Keep Walder: He Requires Accuracy, Integrity
I am writing to offer my support for Chuck Walder as Geauga County Auditor.
As Fiscal Officer of Munson Township, I have regular and frequent interaction with Mr. Walder and the staff in the Auditor’s office. Setting aside all political considerations, I must say that the office of Geauga County Auditor today operates with the fluid efficiency and excellence we hope for from all our government services.
The County Auditor role, overseeing and supporting the financial activity of all the County’s cities, villages and township governmental entities, as well as all of county government operations, is a complicated, demanding, full-time, year-round responsibility. It requires disciplined attention to detail and timely action, executed by helpful, knowledgeable, and competent staff. We’ve got that.
Geauga County is fortunate to have a skilled and experienced administrator in Chuck Walder running the place. Mr. Walder is not a career bureaucrat. He is an accomplished private sector engineer, business owner and manager who brought his extensive financial knowledge to serve his township and now Geauga County.
That he requires the highest level of accuracy and integrity from those of us who handle our entities’ finances is exactly what we all should want. Fiscal officers like myself appreciate that.
I ask all Republicans to join me and vote for Chuck Walder for County Auditor in the upcoming primary. Please, keep Mr. Walder, and let this excellent government service continue.
Todd Ray
Munson Township
Qualifications and Trust
I support Chuck Walder for county auditor because I have trust in his oversight of county funds and taxpayer money.
During my 17 years as a Geauga County employee, I learned about the county auditor’s office operations. I knew personal expense requests were limited within clear guidelines, subject to specific protocol, and required exact verification. Reimbursements were only granted with detailed scrutiny, which is justified for a public entity. If Mr. Walder and his staff question reimbursement requests, they are being responsible.
I saw how the elected officials and department heads set the tone and expectations for their department. High qualifications and integrity are key. Representative Diane Grendell’s years of public service have not included fiscal management.
The Ohio Supreme Court’s ruling against Mr. Walder (in favor of Probate/Juvenile Judge Tim Grendell) was due to the court’s responsibility to uphold the law. The Ohio Legislature passed a law that took effect April 7, 2021 — while the case was pending — allowing a judge to court-order the payment of public funds without providing proof or legitimacy of an expense! This law would allow Diane Grendell, if elected county auditor, to accept every court order from Judge Tim Grendell, her husband, without any questions.
I am not an attorney, but I spent much time in court as part of my position. I learned the legal interpretation of conflict of interest; if any party involved in a court matter perceives a conflict of interest, that concern must be addressed with transparency. This meant there was no room for bias or personal interests, in/out of the courtroom, that could persuade a decision.
Based on this concept, I believe there is a conflict of interest and an ethical concern if Diane Grendell serves as county auditor, while her husband, Tim Grendell, remains Probate/Juvenile Court Judge.
I recently read a quote by Terry L. Cooper, Ph.D. in Social Ethics, University of Southern California, who focuses his research on ethics in government: “People in positions of public trust should avoid even the appearances of conflicts of interest.”
I believe Mr. Walder has remained true to his press release in January 2018 when he first ran for county auditor:
“The auditor’s job is to safeguard the assets of Geauga County, assure that the funds are spent legally, and tax revenues are distributed properly. This includes protecting the county’s assets from abuse, whether external or internal. My training as an engineer, experience as a business owner and service as fiscal officer provides me with the skill set to manage the auditor’s office at this critical juncture. I will take ownership for the actions of the auditor’s office.”
Christine Steigerwald
Bainbridge Township
