ River View Local School District- Public School Preschool, Regional Director/ Child Care Resource Network, Executive Director/ PRO-Muskingum- Family and Children First, Administrator/ Licking County Children and Family First
The county continues to grow. As it does grow there is a wider divide among wage earners. The income distribution is designed for the top earners in mind. The underemployed and ordinary working families are being left behind. I believe we need to address the homeless population as well as those who find themselves one paycheck away from losing their homes. Food insecurity in this county is real, and many families are about to lose health care coverage. While these seem like national issues, they hit very close to home. With the rising cost of living and low wages this problem will exasperate very quickly. Safety nets need to be in place before we are in a full-on crisis mode.
I have served at the highest levels of local and state advisory leadership roles. In my professional capacity I have also led multi-county initiatives, public school programs and nonprofit organizations with vision and measurable results. My lifelong work has been to support families. I believe we all must work together to collaborate among non-profits, social services, education and, business leaders to strengthen economic stability in our county. This can be accomplished through employment opportunities, social safety nets and family empowerment.
Had the development been complete it likely could have been a solid employer for the county bringing many job opportunities. But along with the opportunities came higher housing and utility costs without the advantage of the jobs. As other businesses develop, I believe that the taxpayers should not be responsible for subsidizing the expenses they incur. It is a fine balance between job growth and infrastructure needs. The taxpayers are the ones paying the cost for growth rather it actually happens or not. Business subsidies need to come with very specific guarantees to the community. As a former small business owner, I understand the importance of growth with responsibility. When tax dollars are involved, even more so.
I wish to be inclusive of underserved communities. We need a balance of entry level jobs as well as middle-income positions. We have lost the middle class in many communities and an emphasis on better training and education along with dependable employment is key. This may be accomplished with employer training programs, youth mentorship and employment opportunities as well as encouraging economic development. Development must include affordable housing and living wages. We should focus more on how we are alike rather than how we are different. The culture wars are unnecessary and destructive. We must use common sense and compassion as we work towards a community that values diversity and equality for all of our residents.
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