Chardon High School Seniors Lead Pledge of Allegiance
at Another BOCC Meeting Focused on NOACA
Board of County Commissioners Meeting - February 3, 2026
Meeting Details: The Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) met in Regular Session on Tuesday, February 3, 2026 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 and can be accessed here by scrolling down and clicking on the section for YouTube videos. Recordings are available for the public. This meeting can be found here. As of this report’s publication date, the video has been viewed 476 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.
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: Robert Berger, Geauga County Visiting Probate and Juvenile Court Judge; Shane Hajjar, Deputy Engineer; Nick Gorris, Director, Water Resources; Jessica Boalt, Director, Department on Aging; Christine Lakomiak, Director, Geauga Mental Health and Recovery Services
Others in Attendance: Michael P. Hanlon, Jr., Ph.D., Chardon School Superintendent; Members of the Chardon High School Senior Class Leadership group; Frank Antenucci, Chief Deputy Administrator, ADP; Deborah Ashburn, Senior Financial Specialist; Adam Litke, Administrator, Geauga Public Health; Steve Oluic, President, Geauga Mental Health and Recovery Services Board; Anastasia Nicholas, Chagrin Valley Times reporter; Allison Wilson, Geauga Maple Leaf reporter; Tom and Diane Jones; members of the public and this Observer. Observer Note: There were numerous members of the public present; some are identified in the public comment section of the meeting. See the video at the times noted. Those listed here who made comments either are presently serving or in the past have served the County or one of its agencies. Others are identified by their resident address if they offered that information.
6:13 Min. Pledge of Allegiance - led by Chardon High School Senior Class Leadership group.
Each student identified themselves and talked about their future plans. Last names were not used. See the video for more information.
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Aubrey - Senior Class officer - “I will be attending Washington Jefferson College, majoring in medicinal chemistry and playing volleyball.” She hopes to go to pharmacy school after college.
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Hayden - Senior Class officer - “I hope to go to the United States Military Academy at West Point to major in international affairs. Later, one day maybe, I hope to become a diplomat or something in higher government.”
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Morgan - Senior Class officer - “After graduation, I'm going to attend the Ohio State University and I'm currently undecided but looking to go pediatric medicine.”
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Emily - Senior Class officer - “I'm going to Ohio State University in the fall and I'm majoring in biology on the predental track.”
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Henry - Student Council Vice President - ”Next year (he is) planning on going to Ohio State for a degree in mechanical engineering.”
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Walter - ”I'm planning on going to the Ohio State University to study biomedical engineering on the predental track.”
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TJ - Executive President of Student Council - “After high school, I also plan on attending the United States Military Academy at West Point. My goal is to become an aviator in the Army and maybe one day run for president.”
Chardon Superintendent Hanlon spoke for a few minutes and said, “Thank you and thank you, commissioners. Thank you for the opportunity to have our student leaders here. You know, it occurs to me as I'm sitting there listening to each of the students address you this morning that you know, public education has been under some scrutiny in recent years. And I think what you can see as evidenced here today is the outstanding work of public schools and also the great aspirations that our students have and and I have no doubt that these students will make some significant contributions as they move forward into postsecondary or secondary education and college and really just be positive contributors to our community.”
12:48 Min. Prayer (Commissioner Dvorak)
13:20 Min. Introduction of Judge Berger, Geauga County Probate and Juvenile Court to the Board. Observer Note: Judge Berger was appointed to fill in for Geauga Probate Judge Grendell while he is on a six month suspension from the bench. Judge Berger said that as a visiting and retired judge, he has served in 14 courts. He said that unlike usual cases of substitution, he also has administrative duties in Geauga, in addition to hearing and deciding cases. He praised the staff, “I'm really pleased with your staff at the Probate and Juvenile Court. They're excellent.” He continued, “You have a very, very good staff and that would include the probation staff and the clerks and of course the two magistrates are very good, too. So if you feel like giving them a raise sometime, go ahead.”
