Johnson and Miser vie for auditor in county's only contested race
Republican Corey Johnson and Democrat Miranda Miser will face off to serve as the Guernsey County auditor next month, after current auditor Tony Brown opted to not run again. It's the only contested race on the Nov. 8 ballot for local residents. Running in uncontested races are Daniel G. Padden for Guernsey County Court of Common Pleas judge and Dave Wilson for Guernsey County commissioner.
Corey Johnson
Johnson was born and raised in Cambridge and has been a Guernsey County resident for all of his 42 years. He graduated from Cambridge High School in 1999 and with honors from Kent State University in 2003 with a bachelor’s degree in business management. He is a deputy auditor in the Guernsey County auditor’s office and is an active member of the Cambridge Rotary. Johnson worked in accounting and finance in the construction equipment industry for 16 years. For the last four of those years, he was the retail finance manager.
Why are you running for this particular office?
My mother, Suellen Johnson, has been an elected official for the City of Cambridge for over half of my life. Over the years I’ve been able to watch and learn from her and I knew that running for office was something I was really interested in doing one day. After a discussion this past winter with current Auditor Tony Brown, I quickly realized this was the opportunity I was waiting for.
The county auditor’s office has a large variety of responsibilities under its roof. Paying the numerous bills incurred by each department of the county, appraising all real property in the county, and distributing your tax dollars to the various cities, villages, townships and schools within the county is all done in the auditor’s office. Prepping and distributing payroll for the employees of the county, testing and sealing all gas pumps and scales, maintaining CAUV and other tax credits, as well as issuing licenses for dogs, vendors and more are also duties of the county auditor. I truly enjoy the challenges that this very broad range of tasks presents.
What are one or two major goals you would have for the coming term in office?
Being familiar with many of the processes in the office, I would like to streamline and simplify some of them to maximize efficiency. For example, there are several steps with as many as six people involved when it comes to paying just one bill. On average, there are about 1,250 checks written every month.
From the person at the department who fills out the purchase order to the multiple signatures required for approval, to the actual printing of the check, each bill goes through a multiple-day cycle in order to be paid. I believe making this process electronic would significantly cut down on total processing time, maximize the employees’ time, and cut down on paper and printer costs.
The auditor’s office has a very nice website that’s full of information, resources, and forms. I would like to be sure it’s being utilized to its maximum potential by the office as well as the citizens of Guernsey County. I want to make sure all of the newest forms and applications are always available for quick download, and that all of the maps and tools are up-to-date and easy to use.
In addition, I want to make sure that the citizens of Guernsey County are aware that everything from a CAUV application to a dog license to seeing where every cent of their property taxes goes is all available to them online. Stopping into the office for something isn’t always the most convenient option, so I want to make sure that citizens are aware that they can not only call but use the website to get exactly what they need.
Being county auditor comes with a great deal of fiscal responsibility. These are just a couple of ways I’d like to make sure we’re maximizing the use of the tax dollars that we receive. With the seemingly never-ending price increases of everything today, I understand every dollar is important. I want the Guernsey County Auditor’s Office to be able to serve the citizens and taxpayers of Guernsey County in a variety of ways and to the absolute best of our ability, while not having to ask you for additional dollars to do so.
What are one or two elements of your background that you feel will serve you and the people if elected?
Coming from a numbers background, I’m very comfortable with the large amount of accounting duties that take place in the office. Having family in public office for a large portion of my life has shown me what it takes to be a good public servant. I enjoy going to work every day and working with all of my wonderful co-workers. Most importantly, I was raised to be responsible, sensible and to take pride in my work. If elected to be your next Guernsey County auditor, I will make sure to do the job to the absolute best of my abilities every single day.
Miranda Miser
Miranda Miser is a lifelong Guernsey County resident and advocate. Miser grew up on a 150-acre cow-calf operation in Cumberland. She graduated from Meadowbrook High School with an honor’s diploma and attended The Ohio State University in Columbus. While there, Miser obtained two bachelor degrees in agricultural communication and agribusiness and applied economics. She was named a top 20 senior in the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.
Upon graduation, Miser moved back to Guernsey County and began working full time at the family business, M&M Feed and Supply. Since becoming operations manager, the business has expanded to three store locations. Within her role, Miser oversees employees, ordering, marketing, customer service, and more.
Miser has always valued community involvement. She currently serves as president of the Guernsey County Farm Bureau, serves on the Cambridge Area Chamber of Commerce Board of directors, is president of the Meadowbrook FFA Alumni, is the organizational volunteer for Cumberland Valley Kids 4-H, and scholarship chair for Guernsey Noble Business and Professional Women. She was the 2020 Cambridge Area Chamber of Commerce Emerging Leader BREW Award recipient and 2018 State BPW Young Careerist Winner.
She married her husband, William Thompson in September 2021.
Why are you running for this particular office?
The Guernsey County auditor touches our lives in many ways, from the dog licenses to the inspection of our gas pumps. The biggest impact the auditor has is assessing property tax and sending tax dollars out to our cities, villages, townships, and school districts. I am running because I want to bring accountability and transparency to the office. Residents need to know more about what the office is doing, how we can work for our local communities better, and what to do if challenges arise.
As chief fiscal officer for the county, I will not let party politics play a part in my office. The auditor is elected to uphold the rules and regulations of the state of Ohio and there is nothing partisan about that role. I will work with democrats, republicans, independents and more for the betterment of our county. At the end of the day, we have to put Guernsey County first, and that is exactly what I will do.
What are one or two major goals you would have for your coming term in office?
As an owner of M&M Feed, I know customer service is the key to success. I want the auditor’s office to be accessible to everyone in Guernsey County. I will set up office hours across the county at libraries, township halls, and fire departments, and wherever we are able, at times that working people can come.
I want to make sure we are accessible so people can ask questions and voice concerns without jeopardizing their paychecks. It is vital that we, as residents of Guernsey County, have a voice in our county government. I also want to bring the refocus of service into the walls of the auditor’s office. As a boss, I know the culture of an office starts at the top. I am dedicated to serving constituents and making sure our office is assisting taxpayers. I want to make sure our staff is cross-trained in different areas within our department so tasks are completed in a timely manner. Finally, I will work to make sure property taxes are being assessed properly. If there is a problem, our office will work hard to fix it or provide resources to find a solution.
What are one or two elements of your background that you feel will serve you and the people if elected?
I am proud to have the endorsement of the AFL-CIO and the United Mine Workers of America, a union that helped my grandparents achieve the American dream and buy the family farm. From an early age, I learned the value of hard work and dedication. As a small business owner, I understand the importance of customer service and that, at the end of the day, the buck stops with me. I know how important budgeting and allocating funds are. I know how to manage employees and make sure tasks are completed timely and efficiently. I know how to respectfully disagree with people who have differing viewpoints and not let politics control my actions. l volunteer because serving my community and understanding the challenges that they face is critical to being a public servant. That is what the auditor is there to be: a public servant for the people of Guernsey County.
This article originally appeared on The Daily Jeffersonian: Johnson and Miser vie for auditor in county's only contested race
