Commissioner candidates make their case

TIFFIN — Seneca County voters are choosing between incumbent Commissioner Bill Frankart (R) and challenger David Ziegler (I) for Seneca County Commissioner. Early voting began Oct. 6 and continues until Election Day Nov. 3. The Advertiser-Tribune submitted the same set of questions to both candidates. Since one candidate is the incumbent and the other is a township trustee, some questions were tailored to each candidate's role. Biographies were limited to 140 words and answers to 250 words. Answers may have been edited for formatting, grammar and style. Candidates appear in alphabetical order. Bill Frankart Frankart Provided Biography Bill Frankart is a lifelong Seneca County grain farmer who has owned and operated his family farm for more than 30 years, living in the same house where he was born and raised. Before his election as Seneca County Commissioner in 2022, he served 14 years as an Adams Township Trustee. He currently serves as President of the Board of Commissioners. Bill has served on the Seneca County Soil & Water Board, the Regional Planning Board and the county's broadband and countywide EMS committees. He has been a 4-H advisor for more than 30 years and is a member of the Seneca County Farm Bureau. Bill and his wife, Janet, have three children and one grandchild. His goal: leave Seneca County better than he found it for future generations. David Ziegler David Ziegler Provided Biography David Ziegler is a lifelong Seneca County resident who grew up on his family's farm in Bloom Township. A 1987 graduate of Mohawk High School, Dave has spent his career working in the private sector and currently works for Schilling Propane in delivery, service, and sales. David and his wife, Judy, live in Eden Township, where he has served three terms as a Township Trustee. During his time as trustee, he has worked to improve fire protection, maintain roads and infrastructure, invest in township facilities and equipment, and responsibly manage taxpayer dollars. He also worked alongside residents concerned about proposed industrial wind turbine developments. David is running for Seneca County Commissioner to bring his practical experience, work ethic, and commitment to listening to residents to county government. Question 1 Frankart was asked: You are asking voters for another four-year term. What has been your biggest achievement during your time as commissioner? Ziegler was asked: You are currently serving as an Eden Township trustee. What was your most significant achievement during your time as trustee? Frankart: When I took office, the people of Fostoria and all of Seneca County had been fighting the landfill for years and kept hitting a brick wall. The WIN Waste landfill took in about 2.3 million tons of waste in 2023, most of it from out of state. Yet Seneca County had very little say over how the fees it generated were spent or how the site was overseen, because we were locked into a three-county solid waste district. When we asked to leave, the other two counties voted us down. So we went to work. I testified at the Statehouse in support of Senator Bill Reineke's legislation, narrated the video showing just how big that landfill really is, took legislators out to see it firsthand and sat through a seven-hour deposition. I said then that I'd take that hit for our constituents every day, and I meant it. That work paid off. Senate Bill 147 was signed into law in 2025, giving Seneca County the right to leave the joint district and form our own. We are now building the Seneca County Solid Waste Management District, so the fees generated here stay here, supporting our health department's oversight of the landfill and protecting our residents, our water, and our farmland. I didn't do it alone. Senator Reineke, Representative Gary Click, our health department and my fellow commissioners were all in this fight. But I'm proud that we never gave up. Ziegler: One of the accomplishments I'm most proud of is helping lead the effort to improve fire coverage for Eden Township residents. When someone calls for help in an emergency, they should be able to count on having the services they need. That is something I take seriously. Improving fire coverage required working with other people, asking questions, looking at our options, and finding a practical solution that made sense for our residents and our budget. That's what local government should be doing. I'm also proud of the work we've done to improve our roads, upgrade equipment and township facilities, and maintain responsible finances. We have made improvements while planning ahead and being careful with taxpayer dollars. And when residents raised concerns about industrial wind turbines, I listened and worked alongside them to make sure their voices were heard. Those accomplishments all come back to the same thing: listening to the people you represent, understanding the problem, and doing the work to find a solution. Question 2 Frankart was asked: What have you learned during your time as commissioner and how has this knowledge changed how you approach the position? Ziegler was asked: What have you learned during your time as a township trustee and how can that knowledge apply to the work of a county commissioner? Frankart: The biggest lesson is that government doesn't move at the speed of a farm. On the farm, if something needs fixed, you fix it that day. In county government there are laws, procedures and partners at the table, and that's there for a good reason: it protects taxpayers. I've learned to be patient without being passive. I've also learned that nothing big gets done alone. Countywide EMS, the landfill fight and our new Ag Building project all came down to building relationships with our townships, villages, cities, state legislators and community partners. Our goal in this office is to work together, do the right thing and have the right people in the right leadership spots. And I've learned that accountability matters. When we found ongoing billing problems in the Seneca Regional Planning office, we didn't look the other way. We restructured it and moved those responsibilities to the County Auditor's office, and that change put money back in the hands of our townships. Those lessons have changed how I approach this job. I ask more questions before I vote. I spend a lot of time at township meetings, the fair and community events listening to people, because the best ideas usually come from the folks closest to the problem. And I try to make every decision with the next generation