Multiple public commenters urge commissioners to negotiate with striking JFS workers; speakers report service backlogs and benefit delays

An extended public comment period at the April 24 meeting focused largely on the ongoing Job & Family Services (JFS) labor dispute, service backlogs and county policy decisions. Multiple JFS staff and community members described operational impacts they say followed the staff strike and urged the Board to resume negotiations.

A business manager and former JFS worker, Jen Gentile, said applications and renewals have sat without processing: she described an application submitted in March that had not been resolved and cited Ohio Administrative Code standards in arguing cases should be acted on within statutory timeframes. Long‑time JFS employee Diane Green said the strike is painful but that experienced staff were essential to clients and warned that replacing experienced caseworkers with new hires will increase errors and costs. Commenters repeatedly urged the Board to agree to retro pay and a $1 hourly increase for current staff; Ashley Lawson, a 7½‑year JFS employee with a banking background, presented a negotiating option to align new‑hire increases with a $1 raise for existing staff, noting the county's stated starting‑wage increases for new hires could otherwise create wage inversion.

Speakers also raised other local issues: Dan Wilson described an ongoing dispute over the Kelner Ditch project and alleged months of property access disruption and unfinished cleanup on his private property; other residents asked for transparency around a proposed data‑center/mega‑site and for commissioners to publicly justify costs and employment projections. The Board recessed for an executive session mid‑meeting and reconvened to continue public comment. Several speakers called for the commissioners to return to the bargaining table and resume good‑faith collective bargaining.