In response, Commissioner Brakey said,"Thanks for coming in today, Judge Berger. As you may or may not be aware, historically, the Juvenile and Probate Court has not come before the Commissioners to discuss its budget…. Since you're here today, I just thought I'd ask whether you'd be willing to take a different approach this year, and appear before the Commissioners for tax budget hearings to discuss your budget and to have some transparency, regarding how the money is spent in that office.” Observer Note: Budget Hearings are typically held in May, and Judge Berger will be on the bench until the end of May.
Judge Berger said that he wasn’t sure of the answer to that question, but appeared reluctant to venture into budget territory. "I'm concentrating on the youth and adolescents. I don't know anything about the budget in Geauga.”
He talked about his duties, “Well, my primary purpose is to handle the juvenile court and I'm particularly passionate about that because I think the youth is the key to the entire thing….” He talked about the major functions of the Juvenile and Probation Court as follows:
Juvenile Court: private cases for custody and support between unmarried person; Job and Family Services (JFS) cases involving neglect, abuse, and dependency; delinquency where a child is considered delinquent for committing an act that would be considered a crime if committed by an adult. He said that, “the whole idea of juvenile court is to get the adolescent back on the road by giving them an opportunity to have rehabilitation. All you can do is give them an opportunity and that's where my efforts are geared.”
Probate court: guardianships; estates. He said that in estate work, “It's supposed to be fair according to what the last wishes of the person were. So that's my primary purpose and that's the only reason why I became a visiting judge.…”
Judge Berger promised Mrs. Brakey that he would get the correct person in touch with her regarding the budget. Mrs. Brakey said that was “half good.”
22:08 Min. Public Comment on Agenda Items - Ms. Bevan noted that this would be comment on Agenda items only. Please see the video for more in depth information. She said that three individuals signed up to talk about NOACA (Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency). Observer Note: For context, see the LWVGeauga Observer Report for the prior week, February 4, 2026. Here are highlights of the comments:
Resident from Newbury - She referred to NOACA as “stupid on steroids.” She continued, “in this room is not much different than what's happening in the United States and around the world. What do I mean by that? When people in the administration believe that they cannot win in the arena of ideas and fact and logic, what happens? In Colorado, they try and keep somebody off the ballot. In New York, they'll tie up somebody in court to use their resources. Getting more sinister, they might delay elections, eliminate the elections, or jail their opponents. Look at Brazil. Look at France. Look at Great Britain. They might deny the election results entirely like Venezuela. So you bring it back to Geauga County. What happens? Two votes nullify thousands of votes for Ralph. He needs to be reinstated. These are the taxpayers speaking.”
Christine from Munson: Referring to the NOACA vote, she said that the Commissioners have ignored four things: “Number one is Skip Claypool. Number two is Ralph Spidalieri. Three is the unanimous letter from the board of commissioners (Planning Commissioners) who have asked us not to stay in NOACA. And number four is us, the citizens that have come.” She expressed her belief that Mr. Claypool is very knowledgeable about NOACA. She also asked what happened with Mr. Claypool’s proposal to leave NOACA and form an MPA (Metropolitan Planning Agency) with Lake County. She also expressed dissatisfaction with the body language of the other two Commissioners when Mr. Spidalieri was speaking, “final thing I'd like to say is I notice when I'm sitting here, I noticed especially when Ralph (Spidalieri) was speaking and he gave a really heartfelt maybe 10-minute dissertation on what's happening right now with NOACA and I felt that the body language was from the commissioners was just evasive to Ralph and and it wasn't engaging. He's a fellow commissioner and I feel you should all be working together, but I felt that people were too busy doing other things to be paying attention to what Ralph was saying.”
Carol from Munson: She said, “This is now the third week in a row that citizens have come to this very microphone to express their concerns about this issue, the revision of Article IX of the NOACA bylaws. Many, many people have asked you not to make this change. Yet I have not heard anyone, not one person to stand up in support of it.” She further said, “And I request that you restore Commissioner Spidalieri to NOACA representation.” She also advocated joining with Lake County to form a new MPA (Metropolitan Planning Agency) instead of NOACA.