in mind. Ziegler: The biggest thing I've learned is that you need to listen before you make decisions. You aren't going to have every answer, and you shouldn't pretend that you do. As a township trustee, I've dealt with roads, equipment, budgets, emergency services, and residents who need help with problems that affect their everyday lives. I've learned that good government takes planning, cooperation, and sometimes making difficult decisions. I've also learned that being accessible matters. When someone calls with a concern, they deserve a response, even if you can't give them the answer they want. You need to be honest about what you can and cannot do. The county operates on a much larger scale, and I understand there will be a learning curve. But the basic responsibilities are the same. You have to work with other elected officials, department heads, employees, and the public. You have to understand the finances, plan ahead, and remember that you're spending money people worked hard to earn. I would bring that same practical, hands-on approach to the Commissioner's office. Question 3 Frankart was asked: The use of generative AI is rampant from event flyers to images and videos. Does the county currently have a policy regarding the use of AI to generate flyers, photos, videos, written materials, presentation or other materials and communication? If not, do you believe the county should adopt a policy on the use of generative AI? If so, what do you think the policy should be? Ziegler was asked: The use of generative AI is rampant from event flyers to images and videos. Do you believe the county should adopt a policy on the use of generative AI to generate flyers, photos, videos, written materials, presentation or other materials and communication? If so, what do you think the policy should be? Frankart: Not yet, but a policy is in the works. Our IT/Technology Committee is leading that effort, and I fully support it. AI is a tool. Used right, it can save staff time and taxpayer dollars by helping draft a routine notice, summarize a long report or help a small office keep up. Used wrong, it can mislead people, and county government can't afford to lose the public's trust. I'll let the committee do its work, but here is what I believe a good policy should include: • Honesty first. The county should never use AI to create fake photos or videos of real people, places or events, or anything meant to mislead residents. • A person is always responsible. Anything created with AI must be checked for accuracy by a county employee or official before it goes out, and that person owns it. • Be upfront. When AI is used to create images, video or significant written material for the public, residents should know it. • Protect residents' information. No confidential or personal data goes into public AI tools. • Follow public records law. AI-assisted work is still a public record. • Train our people. A policy only works if employees understand it. This technology changes fast, so the policy should be reviewed regularly. The goal is simple: use new tools to serve people better without ever giving them a reason to question what they're seeing from their county. Ziegler: Yes. I think the county should have a clear policy on how artificial intelligence is used in official communications. Technology can be a useful tool, and I'm not opposed to using it to save time or help employees do their jobs. But there's a difference between using AI to help prepare a document and using it to create something that misleads the public. If the county publishes a photograph, video, press release, or other official communication, residents should be able to trust that the information is accurate. AI-generated images or videos should never be presented as actual events, and anything prepared with AI should be reviewed and verified by a county employee before being released. We also need to be careful about putting confidential or sensitive information into these programs. I would support a practical policy that requires human review, clear disclosure when AI-generated content could be mistaken for something real, and accountability for the information the county puts out. The bottom line is simple: if the county puts its name on something, the county needs to stand behind it. Question 4 What do you think is the biggest issue facing Seneca County? What do you think the solution to that issue is? Frankart: I believe the biggest issue facing Seneca County is keeping our people here. Our young families, workers and retirees should be able to build a good life in this county without having to leave to find it. As a farmer, you want strong roots, and communities are no different. That comes down to the basics: good jobs, housing people can afford, safe roads and bridges, reliable emergency services and high-speed internet in our rural areas. It also means protecting what we already have, from our farmland to our small towns. The solution isn't for the county to try to do everything itself. It's to be a strong partner and a good steward of taxpayer money. That means: • Continuing to support countywide EMS, so a family out in the country gets help as quickly as a family in town. • Working with our economic development partners, cities, villages and townships to bring in jobs and housing. Tiffin-Seneca County was ranked sixth in the nation among micropolitan areas for economic development, and we want to build on that. • Going after state and federal grants so local dollars stretch further. • Continuing to push for rural broadband, which I've worked on since serving on the county's steering committee. • Holding the line on spending so we aren't putting more burden on taxpayers. If we get the basics right and keep working together, people will want to stay, and more will want to come. Ziegler: I think one of the biggest challenges facing Seneca County is making sure we can maintain the services people depend on while keeping costs under control. People are already dealing with higher costs at home. They shouldn't have to worry about whether their roads are being maintained, whether emergency services will be there when they need them, or whether their tax dollars are being spent wisely. There isn't one simple solution, and I don't think any candidate should pretend there is. The first thing we need to do is listen to the people responsible for providing those services. That means sitting down with department heads, first responders, township officials, and the people who work with these issues every day. We need to understand what