Commissioners Vote Against the “Piggyback” Provision in House Bill 96
Board of County Commissioners Meeting - November 18, 2025
Meeting Details: The Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) met in Regular Session on Tuesday, November 18, 2025 at 9:30 am for a meeting at the Geauga County Office Building, 12611 Ravenwood Drive, Room B303, Chardon, OH. Meetings can be live streamed through the Geauga ADP Youtube channel. Recordings are available for the public. Recordings are available for the public. This meeting can be found here. As of this report’s publication date, the video has been viewed 310 times. Notations in the report refer to the minute notation on the video for a particular section. An agenda is available in advance via request to the Commissioners’ Clerk and at the meeting. Items discussed at the meeting but not on the agenda, if any, are addressed at the end of this report.
Public Comment Policy: Permitted as outlined in the BOCC’s Public Comment Policy that was adopted on January 28, 2025, revised on April 15, 2025, and again modified on September 30, 2025. Observer Note: The above link to the Policy does not have the April or September revisions. The April revision was simply to change the time allowed for public comment from two minutes to three minutes. The revision approved in September allows public comment on agenda items at the beginning of the meeting, with general public comment still at the end of the meeting.
Attendance: Present were Commissioners Carolyn Brakey, James Dvorak and Ralph Spidalieri. Also present were Commissioners’ Clerk Christine Blair, County Administrator Amy Bevan, Deputy County Administrator Mark Jimison, and Finance Manager Adrian Gorton.
County Representatives: Maximus Yost, Intern, Geauga County Commissioners’ Office; Shane Hajjar, Deputy Engineer, Engineer’s Office; Sheriff Scott Hildenbrand; Nick Gorris, Director, Water Resources; Kathy Shimer,
Destination Geauga; Chuck Walder, Geauga County Auditor.
Others in Attendance: Senior class officers from Berkshire High School; Heather Copper, Hiram resident; Jonathan Tiber, Trustee, Claridon Township; Dr. Michael Hanlon, Superintendent, Chardon Schools; Deb Armbruster, Treasurer & CFO, Chardon Schools; Dr. Bruce Willingham, Superintendent, Kenston Schools; Dr. Nancy Benincasa, Superintendent, West Geauga Schools; Kris Carroll, Director, Geauga County Public Library; Christine Lakomiak, Director, Geauga Mental Health and Recovery Services; Don Rice, Superintendent, Board of Developmental Disabilities; Adam Litke, Health Administrator, Geauga Public Health; Ben Young, City Manager, City of Chardon; Karen Hopkins, Trustee, Montville Township; Skip Claypool, Geauga Metropolitan Housing Board member; Anastasia Nicholas, Chagrin Valley Times reporter; Alison Wilson, Reporter from the Geauga Maple Leaf; Reporter from The Plain Dealer; members of the public and this Observer.
5:49 Min Pledge of Allegiance - Mr. Yost introduced the members of the Berkshire Senior Class, who led the Pledge of Allegiance. Mr. Yost stated that, as part of his internship, he will be connecting local high school leaders with the Commissioners. Each student introduced themselves and gave a brief summary of their community involvement. Reviewer Note: Per an email from Mr. Yost, his internship ended on November 26, 2025.
A prayer was offered by Mr. Dvorak.
10:34 Min. Public Comment - According to the Amended Public Comment Policy, individuals can question an item appearing on the meeting’s agenda. In order to comment, individuals are asked to sign in and wait to be called upon, begin by stating their full name and address, will have up to three minutes to comment or ask a question, and are kindly asked to refrain from disorderly or disruptive conduct.
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Heather Copper, a Hiram resident, would like to coordinate with Geauga Transit and the Geauga Metropolitan Housing Authority to set up a regular shopping day for seniors for whom she is presently providing rides as a volunteer. Mr. Dvorak explained that there is an Agreement with Lake County, but that Joanne Santilli, Director of Geauga Transit, would be the person to contact for rides in Geauga County.
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Dr. Michael Hanlon, Chardon School Superintendent asked when they should give comments on the “piggyback” issue. Mr. Dvorak said that they would hear those comments after Mr. Walder spoke. (see below)
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Mr. Jonathan Tiber, a Claridon Township Trustee, expressed his concerns and opposition to the “piggyback” provision in HB96.
Due to the large number of people requesting to speak about HB96, the Commissioners requested that they speak after Mr. Walder’s presentation on the “piggyback” provision.