Rene from Hambden Township: “We're not getting a stronger voice to this Article IX, section 4.2. If I have that correctly it locks out our independent voices to centralized control and unelected bureaucrats….” She went on to detail the work Commissioner Brakey and her husband have done in establishing an energy company. Observer Note: See information about Brakey Energy here. She concluded, “Isn't it convenient? Our commissioner with deep ties, deep ties, votes to strengthen the NOACA - an insider club only. We see that happening, potentially expanding the very bureaucracies that her family businesses may potentially profit from… we're excluding everyday citizens like myself and other alternatives that aren't elected.”
Minutes - The Minutes from October 28, 2025 were approved as submitted. Observer Note: Weekly LWVG Observer Reports for the BOCC are available online through February 3, 2026 for informational purposes but are not substitutes for approved minutes. Approved BOCC Minutes are posted online here through September 24, 2025.
34:07 Min. Administrator’s Report - Ms. Bevan reported on the following actions she took on January 27, 30 and February 2:
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Approved hiring a full-time senior center manager for the Department of Aging.
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Approved for Maintenance an unpaid medical leave of absence and the hiring of a Maintenance worker #1904 and an electrician.
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Approved for Water Resources hiring a WasteWater Operator One.
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Accepted for the Dog Warden the resignation of a part-time shelter assistant and granted permission to advertise for a part-time shelter assistant.
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Approved and executed for the Maintenance Department a notice of commencement of a public improvement pursuant to RC1311.252 for Air Force One to provide and install three new split cooling systems at the Geauga County Sheriff's Office. Also approved and executed a notice of commencement of a public improvement pursuant to RC1311.252 for Air Force One to remove and install a new hot water boiler in the Geauga County Safety Center.
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Approved and executed for Maintenance a notice of commencement of a public improvement pursuant to RC1311.252 for Trane US Incorporated to provide and install a new building automation system known as a BAS at the Geauga County Safety Center.
Min. Financial Report - Mr. Gorton received approval for the following financials:
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Supplemental in the Commissioners’ reserve fund for phase one starter appropriations for 2026 to cover change orders, new equipment, and other purchases.
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Cash transfer from the general fund to the Engineer’s Office for office expenses and for the storm water management fund per MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) dated 4/30/2013.
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There's a formal contract PO (Purchase Order) from community development to 7145 Pine LLC to reestablish the incumbrance in the Brownfield Remediation Grant Fund for the cleaning up of the old Nalco property.
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Vouchers
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$950,817.12 to Infinity Construction for payment #28 for the Courthouse Expansion Project
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$33,571 from the Court of Common Pleas to reimburse for changes to the Magistrate doors for the new courthouse.
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$66,096 from the Sheriff to Expert IT LLC, for licenses for the Microsoft Office 365 for their 150 users.
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$50,922 from the Sheriff to Upstate Wholesale Supply Incorporated for six in-car video camera installations.
The Commissioners’ Office received approval for the following:
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To execute the Request for Partial Payment #29 for Infinity Construction Company, Incorporated for the Geauga County Courthouse Expansion Project, GMP Phase #1 and Phase #2 expenses in the amount of $337,740.51.
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To advertise to accept Competitive Sealed Proposals for the Preparation of a Geauga County Cost Allocation Plan, to be held on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, at 2:00 pm. Notice of this Competitive Sealed Proposal will be advertised on February 5, 2026, February 12, 2026, and on the county website.
41:20 Min. The County Engineer’s Office received approval to execute the Unit Price Contract with Geauga Highway Company for the Asphalt Resurfacing of Gingerich Road (CH-0034, Section A) in Burton Township in the amount of $240,465.71.
