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ADP Board Discusses the Initiation of Union Organization by ADP Staff

ADP Board and Board of County Commissioners Meetings - March 2, 2026 

Meeting Details: The Automatic Data Processing Board (ADP) held an Emergency Meeting beginning at 9:00 am on March 2, 2026 in the Geauga County Auditor’s Office Appraisal Conference Room at 231 Main St., Chardon, OH 44024. Virtual access was available via MS Teams, and the agenda was provided in advance. Members of the public may attend ADP meetings virtually via MS Teams by emailing an invitation request to Auditor’s Office Chief Operations Officer Pam McMahan at McMahan@geauga.oh.gov. This Observer attended via MS Teams.

Public Comment: ADP does not have a written public comment policy. In practice, public comment is solicited at the end of the meeting.

ADP Board Attendance:

• Auditor/Chief Administrator – Charles Walder

• Clerk of Courts – Sheila Bevington 

• County Commissioner – Ralph Spidalieri

• Engineer – Andy Haupt 

• Board of Elections – Tyler Plants and Scott Daisher

• County Prosecutor – Jim Flaiz

• Recorder – Celesta Mullins 

• Sheriff – Scott Hildenbrand 

• Treasurer – Chris Hitchcock 

• Coroner – John Urbancic (absent)

• Common Pleas Court Judge - Observer Note - It was stated at the January 28, 2025 meeting that this seat will not be filled. 

ADP Staff Attendance: 

• Frank Antenucci – Chief Deputy Administrator

• Zach McLeod - Information Security Manager (virtual)

• Akshay Raikar (virtual)

• Joe Birli (virtual)

• Tracy Rahimi (virtual)

• Johnathan Heiden (virtual)

• Josh Holtz (virtual)

• Ashley Seraglio (virtual)

• Mike Adams (virtual)

• Diana Sanko (virtual)

• Andy Haines (virtual)

• Claire Wilson (virtual)

Reviewer Note: ADP restructured into three groups in 2025: Department of Advanced Technology and Applications (DATA), Department of Advanced Research & Cybersecurity (DARC) and Department of County Archives and Records Enterprise (CARE). More information on this restructuring is available in the March 4, 2025 ADP Observer Report.

Other Government Representatives:

• Caroline Mansfield - Chief Deputy Treasurer

• Katie Taylor - Geauga County Public Health (virtual)

• Randy Taylor - Court of Common Pleas (virtual)

• Velta Moisio - IT Director, Court of Common Pleas (virtual)

• Pam McMahan - Chief Operations Officer, Auditor’s Office

• Tom Rowan - Chief Deputy 

• Rob Weigle - Maintenance Director (virtual)

• Samantha Harris - Prosecutor’s Office (virtual)

Others Present:

• Allen Keener - Retired ADP Chief Technology Officer (virtual)

• Kathy Johnson - Mental Health Board member

• Anastasia Nicholas - Chagrin Valley Times (virtual)

• Allison Wilson - Geauga Maple Leaf

• Diane Jones (virtual)

• This LWV Geauga Observer (virtual) 

Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) Meeting - March 2, 2026 - A meeting of the County Commissioners ran concurrently with the Emergency ADP meeting in the same room. Commissioners Carolyn Brakey, Jim Dvorak and Ralph Spidalieri were present. Also in attendance were County Administrator Amy Bevan, Commissioners’ Clerk Christine Blair and County Finance Manager Adrian Gorton.

The Emergency ADP meeting was called to order at 9:00 am by Mr. Antenucci. The BOCC meeting was also called to order by Mr. Dvorak at 9:00 am.

Minutes: None presented for either ADP or the BOCC.

The Board took the following actions:

DISCUSSED - Petition for Representation Election and Notice of Appearance filed with the State Employment Relations Board - Mr. Walder received formal notice that ADP employees had filed a petition with the State of Ohio to initiate a process that could lead to a union election. He explained that the notice arrived via email and included two components: a notice of appearance from an attorney (identified as Michelle R. Evans, Associate General Counsel representing the AFL-CIO in Worthington, Ohio) and the petition itself, timestamped on February 27th at 9:28 a.m. Observer Note: Read the Notice of Appearance and the Petition for Representation Election - Employee Organization from the Ohio State Employment Relations Board. The Petition for Representation specified the Employee Organization Requesting the Election was Ohio Council 8, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO. There was initial confusion because the notices came through an unfamiliar email address, but a corrected email submission confirmed its legitimacy. Mr. Flaiz emphasized that once such a petition is filed, it triggers a formal process and certain legal protections, cautioning members to be careful about public statements and to avoid actions that could interfere with the process. 

Mr. Flaiz confirmed that the County has two active unions, one in the Sheriff’s department and the other at Water Resources. Because the Prosecutor’s office does not conduct labor negotiations, a field that Mr. Flaiz described as highly specialized, the Board agreed that outside expertise would be necessary. Mr. Flaiz agreed to provide options for qualified Human Resources (HR) or labor relations consultants within roughly 48 hours. A question was raised whether retaining help required the County Commissioners’ approval, but Mr. Flaiz explained that hiring a union or HR consultant is different from retaining outside legal counsel, though litigation could later require that step. Regarding the timeline of the process, Mr. Antenucci stated that the timeline for any election remains uncertain and largely controlled by the state and the employees, with estimates ranging from a few weeks to several months. He also clarified that the petition indicated there were 21 employees involved in the action.

