Tensions Rise as NOACA Debate Continues

February 12, 2026 by Allison Wilson

Discussion over Geauga County’s involvement with the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency continued at the Feb. 3 Geauga County Commissioners meeting, where the board voted 2-1 to ratify changes to NOACA’s bylaws.

While NOACA initially did not believe the changes required ratification by all member counties, a recent lawsuit filed by Skip Claypool alleges they do. As a result, the member counties are now ratifying the amendments, Commissioner Carolyn Brakey explained.

The topic has drawn a heated crowd to commissioners’ meetings for several weeks, with residents speaking against the county’s participation in NOACA and urging the county to leave the agency.

Before the vote, Brakey addressed the audience.

“There is a famous quote that’s often attributed to Mark Twain that says, ‘It’s easier to fool someone than to convince them they’ve been fooled,’” she said. “And I believe the people who have come to these last few meetings, I think are well-intentioned people. I think you love this country, I think you love this county.”

Brakey said she agrees Geauga County should stay rural and is distinct from NOACA’s other member counties, but believes residents have been misled about the bylaw changes.

The ratification, known as Article 9, governs how NOACA’s code of regulations can be amended, she said, adding it would allow a county to modify its own delegation through a two-step process, rather than requiring every other county to ratify changes to a single county’s delegation.

“Like, we couldn’t all gang up on Lake County and force them to remove their engineer. They’d have to ratify that amendment on their own,” she said. “I believe that amendment restores local control while still maintaining those regional safeguards.”

While some residents have opposed Article 9, others have also criticized Commissioner Ralph Spidalieri’s removal from the NOACA board.

At the Jan. 22 meeting, commissioners Jim Dvorak and Brakey voted to have the county represented by two commissioners and County Engineer Andy Haupt, rather than three commissioners, leaving Spidalieri without a seat.

Spidalieri had planned to appoint Claypool as his alternate, but bylaw changes made Claypool ineligible. Brakey has previously opposed Claypool’s appointment, citing sexual misconduct allegations and calling him a liability to the county.

Brakey noted Feb. 3 that historically, commissioners have supported including the county engineer on NOACA.

“‘It is unfair that our county engineer is not on the (NOACA) board,’” she said, quoting Claypool from a video recording of a 2014 meeting. “‘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.’”

Brakey also cited prior minutes, which she shared with the Geauga County Maple Leaf, showing a previous board of commissioners — Spidalieri, Mary Samide and Blake Rear — voting to amend NOACA’s regulations and swap one of the commissioners’ seats with the county engineer. Samide voted no at the time because, while she agreed with the premise, she would lose her seat, Brakey said.

Brakey also cited a 2018 resolution in which the commissioners — then Claypool, Spidalieri and Tim Lennon — requested NOACA amend its code of regulations so Geauga County could be represented by two commissioners and the county engineer.

Claypool voted in favor of the resolution at the time.

Though some motions did not pass, Brakey said these actions demonstrate a historical preference for this structure.

In a statement Feb. 7, Claypool said during his time as commissioner, he made multiple requests to add the county engineer as a fourth seat.

“Any claim that I asked for a commissioner’s seat to (be) replaced with the county engineer is simply ridiculous and dishonest,” he said. “I doubt that Carolyn can provide any actual meeting minutes and if she does they would be a fraud.”

Claypool referenced NOACA meeting minutes in which Executive Director Grace Gallucci indicated the county previously asked for its engineer to be included on the board and Claypool pushed for a fourth representative.

“It appears to me that Carolyn Brakey has a pattern of providing misleading and inaccurate information. How ironic,” he said.

Claypool added to his comments Feb. 10 after the debate repeated at that week’s commissioners meeting, saying he did not remember the 2018 meeting Brakey had referenced and would be reviewing it for context.

“There are many, many, many more times that the commissioners and I asked for a fourth seat and NOT replacing a commissioner,” he said. “Obviously, this event, whatever it was, did not turn into anything.”

At the Feb. 3 meeting, Spidalieri said the vote undermined his voice on NOACA.

“We have fought time and time again to have four (NOACA) seats. We are the only county at NOACA that has only three commissioners represented and no engineer,” he said, adding other counties have more seats.

According to commissioner meeting minutes from the past 15 years, previous boards have discussed and voted on both switching a commissioner’s seat with the engineer and adding the engineer as a fourth seat.

Per previous minutes, the board voted to swap a commissioner with the county engineer Jan. 7, 2014, Sept. 9, 2014, and Dec. 27, 2018. The board also voted to ask NOACA to modify its bylaws so Geauga County could have a fourth seat for the engineer Jan. 20, 2015, which was ultimately denied.

The Dec. 27, 2018, motion was also rescinded, according to Jan. 8, 2019, minutes.

At the Feb. 3 meeting, Spidalieri said being a good leader is being a good listener and residents have been coming in for three weeks speaking against NOACA.

“This is wrong in so many ways,” he said, calling the situation a slippery slope.

“It’s about personalities, it’s not about the principal,” he said.

Spidalieri, who has endorsed Steve Oluic, Dvorak’s opponent in the upcoming election, encouraged residents to express their opinions at the polls.

Brakey said Spidalieri’s NOACA alternate from 2015-2024 was the county engineer and questioned why his position changed.

She disputed claims that Claypool was Spidalieri’s long-term alternate, noting he was alternate in 2013-2014, was a member from 2015-2018 and then did not serve on the board in any capacity from 2019-2025.

Spidalieri said when Lennon was on the board, he was not concerned about the county’s positioning on the NOACA board like he is now.

The board passed the resolution with Spidalieri the sole dissenting vote.