43:10 Min The Department on Aging received approval for the following:
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To execute the Contract Agreement with Schraff Thomas Law, LLC for Legal Services to Older Adults to counsel, advise and represent clients that are Geauga County residents age 60 and older for a five-year period, January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2030 for up to seven hundred ninety-night (798) hours per year for a total not to exceed amount of $428,007.30.
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To release the Bid Bond submitted by Schraff Thomas Law, LLC for the Legal Services for Older Adults, as it is no longer required to be held for this project.
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To authorize Amy S. Bevan, County Administrator, to execute the Contract Agreement with HZW Environmental Consultants, LLC to conduct a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment and Environmental Cleanup Liens and Activity and Land Use Limitations Records Search of PP No. 13-705027 located at 12701 Ravenwood Drive, Claridon Township in an amount not to exceed $2,875.00, pending Prosecutor approval and certification by the Auditor.
Ms. Boalt said that the purchase is continuing to move forward. She said the Prosecutor’s office is currently making a few changes.
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To waive the 200-hour maximum vacation accrual for Jeanne Molzon, Recreation and Education Assistant, for a period of two-months, effective January 19, 2026 (Payroll #26-03) through March 28, 2026 (Payroll #26-07).
47:20 Min The Department of Water Resources received approval to execute the Certification Request to County Auditor, Request to the Board of Commissioners, Quarterly Use of County Credit Cards for the Geauga Credit Union Visa, for Quarters 1, 2, 3 and 4 for the Year 2026.
48 Min The Commissioners’ Office received approval fo the following:
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To execute Change Order #1, increasing the Contract with Kash Moving Corp for additional items to be moved for courthouse employees, in the amount of $1,850.00 and extending the date of completion through February 25, 2026, for a new not to exceed amount of $27,330.00.
Ms. Bevan said this was for a few items remaining at 470 Center St.
Mr. Dvorak discussed some of the activities done by the Burton Rotary such as: raising money for Veterans through a Jeep Invasion, the “Maple Splash” which is a car raffle to raise money for worthy projects, contributing to the Amish DARE program, and Special Needs Annual Fishing event. Mr. Dvorak said they have also contributed to some international service projects in Haiti, Argentina, Ghana and India.
55:51 Min. Planning Commission - The Commissioners indicated their choice of alternates for the Planning Commission for 2026 as follows:
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James W. Dvorak appointed Dave Fabig to serve as Alternate Observer Note: Mr. Fabig is a real estate agent in Chardon. See information here.
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Carolyn Brakey appointed Dane Davis to serve as Alternate
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Ralph Spidalieri appointed Walter Claypool to serve as Alternate
56:50 Min NOACA - The BOCC approved a Resolution #26-022 to Ratify an Amendment to Article IX of the Code of Regulations of the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA). Mr. Spidalieri voted no and Commissioners Dvorak and Brakey each voted yes. Observer Note: See the LWVGeauga Observer Report for January 27, 2026 for more information.
Mrs. Brakey started the discussion of this Resolution by addressing the public, and said: “So talking just specifically to what we'd be ratifying today, which is Article IX, as far as what it does and what it doesn't do. So it governs how NOACA's code of regulations can be amended. So the general rule is that the bylaws can only be amended by a majority vote of the board of directors. And then there's a specific exception in Section Four which deals with membership and board composition. So under the existing structure, any change affecting county representation requires first a majority vote by the board of directors and then ratification by all member counties. So that requirement protects counties from being stripped of representation without consent. But it also prevents a county from modifying its own delegation on the board without unanimous approval from every other county.” And she further said, “So the amendment to Article IX, it preserves the protection regarding the number of seats each county holds. It can't take away Geauga County seats, but it also removes a requirement that all counties ratify changes to another county's delegation. It allows a county to modify its own delegation through a two-step process, which is first the majority vote of the NOACA board of directors and then the ratification by the affected county itself.” Mrs. Brakey said that the NOACA attorney had recommended that every county ratify this, even though it did not seem necessary, but to address a claim made in a lawsuit by Mr. Claypool. Observer Note: The Geauga Maple Leaf has reported that Mr. Claypool’s suit against Mr. Dvorak and Mrs Brakey was dismissed, but not his lawsuit against NOACA.
