Newly elected County Commissioner Tommy Ogden provided Hometown News with his thoughts and ideas on issues impacting Hancock County’s future. Ogden will assume his new position as County Commissioner from Grant District in January
- Had being a County Commissioner always been one of your goals?
- It was not. I’ve always been extremely interested in politics at all levels, and as I got older I had more time and resources to be involved.
- What prompted you to run for the office in 2024?
- I truly believe we live in a great area and at a great time. I’d like to be part of the process in helping our county achieve great things. I don’t take this opportunity the voters have given me lightly, and I’ll do all I can for Hancock County.
- Hancock County’s budget has been reduced significantly by the 1% reduction in Racetrack Video Lottery revenue. Do you plan to ask your local delegate to sponsor a bill to restore the County’s allocation to 2%?
- My first thought is no, I would not ask to restore the additional 1% allocation. But before saying that 100%, I really would like to get all the facts and numbers as to what amount the county was budgeting for all the organizations within Chester and New Cumberland, and then see if those cities now can help with that funding with their new allocation. In general, I would always prefer localized distribution of funding, especially since Chester and New Cumberland both have good mayors and council. But, I’d need to examine the complete budget before determining whether to approach legislators. I believe through communication, itemized breakdowns, exact dollar figures, and good leadership… we can get funding distribution as efficient as possible, ensuring help for the people and organizations that need it most.
- .The current budgetary shortfall in the County budget was met by taking from the Rainy Day Fund. How would suggest the shortfall be addressed in the upcoming budget?
- I believe the Rainy Day Fund is meant for emergencies and should only be used in that capacity. I don’t feel it should be relied on as part of the annual budget on a regular basis. The 2 best ways to increase revenue is to expand our tax base by bringing in new businesses, or through applying and receiving grant monies. We need to work hard to make this happen, or if not…we’ll have no choice but to reduce the budget.
- Are there any changes to the operations or budgetary allocations you think need to be made by the County Commission?
- I think we need to look closely at PILOT programs moving forward. We all want development, and we are competing with other locations and presenting tax benefits to potential new businesses. But in general and on a case by case basis, I think we need to reap at least some tax benefits due to our belief that Hancock County is a great place. Our location, infrastructure, safety, schools, parks…all this should be promoted so businesses want to be here and support our local economy. How can we give large tax incentives to new businesses, but nothing for our current businesses who have been here supporting our county? There has to be room for some negotiation.
- What role do you think the County Commission should play in the economic development of the County (especially in the northern end where neither Chester nor New Cumberland are members of the BDC)?
- I think it should play a big role. I believe currently we’re letting the BDC take the lead, and I respect the BDC and appreciate some of the things that only they can do, but we have to be proactive with all hands on deck. Hancock County is at a crucial point in our history, with unique opportunities from traditional energy and also green energy. There are other industries also that should be explored, using many different avenues of promotion. A simple letter writing campaign brought a $ 500 million investment to Jackson County, WV, and I think we can do similar things.
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