In addition to the formal petition, Mr. Walder provided copies of a separate letter from ADP staff that he received from an anonymous email address after the filing. He described the letter as lengthy, providing additional context behind the organizing effort. He noted that it outlined employee concerns and frustrations that had been building over time. Regarding compensation, he commented, “I don’t see the word ‘money’ anywhere in it.” Observer Note: Read the letter from ADP Staff here.

The Board voted unanimously to authorize the Chief Administrator to retain an HR consultant quickly, with the goal of ensuring compliance with state labor law, guiding communications with employees, and helping leadership maintain status quo while the process unfolds.

Mr. Flaiz suggested the Board address compensation immediately in the meeting. Mr. Antenucci acknowledged that such discussions would normally require a properly noticed executive session, which was not on the agenda, so the topic was deferred until the upcoming ADP Regular Meeting scheduled for March 5, 2026. Mr. Walder concurred it was best to delay a discussion on compensation until the March 5th meeting.

At this point in the meeting, Mrs. Brakey asked that the ADP Board and Commissioners discuss the letter from the employees. Mr. Walder stated that after the discussion several meetings ago, “there was a huge wakeup call that we need to be conscious about how we treat our employees.” Observer Note: At the December 9, 2025 BOCC meeting, Mr. Spidalieri expressed his concerns over the ADP budget and overtime paid to some ADP employees. Following the BOCC meeting, that same day at the December 9, 2025 ADP meeting, Mr. Flaiz defended the ADP employees over what he considered negative comments at the BOCC meeting.

Mrs. Brakey stated that she felt “this was a reasonable step from the ADP employees. I think it’s foreseeable as well that this would happen due to the circumstances they find themselves in that they don’t like.”

The discussion included several references to the Sheriff’s department as a point of comparison. Sheriff Hildenbrand described what he considers the benefits of the collective bargaining agreement with its union, including predictability, clear and written expectations of both employees and management and scheduled and structured raises. Mr. Flaiz referenced differences in raises for the Water Resources employees, who he believed received higher raises, and other groups in the county. He suggested that larger raises provided to unionized groups may contribute to perceptions that “if you’re in a union, then the Commissioners are going to give you wage increases; if you’re not in a union, they’re going to jerk you around and not give you pay increases.” He said he thought the move to organize was “a sign of poor leadership.” 

Mr. Walder mentioned his prior experience in the auto industry and the history of the union movement. He said that unions were formed out of the abuse of people, not over money. On pay, Mr. Walder stated he felt “they were moving in the right direction, or at least we were having the conversation in the right direction. But I think more importantly than the money, is the treatment, treating people with respect. I think that’s where we failed.” The importance of leadership and culture was stressed.

Mr. Antenucci stated, “This is neither good nor bad to me. I support their right under ORC 4117 to do what they think is best.” Sheriff Hildenbrand asked if there was any indication beforehand that this action might be taken. Mr. Walder noted that dissatisfaction had been expressed in the past few months, including concerns around instability, working conditions, and compensation, but there had not been explicit warnings that employees would pursue unionization before the petition and letter surfaced. Mr. Antenucci commented that he will “maintain the status quo… as my short-term plan right now.”

In the wrap up of the BOCC meeting, Mr. Dvorak pointed out that the employee letter was signed by all 21 employees on the ADP staff, something he felt was important to note. He asked the other Commissioners if they had comments. Mrs. Brakey said “I think it’s good for the Commissioners’ office to apply budget scrutiny for every office and every department. I think there is an issue when certain offices, certain departments are picked out, and I think that is part of why we’re in this situation.” Mr. Spidalieri had no comment. 

Public Comment for ADP Meeting - This Observer asked if the letter from the ADP employees was public record. Mr. Walder confirmed it was. 

Public Comment for BOCC Meeting - Ms. Nicholas asked Commissioner Spidalieri if he had any comments on the ADP employees’ labor action. He said that he had none.

Both meetings were adjourned at approximately 9:34 am. 

Next Meeting: The next scheduled meeting of the ADP Board will be a Regular meeting on Thursday, March 5, 2026 in the Geauga County Auditor’s Office Appraisal Conference Room at 231 Main St., Chardon, OH. 

Minutes when posted are available here: Meeting Minutes | Geauga County Automatic Data Processing

Virtual Meeting Information: Contact Pamela McMahan at PMcMahan@geauga.oh.gov.

Observer: Carol Benton

Editor: Gail Roussey

Reviewer: Sarah McGlone

Submitted: March 3, 2026

The League of Women Voters of Geauga is a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan political organization that encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy. They do not support or oppose individual candidates or parties. Learn more about the LWVG at www.lwvgeauga.org.