Brad Cromes currently serves as the Portage County Treasurer, and is seeking reelection.
Why are your running for office, and what previous experience makes you the most qualified candidate for this position?
I am running for Portage Co. Treasurer because I am proud of the progress we have made together over the past 5 years in modernizing the office and making financial wellness tools more easily accessible for local residents, and I want to continue the work.
I have been in office since 2015, and have done all I can to accumulate skills and relationshp that augment my training in law and public policy to better serve the public. I have earned a certificate in Government Financial Management from the Association of Government Accountants, and am an active member of the leadership team at the County Treasurers Association of Ohio.
These tools, together with my background as a public servant and local relationships, best position me to make this office the tool for positive change in our community it can and should be.
If elected, what do you hope to accomplish in this position?
I hope to continue efforts to modernize the office, expand our work in financial literacy and financial wellness, and grow our capacity to address inequality and blight in our community.
What are three policy initiatives you plan to focus on if elected?
I am focused on identifying new and innovative methodologies of simplifying tax payment systems and streamlining office operations. I'm also working to expand our capacity to provide financial literacy and wellness training and tools to the public, through our Financial Wellness Fair, website, and other avenues. Lastly, I'm looking to help the Land Bank shift in its mission to focus more directly on affordable housing.
What can local governments do to encourage young people to stay in Northeast Ohio?
Jobs are the key to opportunity - and opportunity (or lack thereof) is ultimately what drives the decision young people make to stay or to go. In that vein, I am working to support local businesses and entrepreneurs in whatever ways I can. One thing I'm excited about is our burgeoning partnership with the Treasurer of State to bring local-level programs to bear that leverage state programs on main street revitalization, small business job creation, and support local agriculture. These things could be very helpful in the effort to keep folks in Northeast Ohio and attract them to our region, and I'm hopeful we can model this work for others in the years to come.
Do you support nondiscrimination policies that protect individuals regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, veterans status, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression?
Unequivocally.
Should cities in Ohio be required to cooperate with U.S. Department of Immigration & Customs Enforcement? Should cities have the right to become a sanctuary city?
Cities and local governments should cooperate with state and federal officials in whatever ways they can. That said, in cases (as this) where state and/or federal orders run counter to local interests (and the humanity of local residents), local governments have a responsiblity to stand up and push back. Cities in Ohio have the power of home rule, and should be allowed to exercise it in instances like this one.
What are your thoughts on public safety and your plans for crime prevention?
Public safety is critically important. While my office is not directly responsible for law enforcement, we do touch that system through the collection of delinquent taxes. I am committed to continuing my efforts to pursue delinquent taxes in a responsible and compassionate way, balancing the responsibility we all have to pay with the desire we have to keep residents in their homes.
Do you support reasonable regulations on firearms in the United States? Please explain.
Yes. I am a hunter, and believe in the right to own firearms for self-defense. That said, our gun culture has gone too far in the other direction. There is no reasonable argument for thwarting background checks, pushing back against waiting periods or red flag laws, or any of the other reasonable reforms being considered in Ohio at the moment.
The right to bear arms, like all others, is not absolute...and reasonable regulation is not only allowable, it's an essential function of government.
Do you recognize the existence of climate change?
YES
Do you believe the government has a responsiblity to respond to climate change?
YES
Do you support the use of "Fracking" (hydraulic fracturing) to extract oil or gas?
YES
Do you support the restoration of funding for the EPA at the state and federal level?
YES
Do you support state and federal governments incentivizing the adoption of clean/renewable energy sources over the use of fossil fuels?
YES
The state of Ohio has continually cut funds to local governemnts over the last eight years. How do you plan on operating within the confines of an already reduced local budget, without cutting critical services to tax payers?
We are already doing so. I am working with our state association to advocate for the restoration of those funds. In the interim, we work hard to use the tools at our disposal (i.e. electronic payments and payment processing) to reduce the staff burden required to do the essential work we do. We are committed to continuing in that effort.
What can be done to create and/or attract new businesses with good paying jobs and benefits in our region? How can we encourage new businesses, and existing businesses, to become a larger part of our communities?
I alluded to our joint effort with the Treasurer of State in this vein, which I believe can be an important part of this work. That said, it's the responsibility of all of us at the local level to work in partnership to help our local businesses thrive. We need to model good behavior (which is why I am an advocate for a local goverment $15 minimum wage and other pro-labor provisions) that put some public pressure on businesses to offer good-paying, career-track jobs.
We can also emphasize those provisions in the awarding of contracts, and seek through the exertion of our economic power to reward good behavior and direct job growth incentives to responsible corporate citizens.
Should your district reduce the cost of services by contracting out or privatizing government services such as street sweeping and garbage collection and professional services such as engineering and information technology services? Why or why not?
These decisions do not, in the long run, result in savings (and in fact model bad behavior that feeds into what can become an anti-worker culture). I am generally opposed to such efforts.
What will you do to actively engage young people in local government?
It is important to engage all voices in our community in the work of government. I have made it a point since taking office to meet regularly with the Kent State College Democrats, young progressive organizations, and others who have self-identified as future leaders to bring their voices into the conversation, and will continue doing so.
Do you feel that housing in your district is affordable and available for young people and families? If not, what will you do to address this issue?
We are better than many places, but can do more to make sure folks are aware of the options available to them and capable of taking advantage of affordable housing opportunities. We can also leverage the tools we have at our disposal (i.e. the Land Bank) to identify and promote new opportunities for housing.
Beyond those levers, I am actively engaged with our United Way, Community Action Council, and other organizations that work directly on these issues, and am committed to continuing to be a partner and advocate for those agencies and their work wherever possible.
Do you commit to using a union bug on all print materials?
YES