David Glass, the chair of the Ross County Republican Party and a former economic development director, is running for Ross County Commissioner.
After speaking at the Republican Women of Ross County, he recently spent more than two hours at the Petland world headquarters in Chillicothe. He said he was presenting himself to business leaders – talking about what the future looks like for Ross County, and how county government can help create an environment to attract new businesses and to help them grow.
Glass says he works as an economic development professional for one of Ohio’s largest nonprofits, co-op South Central Power, and that his role is economic development in the 24 counties served, including Ross.
He says communities need to put together a regulatory environment and public policy that attract businesses and help them be successful.
Glass touched on the Sofidel facility that Pickaway County landed, and the electric battery plant that Fayette County has attracted – partly from his experience as the director of the Pickaway Progress Partnership, or P3. He said a large industrial plant is an economic development “whale” or home run, but development also needs to work on small projects, practice fundamentals, and think long-term.
Glass said there is much opportunity and success in Ross County already, and he wants to make the county commissioners a part of it.
Regarding county zoning – especially solar farms – Glass said zoning is mostly left to the township; one already has strong zoning against solar. He said the big question is how do we grow in a way that preserves our community feel. Agriculture is the number one industry in Ross County, and we don’t want to be like Dublin or Columbus.
Two commissioners seats are up for vote, and among Republicans, Glass is running for the seat that Dwight Garrett is retiring from, competing with local businessman Ken Shelton. You can find him on his website and Facebook page.
Hear Glass in his own words in the interview video in the article on the Scioto Post, including a video interview.
Kevin Coleman covers local government and culture for the Scioto Post and iHeart Media Southern Ohio. For stories or questions, contact Kevin Coleman or the iHeart Southern Ohio Newsroom.
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