Minutes - Minutes from the meetings of September 4, September 9 and September 16 were approved. Observer
Note: Weekly LWVG Observer Reports for the BOCC are available online through November 18, 2025 for informational purposes but are not substitutes for approved minutes. Approved BOCC Minutes are posted online here through August 28, 2025.
15:03 Min. Administrator’s Report - Ms. Bevan reported on the following actions she took:
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Approved hiring of a planner trainer for the Emergency Management Agency.
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Approved hiring of a worker for the Maintenance Department.
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Approved a service contract agreement for the Department of Water Resources with Hydraulic Lifts LLC for a period of one year, with a not to exceed amount of $1,500.00.
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Concurred with Bainbridge Township Trustees in not requiring a hearing for a liquor license for Van Han Ventures on Aurora Road.
17:13 Min. Financial Report: The following financials were approved:
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Appropriation Transfer to the Sheriff's Office for the purchase of 4 new patrol vehicles
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Cash transfer from Commissioners’ Office to Water Resources for permit and construction costs associated with the new youth center project center sewer line
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Travel Expenses for the Dog Warden
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Vouchers:
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$8,276.00 from ADP to Zoho Corporation for the annual renewal of endpoint central management and security
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$4,000.00 to Squire Patton Boggs Law Firm for services rendered in regards to the county's annual information filing with the municipal securities rulemaking board in connection with the general obligation and revenue bonds that were used to build the Geauga County office building
The County Engineer’s Office received approval for the following:
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To execute Change Order #1 and Final, decreasing the Contract with Oglesby Construction, Incorporated for the Application of Pavement Markings of Various Roads in the amount of $6,270.10
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To execute Change Order #2 and Final, decreasing the Contract with Miller Builders, LLC for the Construction of a Salt Storage Building in the amount of $2,339.59
19:52 Min. The Sheriff’s Office received approval to authorize the President of the Board to execute the Victim of Crime Act (VOCA) and State Victim Advocacy Act (SVAA) Grant Award and Acceptance Forms in the amount of $42,829.80 from Grant #2026-VOCA-136360814 ($31,652.00 from Federal VOCA funds and $7,913.00 local match from the County General Fund) and $3,264.80 from Grant #2026-SVAA 136360818 with no local match. This grant is for the period October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.
The Maintenance Department received approval to waive the 200-hour maximum vacation accrual for Rik Wareham, Acting Maintenance Director, for a period of six months, effective November 9, 2025 (Payroll #25-24) through May 9, 2026 (Payroll #26-10).
Ms. Bevan explained that this is due to staffing issues.
22:44 Min. The Department of Water Resources received approval for the submission of the 2025 Certification List of delinquent sewer user fees, water fees, tap-in installments and subsequent certification to the Geauga County Auditor, in the total amount of $467,375.04 ($438,172.24 Arrearage and $29,202.80 Penalty), amounts current as of 9:30 am November 17, 2025.
Mr. Gorris presented the Commissioners with a spreadsheet. He proceeded to speak of the different reasons that some residents do not pay. He is looking at educational components as some residents think that the fees are part of their taxes or mortgage.
27:09 Min. Destination Geauga provided a presentation on the events at Destination Geauga and discussed possible changes to the bed tax.
Ms. Shimer presented the Commissioners with an update on the Destination Geauga activity throughout the year. She also discussed the possibility of a bed tax for Airbnb and VRBO listings. The definition would have to be amended to include establishments with fewer than 5 rooms. Mr. Spidalieri suggested that instead they have a registry tax that would be paid by the owner and go directly to the county. Ms. Brakey expressed her disapproval as this would put the financial burden on the Geauga County Resident and not the visitor. Ms. Shimer will come back with more information at a future meeting.
The Commissioners’ Office received approval to execute Resolutions Honoring Jesse Gandee, Nazario Mendez and Kendra Renko for their hard work in recovery and becoming a success story of the Geauga County Common Pleas Court’s New Leaf Program.
Mr. Dvorak provided some history about the New Leaf Program and the contribution of Judge Paschke.
