William Cowgill and Amy Kissinger seek GOP nomination to run for commissioner in the fall

CAMBRIDGE − William Cowgill and Amy Kissinger will face off during the general election on Nov. 5 to serve as one of the Guernsey County commissioners.

They are vying for the Republican nomination in the March 19 primary election. The seat is currently held by Ernest R. Gardner Jr., who did not file for re-election.

William Cowgill was born in Barnesville but moved to Guernsey County before age 2. He is the youngest of six children born to Jim and Mary Lou Cowgill. They started Cowgill's Plumbing and HVAC in 1964.

Cowgill is a 1975 graduate of Cambridge High School, a 1979 graduate of Bowling Green State University (sales and sales management), and a 2022 graduate of Muskingum University (master's in business information technologies). He has worked as a sales rep for Buckeye Beverage and Cowgill 's Plumbing, Heating, Air Conditioning and Sheet Metal Fabrication.

He has been married to his wife Chris for 42 years. They have two children and seven grandchildren.

Amy Kissinger is a lifelong resident of Guernsey County. She served on the Morgan County Board of Developmental Disabilities from 2009 to the present, the Washington County Board of Developmental Disabilities from 2001 to 2009, and the Ohio Education Association from 1995 to 2001.

She is a graduate of Cambridge High School, Tomlinson College in Cleveland, Tennessee and Franklin University in Columbus. Kissinger was an elected board member for the Cambridge School District from 2016 to 2023, a founding board member of the Ohio School Board Constitutional Coalition, serving from 2022 to present, and a Big Brothers Big Sisters Volunteer from 2017 to 2022. She won the Neal Arnold School-Based Big Sister of the Year Award in 2018, and was a 2017 inaugural member of the Cambridge Police Citizens Academy and Advisory Board. She was the 2016 Civil Service Commissioner, and the Cambridge City Council third ward elected representative from 1997-1999.

She is the daughter of David and Dehava Kissinger. She has two sons attends Redeeming Passion Ministries.

Here are their answers to the following questions posed by the Daily Jeffersonian:

Why are you running for this office?

Cowgill: Guernsey County has provided my family with many blessings. It is my desire to serve the citizens of the county to show my gratefulness for all we have been given. Guernsey County has many attributes that are attractive to people from outside our area. It is my desire to make these assets known and to see that they can help improve the county as a whole. There are several issues that are currently being discussed that will rely on the cooperative efforts of all the local government entities. I hope to help bring these issues to a reality by bringing a spirit of cooperation to the office.

Kissinger: I have a proven track record of successful employment, collaboration, and advocacy, working within county government agencies. As my history of service demonstrates, I have always been active in our community. I want to continue to serve our community by using the skills and expertise that I have acquired to advance Guernsey County from the role of commissioner. I have extensive business management training and experience pertaining to county finances. This experience will accelerate my learning curve and uniquely qualifies me to perform the functions of the office from an informed position on day one.

What are one or two major goals you have if elected?

Cowgill: I would like to see the water and sewer program develop to a stage where expansion would be possible. The EMS situation will be an ongoing issue that will have to be at the forefront of the commissioner's office. I hope to be able to help put this situation on solid ground.

Kissinger: I have outlined three main areas that I believe summarize the focus of a county commissioner: public safety, infrastructure, and finances.

Public safety: As we have seen with the current EMS crisis, Guernsey County has a significant unmet need in the area of public safety. There are many variables impacting these issues, including declining volunteerism, increased demand for 911 services, and a flawed Medicaid reimbursement methodology to name a few. Infrastructure: I have learned from township trustees, leaders, and residents throughout the county that we have many unmet infrastructure needs. I believe the county commissioners play an important role in resolving these problems, even if much of this is under the jurisdiction of the county engineer's office. I understand that these are expensive projects and funding is limited, however, it costs nothing to strengthen relationships with townships and perform a thorough needs assessment of their infrastructure needs.

Provide specific examples of how you intend to accomplish the previously stated goals

Cowgill: There are current conversations being held about the water and sewer situation in the county that could make a huge difference in the day-to-day operation of this department. If the changes are made it could open opportunities for expansion further into the areas of the county that desperately want these services. What direction the EMS issue takes will depend largely on how the vote for the proposed levy goes. Either way, it is an issue that will continue to be there for the commissioners to deal with.

Kissinger: Regarding the public safety, I have been meeting with local officials for several months in order to learn about this important and complex issue. If elected, I will broaden the conversation to include not only officials but also citizen groups, in order to learn and gain their input on a resolution to the issue. I will do this whether or not the EMS levy passes.

I have already begun conversations with legislators in order to educate them on the public safety issues impacting their constituents in Guernsey County and to enlist their assistance in crafting and funding a solution. These challenges are not unique to our county. We must have strong, cooperative relationships with people inside and outside of the county, and bring all resources to the table, as opposed to relying solely on local property taxes as the solution.

Regarding infrastructure, when AEP sold 60,000 acres to ODNR to be used as recreation land, that land was forever taken from Southeast Ohio to never again be available for economic development, and it took the existing property tax revenue away from townships, village and cities in Muskingum, Noble, Morgan and Guernsey counties. Some townships lost nearly their entire budget to this sale of private land to the government. I worked with Senator Tim Schaffer to create a payment in lieu of taxes in the state’s budget to restore some of that lost funding.

Guernsey County contains and is surrounded by significant acreage that is owned by the state. I will continue to work hard to bring financial consideration back to Guernsey County to account for the valuable resources of land that have been taken from us.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Jeffersonian: Two candidates seek GOP nomination for Guernsey County commissioner