Two Republicans challenge incumbent Don Rankey for Delaware County treasurer

Delaware County Treasurer Don Rankey is quick to tout his fiscal stewardship, overseeing the collection of more than $700 million in property taxes last year. He also boasts about his staff's investment prowess, last year earning the county about $14 million in income.

The record growth is largely due to the county being Ohio's fastest growing, argue his two Republican opponents in the March 19 primary that will decide who takes the office. There are no Democrats running.

There were 94,234 parcels in Delaware County from which to draw taxes, up 1,830 or about 2% from the year before. Assessed valuation for the county’s property — which includes residential, agricultural, commercial and industrial parcels — increased more than 56% to over $9.56 billion between tax years 2013 and 2022, according to county records.

But Rankey, in his first term, said that investment income would not have jumped to $14 million, almost $10 million more than the prior year, without his staff's expertise, specifically that of Rick Karr, his chief investment officer.

"I made sure that when a dollar came into the treasurer's office that we immediately started earning interest on it," Rankey said, noting that previous treasurers permitted some funds to sit in bank accounts interest-free. He also assembled an investment committee comprised of banking experts and economists.

As the March 19 primary election day approaches, the race is getting heated and personal.

Ken O'Brien, one of Rankey's two opponents, said his investment strategy would have done better. A former Delaware County commissioner who currently serves as a Berlin Township trustee, O'Brien calls himself a safer alternative to Rankey, contending that Rankey has inappropriately inserted himself into the county's development issues.

Rankey last year hosted an "economic summit" that included state officials, including Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, but only one other county official. Two years ago, Rankey proposed hardship bonuses to all county employees. That upset O'Brien and county officials who believe the treasurer's office should focus on safeguarding taxpayer money.

"People know that I'm a detailed person. … I'm a stickler for following the law," said O'Brien, who also previously worked as a Berlin Township fiscal officer. If elected county treasurer, he said, "we will have that office in good shape."

Rankey has raised questions about O'Brien's personal life, noting that a judge last year questioned O'Brien for removing $100,000 from a bank account shared with his estranged wife. The couple have an open divorce case in Delaware County. The money was transferred into O'Brien's campaign fund, and he said he has the right to spend it. The judge ruled O'Brien can spend only what is necessary for "ordinary and necessary business and living expenses."

The couple's divorce trial begins on March 19, primary Election Day.

O'Brien questions increased spending in the treasurer's office, something Rankey said was long overdue and key in improving job performance and retention.

"I would not have doubled the budget of the office," O'Brien said, calling the current budget of about $500,000 "ridiculous."

A special education teacher for 24 years, O'Brien served as county commissioner from 2008 to 2015. He was known to exhaust colleagues and staff with a battery of questions during discussions about sewers or development.

O'Brien uses terms such as "inverted yields" and "laddering" to fault his opponent's timing of investments, noting that much of the increase has been made during a growing economy.

"I'm worried about (what happens in) market declines," O'Brien said.

No party endorsement and questions about character

During a Delaware County Republican Party Central Committee meeting in January held to determine whom to endorse, O'Brien garnered a little more than half of the 108 committee votes. Rankey landed about 40. Another 14 committee members voted not to endorse anyone. Since O'Brien obtained only a plurality of votes, not the required majority, no one was endorsed.

But in a March 1 letter, six county officials, including all three Delaware County commissioners, endorsed O'Brien, stating that they are "frustrated and disappointed" with Rankey for "activities exceeding his statutory duties.

"He has continually undermined both the operation of other county offices and the excellent reputation of Delaware County's government," the letter states.

O'Brien, 63, calls himself "fair and trustworthy," someone who refused to take Christmas gifts from employees because, he said, there should be a clear demarcation line with subordinates. "I didn't want them to think I was their best buddy," he said.

Rankey said morale has never been better in his office, with employees now not constantly looking elsewhere for better pay.

Rankey, who turns 66 in April, called the party or county endorsements "meaningless" and said he's considering a run for Ohio Auditor whether he's reelected or not.

"I've had people tell me that I should," said Rankey, who owns HomeLife Communities, a nationwide marketing and management company for affordable housing and residential communities for seniors and families.

Another O'Brien offering 'better management'

The other Republican candidate is John O'Brien, who is no relation to Ken O'Brien.

A semiretired financial and management analyst, John O'Brien calls himself "more of a middle-of-the-road-type person. And that's why I had folks come to me to ask me to run," he said. "There were two extremes (in Ken O'Brien and Rankey), and I kind of cut the middle."

John O'Brien, 68, a widower, lives in an 1890s Victorian home in the city of Delaware. He was recruited by Saturn Corp. in the mid 1990s — the carmaker later taken over by General Motors — and trained employees across the U.S. on ways to improve efficiencies, using Six Sigma techniques to reduce defects and errors and increase quality and efficiency.

If elected, O'Brien said he'd employ similar techniques, including interviewing office staff to determine areas for change.

"It's the frontline workers actually doing the job," O'Brien said. "It's not the manager or leader who sees (needed change). I know several of the people who work in the office and they have done an outstanding job in handling this growth. But I believe that my management skills are better than either of these candidates."

Incumbent expects battle

Rankey, a self-described maverick, said he's comfortable expanding the role of the treasurer's office and holding frequent seminars for seniors concerned about their taxes.

“I have not been the kind of treasurer who just sits in his office at the county building all day. I’ve actively met with developers and business leaders so that the treasurer becomes a valuable resource to the community,” he said in a Dec. 31 news release announcing he was seeking reelection.

As for the primary election battle, he said, "I'm taking this very, very seriously."

dnarciso@dispatch.com

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Delaware County treasurer faces 2 challengers in GOP primary