48:16 Min. Board Discussion:
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Mr. Walder first spoke about a letter that was sent out concerning the homestead rebate and owner occupied credit expansion potential through House Bill 96. He said that he had heard comments from the prior meeting that concerned whether Mrs. Brakey was erroneously sending a letter on behalf of all commissioners. Mr Walder said that Mrs. Brakey specifically asked that the “s” in Commissioners be removed so that it was clear that the letter was not from all the commissioners. He said that by mistake, the “s” was left in one place, but that it was his error. Reviewer Note: See LWVG report for November 13, 2025 here. A copy of the letter can be found here. Mr. Walder said that they had put together a fact based presentation for the Geauga Township Association dinner, but not all townships were at the meeting. He said that is why they decided to send the letter in an effort to notify all entities that could be impacted by the expansion of the homestead and owner occupied credits. Mr. Dvorak said that he had also reached out to Mr. Walder for more information.
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Mr. Walder spoke about the response to the letter and noted that many are here to voice their opinions today. He said that HB96 was over 4,000 pages long and is essentially the budget for 2026. Mr. Walder said the “piggyback” provision in HB96 is not a roll over. Mr. Walder said that he believed that seniors, veterans and homeowners deserve a break, but the details are important. Observer Note: See motion at 1:33 Minutes on the video as to action taken by the Commissioners.
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Mrs. Brakey talked about why she solicited information. She said it could create the need for more levies and do things like forestall the paving of roads
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Mr. Spidalieri spoke to the process of sending out the letter and that he didn’t know about the letter. He said the process lacked transparency.
1:08:15 Min. Public Comment on HB 96: At this time, it was decided to go ahead with public comment regarding the “piggyback provision” as there were many in the audience wanting to express their opposition. The following people appeared:
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Representatives from Chardon, Kenston and West Geauga Schools, who all outlined the potential negative impacts of the piggyback provision.
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County representatives from the Geauga County Public Library, Mental Health and Recovery Services, the Board of Developmental Disabilities, and Geauga Public Health, who all also talked about the amount of cuts they would sustain.
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Mr. Claypool, Chesterland resident and former Geauga County Commissioner, addressed the letter (see discussion above) and the fact that it came from one commissioner. He also said that he noted today to Mrs. Brakey that, “you were rude to Ralph (Spidalieri) today….” He also said, “shame on the Auditor” because he felt that the Auditor should have come back and asked for a letter from all Commissioners.
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City Manager, City of Chardon said they would not be as impacted, except for the Fire Department. He felt that neighboring fire departments would be impacted.
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Montville Township Trustee - She said they would have a low dollar amount of loss but it would result in losing critical staff.
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Reviewer Note: See Cleveland.com November 23, 2025 article about how commissioners from other Northeast Ohio counties and counties across the state voted on the “piggyback” provision and the video for detailed comment
1:29:00 Min. Mr Dvorak asked if the Board wanted to take action. A motion was taken to not implement the piggyback provisions for either the homestead exemption or owner occupied credits. This passed unanimously and was greeted with applause.
1:29:07 Min. Commissioners took action on the following:
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Ms. Bevan asked for guidance as she goes forward with the plans for the Courthouse Expansion ribbon cutting ceremony. Ms. Brakey offered ideas of who should be invited and that a walkthrough for the public would be a good idea. The tentative date would be the end of January, 2026. Mr. Dvorak and Mr. Spidalieri did not offer suggestions at this time.
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Ms. Blair presented resumes to the Commissioners for the appointment to the Board of Developmental Disabilities. They will rule on a resolution next week.
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Mr. Dvorak gave an update on the easement with the Illuminating Company at the Geauga County Airport. He reported that the County Prosecutor will be signing the agreement. Ms. Blair requested that they vote on this next week as they do not have the actual signed copy yet.
1:35:08 Min. Public Comment
A South Russell resident spoke of the upcoming anniversary of assasination of President Kennedy and his hope that it does not happen again. He also spoke about the confusion in the meeting that he perceived and said that the Commissioners should “get their act together.”
Executive Session - The Board entered Executive Session at 11:05 am to discuss compensation of public employees. The Board was joined by Ms. Bevan and Mr. Jimison.
1:36:19 Min. Return from Executive Session at 11:06 with no action.
Meeting adjourned at 11:07 am.
Information and Posted Minutes: Available here.
Next Regular Meeting of the BOCC: The next two Regular Meetings of the BOCC will be on Tuesday, November 25, 2025 and Tuesday December 2, 2025 at 9:30 am at the County Administration Building, 12611 Ravenwood Drive, Room B303, Chardon, OH.
Observer: Mary Heintzelman
Editor: Carol Benton
Reviewer: Sarah McGlone
Date Submitted: November 29, 2025
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