Mrs. Brakey went on to discuss Geauga’s historical position regarding having the Engineer as a voting member of NOACA. She cited minutes from a 2014 meeting. She said, “So here's a quote from that meeting. ‘It is unfair that our county engineer is not on the board. Referring to the board of NOACA. There is no other county that doesn't have their county engineer on the board. I think the bylaws from NOACA should be amended to always include the county engineer. This is the most important person relative to this county….’” Mrs. Brakey said that quote was from Mr. Claypool. Mrs. Brakey also quoted minutes in which Mr. Spidalieri voted for an amendment to NOACA to have two commissioners and the County Engineer as Geauga’s representatives. She continued that on, “December 27th, 2018, this is when Commissioner Claypool, Commissioner Lennon, Commissioner Spidarelli, those were the three commissioners. This would be Commissioner Claypool's actually very last meeting as a commissioner, his very last resolution that he passed. Very last thing that happened. Unfortunately, there was no discussion written about that and there's not a video of this one, but it's the last thing- Commissioners’ Office resolution to request NOACA amend the code of regulations to reflect composition of Geauga county to represent two commissioners and the county engineer. So this was a motion made by Commissioner Clayool, seconded by Commissioner Spidarelli to approve and execute Resolution 18-177 to request to amend the code of regulations to reflect composition of Geauga County to represent two commissioners and the county engineer.“
Mr. Spidalieri responded that, “I've got more years than Commissioner Brakey has had. I have more years than she has months as a commissioner.” He went on to say that what he and former commissioners wanted was to have the Engineer as a fourth representative. He also asked if the Prosecutor’s Office had reviewed the resolution, and Mrs. Brakey said that it had been reviewed and approved. Observer Note: Mr. Spidalieri did not specify which Article - IX or IV - he was inquiring about, but given the context of the discussion, it could be presumed to be Article IX. He said, “this ratification will probably get approved today and it's just, it's an unfortunate situation and I would just tell you that there's always consequences to you know… every action has a reaction and I think the reaction should be at the polls this May and the polls you know down the road because at the end of the day I work for you. You're the residents of this county. I should have a voice to be able to express my own personal opinion.”
Mrs. Brakey reviewed Mr. Claypool’s representation on NOACA and noted that he wasn’t on as a Commissioner or alternate between 2019 and 2025 when Mr. Spidalieri changed his alternate from the Engineer to Mr. Claypool.
1:18:15 Min. Board Discussion – The following were discussed:
Compensation and Supplementals - Mr. Gorton discussed the process of needing supplementals for some departments as a result of the 3% raise approved by the Commissioners at the end of December. He said that this applies to those departments within funding by the General Fund who had not adjusted their budgets to account for the increase. He said those departments not needing a supplemental were the Sheriff’s department (already factored into their budget due to union contract), Clerk of Courts, Juvenile and Probate Court, Coroner, Prosecutor’s Office, Recorder and Veterans Service Commission.
Mrs. Brakey asked if departments knew about the raise, and Mr. Gorton said he had not communicated that information. Mr. Jimison came forward and said that he would ensure that next year they are informed.
Mrs. Brakey also asked about the Prosecutor’s Office, and whether their increases in payroll were a result of taking over functions of the Chardon Municipal Court or the 3% pay increase. She asked Mr. Gorton to verify with the Prosecutor’s Office and he said that he would do so.
