Welcome to Auburn Township in Beautiful Geauga County Ohio

Commentary for 2025 July thru September

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LATEST PARTIAL PAYMENT TO INFINITY CONSTRUCTION (APPROVED AT THE GEAUGA COUNTY FAIR) IN EXCESS OF $1 MILLION SHOVES BILL WELL BEYOND $21 MILLION

Friday, August 29, 2025

Readers may remember the summary of change orders and Partial Payments to Infinity Construction Company, Incorporated, that have been adding up very quickly. The last time this writer discussed the incredible rate at which the expenses have been increasing was August August 19 discuss Agenda Items 12, 13, and 14. Readers will remember the made-to-order furniture for $560,240.54 (Agenda Item #12), the Geauga County Courthouse Expansion Project Construction Update (Agenda Item #13) undertaken by Jarret Parker and Brett Bestgen to explain how the initial contract price of $19,686,776.00 had increased immeasurably by way of Change Orders and unforeseen Needs and Wants. In fact as of August 19, this writer concluded that the cost of the Courthouse Expansion Project, to Geauga taxpayers had already exceeded $21,900,000, including the custom-made-furniture.

On top of all these bells and whistles, the project was not finished and was subject to another $6000 in the form of a bronze plaque. During Budget Hearings County Auditor Charles Walder presented Geauga Commissioner Carolyn Brakey with a unique magnetized plaque which he claimed to have bought with his own money to save the Commissioners money while allowing them to customize their favorite signatures with their own colored markers. Such customized ”outside-the-box” thinking was also certain to please Geauga taxpayers who have correctly been described as tapped out for arbitrary monetary contributions for unlimited, open-ended county expenditures, like this so-called Geauga County Courthouse Expansion Project.

That was August 19. Yesterday’s Commissioner meeting seemed to have forgotten about the significance of a $6000 bronze plaque. It being fair time, were Geauga County residents/taxpayers supposed to lose track of that $6000 bronze ego-trip?

And then wonder of wonder, Agenda Item #4 for the Commissioners’ Meeting at the Junior Fair Stage rubbed more salt into the wound:

The Commissioners’ Office is requesting the Board approve . . . and execute the Request for Partial Payment #23 for Infinity Construction Company, Incorporated, for the Geauga County Courthouse Expansion GMP Phase #1 and Phase#2 expenses in the amount of $1,130,850.38.

No matter how this writer cuts it, the Courthouse Expansion has now surpassed $22,000,000 to complete, and the building is not yet complete In the meantime, Commissioners will have to decide whether their legacy in colored marker on a magnetic board can provide them an ego trip for posterity if it saves the trusty taxpayers of Geauga County a mere $6000 while the rest of the bills keep pouring in.



PRESS RELEASE

Committee to Abolish Ohio Property Taxes
Contact: Brian Massie
Phone: (440) 479-7061
Email: Stoppropertytaxes@gmail.com
For immediate release:

The Committee to Abolish Ohio Property Taxes
Provides Responses to Senator Jerry C. Cirino’s Dirty Tricks

The Committee to Abolish Ohio property taxes listened intently to State Senator Jerry C. Cirino
(District 18) on the Bob Frantz’s “Strictly Speaking” radio program on July 1, 2025.

We must call out Senator Cirino for his “dirty tricks” politics, and his unbelievable lack of concern for seniors in the State of Ohio.

Senator Cirino stated on the radio program that it is his understanding that the committee to collect signatures to abolish property taxes have abandoned their efforts. NOTHING could be further from the truth. Cirino’s dirty trick in trying to discourage the citizens will not work. The Committee, and the over 1,000 circulators, are even more adamant in the fight to save home ownership in Ohio. He and Governor DeWine have re-energized us, and we will fight for the citizens of Ohio to keep their homes. Our goal is to place the constitutional amendment on the May, 2026 or November, 2026 ballot. This will be an election issue, and we will call out the incumbents and candidates that are willing to cause citizens to lose their homes.

Senator Cirino also said that providing this constitutional amendment without also providing a solution to a replacement source of funding was irresponsible. The legislators have had a chance to solve the public school funding issue since the Supreme Court ruled on March 24, 1997 that the state funding system “fails to provide for a thorough and efficient system of common schools”. Governor DeWine recently stated that the schools are funded primarily by the income taxes and property taxes. We now know that the income tax rate for those earning over $250,000 has been reduced and eventually will be eliminated. Therefore, an even greater emphasis is going to be placed on property taxes to fund public schools – compounding the problem for the average citizen.

We do not have a problem generating revenue in our state, we have a problem controlling the spending of the thousands of taxing authorities across our state. The public sector is outgrowing the private sector’s ability to pay for the services.

Senator Cirino, when asked about the problem of the ever-increasing property taxes pricing seniors and those on fixed income out of their homes that they have worked all their lives to achieve, made this statement directly to Brian Massie, member of the Committee:

If a senior cannot afford their property taxes, they should sell their home and move into an apartment. This will also help with the housing shortage in Ohio”.

We ask the citizens of Ohio if this is the type of leadership we want to represent us in Ohio? Do we want a Governor and legislators that fail to support the average citizen in favor of their donor base?