Commissioner Brown recently commissioned local artist Daniel Chudzinski to sculpt an American Bald Eagle for display at the Wood County Courthouse. The artist, Dan Chudzinski, is a recent graduate of B.G.S.U. with a Masters of Fine Arts degree in 3-D studies (sculpture).  "I am so happy with Dan's work and his passion for the arts. He is another fine example of B.G.S.U's commitment to diverse higher educational opportunities and I am honored to have the experience of working with him."

Dear Wood County Resident:
 

Thank you for the honor of serving as your Commissioner, I am grateful for the opportunity to continue service to the citizens of Wood County and I thank you for your support in past elections.  By record numbers people continue to want to live, work, obtain an education and raise a family in Wood County.

There is no question our state and national economy has had an impact on Wood County, displacing workers and forcing cutbacks in family budgets and in the budgets of county offices.   We are doing what you are doing, tightening the belt and cutting back.  This year our budget is less than it was last year.  And we continue to work hard to diversify our tax base to bring new and diverse jobs to our county that are not tied to any particular segment of the economy.   In 2009 I had a chance to meet with the Governor to discuss Ohio's economy and what Wood County is doing so well to provide leadership in keeping our Wood County economy moving forward.  I am hopeful about working with our new Governor John Kasich to continue to benefit Ohio's economy.

Our agreement to bring Bass Pro to Rossford is one of the greatest retail accomplishments in the history of Northwest Ohio. Bass Pro invested over $52 million dollars in their building alone and that meant jobs for our construction trades and retail jobs for our citizens. Our efforts to bring diverse retail shopping opportunities to our citizens means a broader tax base to pay for important government services and our citizens do not have to travel as far for purchases saving money on gas. And most importantly we have worked hard to keep our sales tax rate in Wood County the lowest in our region - so you can save money on taxable purchases (televisions, refrigerators, clothing etc...) all while helping our economy by shopping locally. 

Last year FedEx opened its several million dollar state of the art package processing facility in Wood County creating new jobs in our county.  Additionally, CSX has completed construction of its $175 million intermodal facility near North Baltimore.  At present over 200 people have been hired to work at the facility.  CSX will bring east coast port goods by rail to Wood County for further distribution in the mid-west.  We are hopeful that over time the CSX facility will attract additional jobs and businesses to the area ranging from warehousing, distribution and transportation jobs for our citizens.  First Solar wrapped up its $135 million expansion in 2010 adding over 100 new jobs - complimenting our electric generating wind turbines and furthering our position as the renewable green energy leaders of northwest Ohio. First Solar is now the largest solar panel manufacturer under one roof anywhere in America - and their home is Wood County!  The Wood County Hospital unveiled their $42 million expansion in 2010 - a project that put many in the construction/trades to work at an important time in our economy.  There will also be permanent long term jobs with the addition of healthcare professionals to their staff.  Most importantly, citizens can benefit our local economy by choosing the Wood County Hospital for the vast expansion of additional services they provide.  These are examples of diverse job creation efforts from one end of the county to the other and I am proud to be part of a team working hard to lead our economy to a better future.

Please remember our Vacation Local campaign by promoting our new Travel and Tourism web site www.woodcountytourism.com

If you have not taken your family to Snook's Dream Car Museum, Fort Meigs, The Wood County Historical Museum...just to name a few - please consider the many family attractions and sites in Wood County that will provide quality vacation experiences with little cost and travel expense during these tight budget times.

One of the most important jobs I have is to listen to the citizens I have been elected to represent.  With that I want to provide you with my home telephone number and toll free office telephone number so that you can reach me if you have any questions, comments or suggestions of things I can be doing to additionally help Wood County continue through these difficult economic times (419)353-3805 or 1-866-860-4140.

I am proud to serve this great county.  And as I have always pledged, I will continue to make open, honest and accessible government available to all our citizens.

Tim W. Brown,

Wood County Commissioner

Paid for by: Citizens for Brown, John F. Kevern, Treasurer, 26370 West River Road, Perrysburg, OH 43551  - Marilyn Baker, Chair 500 E. Perry St. Walbridge, Ohio 43465