Montgomery County Presiding Commissioner candidates Ryan Poston and Harry Cope shared their campaign goals and leadership experience at a candidate forum on July 14 at the Wellsville-Middletown High School cafeteria, just three weeks before the primary election on Aug. 4.

Poston and Cope are running in the Republican seat, making it the first time in 16 years that the county will have a race for presiding commissioner in the Republican Party.

For an hour, Poston and Cope answered questions from a panel that included Christine DeTienne, Spring Lynch and Richard Wilson. Earl Burton was the moderator.

The data center issue was one of the big topics that was discussed at the forum. Amazon and Google have invested a combined $25 billion to build data centers at the Interstate 70 and Highway 19 interchange near New Florence.
Poston, who is looking to win his fifth term as presiding commissioner, said the data centers will provide huge benefits to the county.

“Everybody says we want to remain rural,” said Poston, a 1995 MCHS graduate. “A data center keeps you rural because it doesn’t overwhelm your population. It expands your tax base because of the amount of money it pays.”

A Truxton resident, Cope works as a fourth-generational farmer at Cope Grass Farm and has no political experience. He said he is against the data centers being built in the county.

“The one thing we’re facing right now as far as the commission and the county are concerned is we’re basically facing exponential growth that’s pretty well been put on us by outside interests,” Cope said. “The one thing about exponential growth is like cancer. It will kill the host. It needs to be under control and not relying on everything in one deal.”

The forum also included speeches from Circuit Clerk candidates Lacy Fischer and Morgan DeTienne. Fischer, who graduated from MCHS in 2000, has worked as an office manager/clerk at the Montgomery County Courthouse for 19 years. DeTienne, a 2013 MCHS graduate, works at the circuit clerk’s office and holds a Bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Lindenwood University. They didn’t go through a question-and-answer session.

Fischer said if elected circuit clerk, she will bring a strong work ethic and a commitment to running the circuit clerk office with professionalism, integrity and confidentiality.

“My commitment to hard work and public service comes honestly,” Fischer said. “I was raised watching my father dedicate 46 years to the same employer. His work ethic, loyalty and commitment taught me the value of showing up every day and doing the job right. I was also inspired by my aunt Sharon Colbert, who devoted 49 years of service to Montgomery County. Their examples have shaped my values I carry with me everyday – respect, accountability, consistency and dedication.”

DeTienne said she feels she is the best candidate for the circuit clerk job since she spent almost three years in the circuit clerk’s office.

“The circuit clerk is not a position where someone should have to learn the job after taking the office,” she said. “Since I already understand the responsibilities, procedures and expectations of this office, I am prepared to continue providing dependable service without missing a beat. Above all, I believe public service is exactly that service. The people in Montgomery County deserve someone who is knowledgeable, approachable, accountable and committed to doing the job the right way every single day.”

The first question that was asked to the presiding commissioner candidates was how to make difficult decisions when the county is deeply divided and how to get it unified again.

Cope said the data center issue has caused division in the county.

“There’s a tremendous divide in this county and you can feel it,” he said. “It’s powerful. We have people on both sides and they are way on both sides. The argument was about the last time this county was this divided, we were arguing about owning slaves. That’s pretty close. It’s going to be a real challenge to heal that divide. It’s going to take time, it’s going to take work and it’s going to take effort.”

Poston said in order for the county to be undivided, it is important for citizens to communicate with each other and avoid getting on social media.

“You got to talk to people,” Poston said. “That’s the one thing we’re lacking right now because it seems to be that we can’t talk to one another anymore. My wife will probably tell you that I love to talk.”

Poston said if re-elected as presiding commissioner, one of his goals is to help make improvements to towns such as High Hill, Rhineland and New Florence. High Hill and Rhineland have water towers that need to be repainted and fixed, while New Florence has a water tower that needs to be cleaned out and sanitized.

“My vision is we’re going to be able to start fixing this crumbling infrastructure,” Poston said. “Any of these small towns you go to, they’re going to need water, sewer and streets.”

Cope said if he is elected as presiding commissioner, he wants the commission meetings to be on Zoom.

“I’m not a tech person,” Cope said. “It’s not my favorite thing in the world, by a long shot. But it gives everybody the ability to sit there, pay attention and find out what’s going on.”

The forum ended with Poston and Cope providing final reflections.

“I would ask you to go home and talk to your friends and families like we should be doing because I know that has not been happening,” said Poston, who defeated Charlie Korman in the primary election and Gene Whyte in the general election in 2010. “I know it hurts when you lose friends because I lost some. But I think we can do better.”

“I can promise you this much,” Cope said. “I’ll handle the way I handle other situations when I don’t know what I’m doing. I will learn and I will put the effort into it.”