Mental Health and Recovery Services Board - Ms. Blair discussed appointments to the Mental Health Board. She said that a member appointed by the BOCC had resigned, but had been re-appointed as an Ohio appointed member. She said there is that vacancy, which will expire June 30, 2026. She also said that there are three other members whose terms are expiring June 6, 2026 and that two of these do not fulfil the new requirements. Observer Note: The Legislature authorized Boards of County Commissioners to change the make-up of their Mental Health Boards, within certain parameters, and subject to the approval of the County Board of Commissioners. Geauga authorized a change on July 9, 2024, changing membership to a maximum of 9, with 6 appointed by the County and 3 by the State. See LWVG Report for July 9 for details. The Board decided to fill the current vacancy first. Ms. Blair confirmed with Ms. Lakomiak, Geauga Mental Health and Recovery Director, who was in attendance, that this position required the person to be a consumer in recovery. Mrs. Brakey asked if this could be a family member and also that if it was addiction or a mental health issue. Ms. Lakomiak answered that it had to be a person who is in recovery for addiction. It was decided to post this information about how to apply for this vacancy on the County website, issue a press release and notify the League (League of Women Voters Geauga). Observer Note: No information is available yet.
1:33 Min. Public Comment Observer Note: Please see the video for complete comments.
John from Russell Township. He said that he had been at the prior meeting and asked, “why, with a proposed $15 million general fund surplus, only $1.7 million was being possibly refunded to the taxpayers.” He thanked Commissioner Brakey for looking into this but said, “so, I appreciate that, but I would encourage you to continue to investigate and see if there's any other way that property taxes could be refunded.” He talked about the referendum on property taxes and said that in talking with someone who supported this told him that, “they're willing to deal with the chaos if that's the only way we can get local government to reign in their budgets and to not involve us with things that are not essential services.”
Diane Jones, Auburn Township resident, asked for clarification about where the funds were coming from for the extra charges for moving items to the new courthouse. Ms.Bevan said they would be coming from the same fund - the Capital Reserve Fund.
This Observer mentioned the three forums on property tax being hosted by the League of Women Voters Geauga, the Geauga Public Library, and the Auditor’s Office. Observer Note: See information here.
Christine from Munson Township - She asked if the Commissioners had “looked at Skip's (Claypool) proposal for matching up with Lake County and having our own MPA?"
Howard from South Russell - With regard to NOACA, he said, “They collect $40 million a year in gas taxes for Geauga County. How much of it comes back to Geauga County? NOACA takes the money and spends it anywhere they see fit.”
Mr. Dvorak said that the gas tax is collected all over the State. Mrs. Brakey said that she did know where the money was spent and that it was a matter of public record. He then asked about a transportation study that was supposedly done seven years ago but that had never been published. No one seemed to know if it had been published.
Mr. Oluic - “When you look at NOACA, they're getting into things that were not part of the original mandate. Housing, you know, as years go on, the decisions made here today in the last few weeks could have terrible ramifications in five or 10 years.” He continued, “So, be careful what you wish for. If you were so adamant on getting an engineer on board, why don't you, Jim, or you, Carolyn, resign instead of forcing out a four-term commissioner who's well beloved in this county. Four terms he's won overwhelmingly. And you two did that to him. I think it's insulting. I mean, it's pretty much cowardice. Why didn't we have a public meeting on the NOACA?” He went on, “I apologize, Ralph (Spidalieri), for the stuff that you're going through. You've been targeted. You've been outlined. Going back to 2014, here we come with a smug smile again (gesturing toward Mrs. Brakey). Going back to 2014 is pretty pathetic. And in my opinion, a good reason why lawyers are not liked and politicians are not liked.”
1:48:23 Min. Executive Session began at 11:12 am for the purpose of discussing the employment and compensation of public employees, pursuant to O.R.C. 121.22 (G)(1).
2:08 Min. Return from Executive Session at 11:32 am with no action.
Meeting adjourned at about 11:33 am.
Information and Posted Minutes: Available here.
Next Regular Meeting of the BOCC: The next Regular Meeting of the BOCC will be on Tuesday, February 10, 2026 at the County Administration Building, 12611 Ravenwood Drive, Room B303, Chardon, OH.
Observer: Gail Roussey
Editor: Rooney Moy
Reviewer: Sarah McGlone
Date Submitted: February 7, 2026
The League of Women Voters 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.