is working, what needs improvement, and where our resources are going. I believe in planning ahead, maintaining what we already have, and making sure we're getting the most out of every dollar we spend. Sometimes spending money today on the right equipment or improvements can save taxpayers a lot more down the road. Good government isn't about making promises you can't keep. It's about understanding the problems, setting priorities, and doing the work. Question 5 Frankart was asked: If re-elected, what is the most pressing unfinished business you want to resolve? Ziegler was asked: If elected, what would be your first focus? Frankart: The most pressing unfinished business is finishing what we started on the landfill. Winning the right to leave the three-county solid waste district was a big step, but now we have to get it right. We are developing Seneca County's own solid waste management plan, and it has to be completed and approved by the Ohio EPA on a tight timeline. That plan will decide how the fees generated here are used: stronger oversight of the landfill by our health department, recycling programs, and help for the townships and communities that live with its impacts every day. I want to see that through to the finish line. I also want to see the renovation of the county's new Ag Building through to completion. That building is home to the agricultural services our farmers, landowners and families count on, and agriculture is the backbone of this county. The project is out to bid now, and I want to make sure it gets finished on time, on budget and done right for taxpayers. Finally, I want to keep the county on solid financial footing and make sure the team we've put in place, including our new county administrator, has what it needs to run a strong, efficient operation. When I first ran, I said my goal was to leave Seneca County better than I found it. We've made real progress, but there's more work to do, and I would be honored to keep doing it. Ziegler: My first priority would be to listen and learn. I would want to sit down with the other Commissioners, the County Administrator, department heads, elected officials, and employees to get a clear understanding of where things stand. I'd want to look closely at the budget, our facilities and equipment, upcoming expenses, and any issues that need immediate attention. I'd also want to hear directly from township and village officials, first responders, business owners, and residents throughout Seneca County. The county is bigger than any one community, and I think it's important that every part of it has a voice. I don't believe in walking into an office assuming I already know everything or that everything needs to change. You need to understand what's working before you can decide what needs improvement. As a trustee, I've learned that planning ahead and working with the right people makes a difference. That's the approach I'd take as Commissioner. My goal would be to establish a clear understanding of the county's needs, make sure we're being responsible with taxpayer dollars, and start building the relationships necessary to get things done. Question 6 The commissioners' office has not posted a press release on its website since March 2025. Previously, the commissioners' office would share post meeting releases, important dates, and news like grants, awards and updates on county business. In February 2025, the board adopted a resolution designating the county administrator as the official spokesperson and requiring that content on county platforms be limited to matters of public interest. In April 2026, the county hired Matt Clouse as the county administrator, but press releases have not returned. Do you believe press releases and other communications from the commissioners' office should return? Why or why not? Frankart: Communicating with the public is one of the most important things we do, and press releases have been a good way to keep residents informed about county business, grants, awards and important dates. Over the past year, regular releases have fallen by the wayside. Our office went through the search, hiring and onboarding of a new county administrator, and at the same time the county has taken on a number of major projects, from standing up our own solid waste district to renovating the new Ag Building. Getting that work done had to come first. We are diligently working to resume more regular communication with the public. In February 2025, the board designated the county administrator as our official spokesperson and asked that county platforms stay focused on matters of public interest. I still believe that was the right approach, because residents are best served by consistent, accurate information. In the meantime, no one has been shut out. All of our commissioners' meetings are open to the public, and we welcome anyone who wants to attend. Every meeting is recorded and posted on the County's YouTube channel, so residents can watch on their own time. I also give regular updates on county business during my interview on WTTF radio in Tiffin. Good communication builds trust, and trust is something every elected official has to earn. That's a responsibility I take seriously. Ziegler: Yes, but I believe county communications need to be handled responsibly, transparently, and without increasing costs to taxpayers. The public deserves to know what its government is doing. Meeting summaries, important decisions, upcoming events, and information about county projects should be readily available. I don't believe we need to spend additional taxpayer dollars or hire someone new to accomplish that. We should be able to use the resources and staff already available to provide straightforward, factual updates. I also believe we need to draw a very clear line between communicating county business and promoting individual elected officials. We've already seen controversy surrounding the county's use of a media relations employee and official county platforms in connection with a Commissioner's personal matters. That raises legitimate questions about how public resources are being used and who is benefiting from them. Taxpayer-funded communications should never become personal public relations for an elected official. The county website belongs to the people of Seneca County, not to any individual Commissioner. I'm all for keeping residents informed, but we need to do it responsibly. Every dollar spent should serve a legitimate public purpose, and every communication should be something the county can stand behind.