Shaffer wants to create plan for present and future of Highland County

  By building a future for Highland County through capitalizing on the resources and strengths that are present today, county commissioner candidate Jeremy Shaffer said he will create a path for the county to follow into the next decade.

Shaffer, a Republican, will face Democratic incumbent Gary Heaton in the November general election.

Shaffer and his wife, Stephanie, have two children, and live in Lynchburg - a community that his family helped found and settle. 

"I am a part of more than five generations of Shaffers who lived there," he said. "The Shaffer family founded the community and moved there because of a land grant in the Virginia Military District. I have forefathers who fought in the Revolutionary War and settled Dodson Township."

Shaffer served two terms as a Dodson Township Trustee and currently serves as the mayor of Lynchburg, a post he was elected to three years ago. He has also served on the board of Highland District Hospital and currently serves as chairman of the board of the Lynchburg Area Joint Fire and Ambulance District. He is a 2000 graduate of Lynchburg-Clay High School and a graduate of Wilmington College, where he majored in political and social studies. 

"I have deep roots in this community," Shaffer said. "I think Lynchburg is a great place. I think Highland County is a great place, and I think it is important for us to move in the correct direction for the future, with strong, innovative, principled leaders who can make the tough decisions and can do it with a solid foundation of reasoning."

In addressing the issues that Highland County and the board of commissioners are facing, during a time of less government funding and massive budget cuts, Shaffer said that he will address those problems by first applying a personal "test" of decision-making. 

"On any decision, there has to be a litmus test of some type," he said. "Whether it is expenditures or revenues, or just how to run the operations, you have to look at it to see if there's a really serious problem, or an opportunity, and if it's important for the county to address that problem - maybe there is another municipality or organization that can tackle it better. After that, what is the path that they're taking? Is is sensible, reasonable and responsible?"

Shaffer said it is also necessary to keep the taxpaying public in the discussions "and be able to communicate to the public. Not just tell them, but listen to them, and make sure the decision you are about to make is the best decision for us moving into the future."

In addition to his reasoning and accountability test, Shaffer said he has a foundation of conservative beliefs that guide him in his decision making.

"I am a conservative Republican," he said. "I stick strictly with the principles of the Republican Party that came straight from the Reagan era: strong families, limited government, personal responsibility, and being an innovative leader." 

Shaffer adheres to a list of those principles, which also includes opportunity for all, rugged individualism, "the entrepreneurial spirit of the individual that continues to solidify Ohio as a world economic power," honest compassion, quality education, and freedom.

Highland County, he said, needs "principled leaders with an understanding of Highland County heritage and a clear vision for Highland County. Leadership that is unwavering in the face of criticism, steadfast when confronted with adversity and committed to building a better county."

One of the ways Shaffer said he would be a responsible leader is through implementing "fiscal sanity."

"One thing people say is that there has to be a conservative budget," Shaffer said. "I say you need fiscal sanity, which is common sense when it comes to looking at the budget. Budget cuts are going to happen, or revenue is going to have to increase. It's one of the two, so when you look at the whole project, what is the sensible way to cut the budget to make it the most effective so the taxpayers get the most for their tax dollars."

Shaffer said his experience in Lynchburg, looking at state audits from previous years and eliminating repeat offenses helped the village to gain a better financial standing, and the county can benefit from the same procedures. 

"I looked at the audits of Lynchburg, and the county has similar red flags," he said. 

The budget can be strengthened, he said, by identifying items that are consistently noted in the audits and correcting them.

"The bottom line," Shaffer said, "is about being efficient. It's things like failure to certify certain funds before making purchases, failure to reconcile bank accounts and failure to properly post transfers. Housekeeping things that need to be done at the county level in order to have a strong budget and operate efficiently."

Shaffer said that while he wants to see a strong plan implemented for the county's future, he said there needs to be a focus on what Highland County is right now.

"My whole life I have heard we need to plan for the future," Shaffer said. "And now I am running for county commissioner, and the future they were talking about is now. Where are we going? When my kids are my age I don't want them facing these same problems year after year. But we need a plan for right now. We need a clear vision for the Highland County we have."

Shaffer said he would like to see stronger partnerships and communications between all forms of leadership, from county agencies and municipalities, to area organizations and churches. 

"I believe we all want to do the same things," he said. "We want a better Highland County, and I think we can facilitate that in a cohesive unit so we are not fighting each other to achieve each goal. Let's communicate with each other and get on the same page."

Just as area law enforcement leaders and township trustees meet jointly to share ideas and inform one another, Shaffer said elected leadership from across the county should regularly meet and keep communication lines open.

To create the path for today's Highland County, Shaffer said, "I have a long-term plan, something we need to follow five, 10 years down the road that will help strengthen our bottom line when it comes to dollars and cents. Specifically, we need to look at economic development. I feel strongly we need an economic development director now more than ever. I know the county apparently doesn't have the money, but whether we need to partner with the community, we need a director that businesses can go to. We need a foundation there."

Shaffer said Highland County "has a lot of overlooked resources. We can sell ourselves better. The county commissioner position doesn't just need to communicate with people in the county, but with the region. We have state parks, we have a solid infrastructure around our county. All of the things we do have, we don't talk about. We have solid assistance through the Chamber of Commerce. We have great education. Nobody can say enough positive things about our school districts. We need to market that. If we don't have an Interstate, if we don't have a railroad, no, we don't have some of those things we need right now. But if we're going to be a small community, a farming community, a bedroom community, let's be the best one we can be. We do need all that, but let's be the best with what we have right now."

Shaffer said that when voters look to him on election day, they should consider that his education was based on learning about government, and through his experience as a mayor, "I have a good working knowledge of local government."

If Shaffer is elected, all seats on the Highland County Board of Commissioners would be occupied by Republicans. When asked if this would impact the county positively or negatively, Shaffer said, "I can't speak for the other Republican commissioners, but when it comes down to it, it's not about whether you are a Republican or a Democrat, but your ability to be an innovative leader. Again, I see myself as a conservative Republican with principled opinions based on the core Republican principles that have guided me to a balanced budget in Lynchburg, a comprehensive plan in Lynchburg, and to a solid foundation of safety services in Lynchburg."

For voters who have any questions or comments for Shaffer, they are encouraged to call his campaign number, (937) 944-0694.

"They can feel free to call me to talk about the future of Highland County," Shaffer said.