Dr. Ted Bowlus is being challenged for his seat as a Wood County commissioner.
Philip Chrysler, who served in the military for more than two decades, wants to take his place.
The results will be determined Tuesday.
Dr. Bowlus, who lives in Pemberville, has served almost eight years as commissioner and is seeking a third term.
“I’m dedicated to Wood County. I was raised in Wood County, and I have a background of service,” he said.
Prior to becoming commissioner in 2017, Dr. Bowlus, an Eastwood High School graduate, served on the Eastwood school board and is a past president of the Wood County Board of Health. He is also a past president and former board member of the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI).
He beat fellow Republican Cory Kuhlman in the March primary election.
“I feel that it’s my purpose to help develop Wood County to a healthy, well-run county but also a good place to live, work and raise a family,’ he said.
He felt he could accomplish that as a commissioner.
Dr. Bowlus said he has several goals, including building new facilities for the county engineer’s department, reducing the addiction and mental health problems in the county and maintaining a balanced budget in order to stay within the county’s financial means.
Dr. Bowlus is a doctor of podiatric medicine and surgery and has maintained an office in Perrysburg since 1988. He now works part-time at his office.
“I budget my time between being a commissioner and my practice in medicine,” he said.
As a Wood County commissioner, Dr. Bowlus has helped to oversee the renovation and expansion of the county jail and fund a county-wide computerized analytical dispatch system; dedicate the Veteran’s Memorial at the courthouse; and distribute funds from the American Rescue Plan to improve infrastructure to bring economic development to Wood County that creates new jobs.
All of these projects and more have been accomplished while maintaining a balanced county budget, he said.
Dr. Bowlus currently represent the Wood County Commissioners on the board of the Addiction Response Collaborative, which works with the Wood County Prosecuting Attorney to combat the effects and consequences of opioid addiction in Wood County. He also serves as the representative for Wood County, Region 17, to the OneOhio Recovery Foundation, which was created to provide and distribute funds to address addiction and mental health issues in the state.
“In theory, we should be working on all the infrastructure with have in the county, making sure that’s taken care of. … and that’s where the commissioners are falling down,” according to Chrysler.
A New Mexico native, he moved to Ohio and continued his military service with the 180th Security Forces Squadron at the Toledo Air National Guard base. After 9/11, he was activated to federal duty, where he remained for two years. After 24 years of active service, he said he will retire this year as an E-8 Senior Master Sergeant.
Much of his work as an operations superintendent with the Air National Guard is similar to what a commissioner does, he said.
In the military, there is a common goal: We have a mission to do, we’re here to protect the people and no matter how much I disagree with the person across the table, we still work together because we have a job to do.
The biggest challenge he thinks he will face if elected is fitting in with the culture.
“Convincing the other commissioners to work with me on some initiatives is going to be hard,” he said, “because I’m young, I come from a different culture. … I’m new and trying to change how things are done, and people don’t like change.”
One of the biggest initiatives with his campaign is infrastructure, and the county needs to seek federal grant money to assist with the cost of maintaining its roads, ditches and bridges.
He also believes the commissioners could better communicate what they do as well as visit city and village council and township trustees meetings.
“Commissioners don’t go to those meetings and talk to people, and that is a problem,” Chrysler said. “County commissioners have missed a massive opportunity to help coordinate … projects between municipalities to get things done.
“You get paid a pretty good stipend, you should at least take to go out to a city council or township council meeting at least once a week,” he said.
According to League of Women Voters of Bowling Green, commissioners are paid $86,988 annually.
Other priorities include making sure the county gives appropriate funding for appropriate projects, Chrysler said, such as cyber-threats.
Chrysler has lived in Bowling Green since 2002.
(This story took comments made by each candidate at the League of Women Voters candidate night in October.)
