Bradford, Wermer running for auditor

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

Republican voters in Van Wert County have decisions to make on the May 5 primary ballot.

One of those decisions is the race for Van Wert County Auditor, where incumbent Jami Bradford has a challenger, Arica Wermer. The winner will be unopposed in the November general election.

Bradford is completing her first term in office. After working in the Auditor’s Office for more than 30 years, she challenged then-incumbent Phillip Baxter in the May, 2022 primary and won, then was unopposed in the fall.

“I am seeking re-election simply because I truly love this work and the people I serve,” Bradford said. “I have never viewed the Auditor’s Office as a political stepping stone, rather, this is my life’s work. Over my last term as your auditor, and the 32 years I spent as a deputy auditor before that, I have developed a deep, sincere appreciation for the vital role this office plays in keeping our county running smoothly and transparently.”

“I wake up every day grateful for the trust the voters placed in me, and I want to continue using my experience to protect our taxpayers, support our local schools and townships and ensure our county’s financial house remains in perfect order,” she added.

Wermer, who is running for office for the first time, noted she has eyed a run for years and decided it was time to enter the race.

“I’m running for County Auditor because this has been my goal for a long time and I decided it was time to step forward instead of stepping aside due to convience for others,” she explained. “I’m ready to serve and earn the trust of our community.”

Bradford and Wermer both bring substantial experience to the table.

I bring a strong mix of financial and government experience – seven years in banking, four years under the safety-service director, and mayor as executive secretary for the City of Van Wert,” Wermer said. “Now I serve the City of Van Wert as deputy auditor going on five years. I understand governmental financing which helps ensure accuracy, efficiency, and accountability.”

“Before I had the honor of being elected as your auditor, I spent 32 years working as a deputy auditor right here in this office,” Bradford said. “For the residents, this means continuity, accuracy, and efficiency. They are paying for an office that runs smoothly from day one, without the costly mistakes that can happen when someone must learn the complexities of Ohio public finance and county government on the fly. I know the mechanics of this office inside and out, which allow me to be a hands-on, working auditor for our community.”

The VW independent asked both candidates what they believe is the biggest challenge or challenges facing the auditor’s office, and they had very different responses.

“There are two primary challenges we are actively managing right now,” Bradford said. “The first is navigating state-mandated property valuation updates in an unpredictable housing market. It is my job to ensure those values are fair and accurate but more importantly, to ensure my office communicates clearly and compassionately with homeowners who are understandably concerned about their budgets.”

“The second major issue is technological security,” Bradford continued. “As the chief fiscal officer for the county, we handle millions of dollars and sensitive taxpayer data. Staying ahead of cyber threats and sophisticated financial fraud is a daily, evolving challenge, and we are constantly working to ensure our county’s assets and our citizens’ information are locked down and secure.”

Both were asked for their thoughts on a citizen-led campaign to abolish property taxes in Ohio and how it may impact the auditor’s office and the county. It’s possible the issue could appear on the ballot as early as this November.

“Eliminating property taxes would significantly change the auditor’s office and how the county operates,” Wermer said. “It would require a major shift in responsibilities and funding, and the county would need new revenue sources to maintain essential services like schools, townships and public safety.”

“As your auditor, my role is not to legislate or make policy, but to administer the laws as they are written by the state,” Bradford said. “However, if the movement to abolish property taxes succeeds, the practical reality for our county would be incredibly complicated. While the concept sounds like a clean slate, the legal reality is very different. Some attorneys in the state have argued that eliminating a tax that supports existing bonds is an unconstitutional impairment of contract.”

“What this means for our county is that any property taxes currently pledged to pay off debt-such as voted bond levies for our local schools, or inside millage used for county infrastructure-cannot simply be erased. Those specific taxes would likely have to remain in place until those bonds are fully paid off, which could take decades,” she continued. “Having spent 32 years on the real estate side of this office, helping families understand their tax bills, this is my biggest concern. We would not see a clean end to property taxes. Instead, we would have a fractured system where the state must find massive new revenue sources-likely through higher sales or income taxes-to fund our schools, townships, and safety services, while local homeowners still receive a property tax bill for legacy debts.

“For the auditor’s office, this means our workload will not disappear,” We would still be required by law to maintain the entire real estate appraisal and billing system just to administer these remaining bond levies. More importantly, our office would be on the front lines trying to help deeply frustrated, confused homeowners understand why they are still receiving a property tax bill after being told the tax was abolished. Navigating that kind of statewide transition would require a tremendous amount of patience, transparency, and deep institutional experience, which is exactly what our team brings to the table every day.”

Early in-person voting is underway, along with absentee voting by mail.