Morning Briefing | Montgomery County finalizes election results

The Montgomery County Board of Elections has certified election results, officially finalizing the close races.

In today’s Morning Briefing, we give you the results of those close elections and what they mean. We also look at the ongoing budgetary challenges at the Montgomery County Board of Developmental Disabilities.

If you have thoughts or feedback on this newsletter or other news tips, please let me know at Greg.Lynch@coxinc.com.

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The newsletter should take about 3 minutes, 42 seconds to read.

Final count: Republican McDonald elected to county commission in historic win

                        

The Montgomery County Board of Elections certified the Nov. 5 election results at their meeting on Wednesday.

• Montgomery County commission:

— Former Trotwood mayor and Republican Mary McDonald narrowly unseated longtime incumbent and Democrat Debbie Lieberman, with McDonald bringing in 50.42% of the vote.

— Democratic incumbent Judy Dodge received 50.5% of votes, while her Republican challenger, Kate Baker, had 49.5%.

What McDonald said: “I am deeply honored and humbled by the trust the residents of Montgomery County have placed in me. This victory is not only a personal achievement but a meaningful step forward for our community. I look forward to working tirelessly to bring new opportunities to Montgomery County, ensuring that every resident, family, and business feels the positive impact of a government that is inclusive, responsive, and forward-thinking.”

• Other county races:

—Montgomery County Recorder:Incumbent Stacey Benson-Taylor was also narrowly defeated by Republican challenger Lori Kennedy. Kennedy received roughly 50.8% of the vote.

— Montgomery County Clerk of Courts: Mike Foley, who was indicted a couple of months before the general election, received roughly 52.4% of votes, defeating Democratic challenger Lynn Cooper.

— Montgomery County Treasurer: Incumbent John McManus won his reelection bid, taking 56.8% of votes. His challenger, attorney and Montgomery County Democrat Party chair Mohamed Al-Hamdani, had 43.2% of votes.

County administrator: ‘Fiscal accountability’ needed at developmental disabilities board

                        

Montgomery County families and county officials continue to clash over budget issues at the Montgomery County Board of Developmental Disabilities Services (MCBDDS).

• Steep budget cuts: In October, MCBDDS announced plans to make steep budget cuts, citing an increase in the number of clients served, higher costs and revenue losses.

• MCBDDS funds: The Montgomery County Commission last year approved a $58.7 million budget for MCBDDS.

• Fiscal emergency: The Montgomery County Commission awarded $17 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds to MCBDDS after it declared a fiscal emergency in 2023.

• What they are saying: “It is fiscally negligent for the DDS executive director, and their board, to continue to spend money that we do not have ... We cannot continue to spend money like this because it impacts the entire social safety net and it jeopardizes all of the Human Services funding.” — Michael Colbert, Montgomery County Administrator.

• New board members: The Montgomery County Commission recently appointed three new members to the county developmental disabilities board. These members replace three existing members who had expiring terms.

• From the MCBDDS Superintendent: “I really want to collaborate with the county. We need their help in figuring out a path forward with this funding crisis. We do want to move forward, and it needs to meet the vision and mission of the Board of Developmental Disabilities,” said Pamela Combs.

What to know today

• One big takeaway: Amazon is evaluating the possibility of building a data center in Fayette County.

• Big move of the day: Cincinnati Children’s is continuing its expansion closer to the Dayton region as it plans to open a practice in Wilmington, a little more than 30 miles from Dayton.

• Tip of the day: Snow shoveling is coming: Here are tips for doing it safely.

• Person to know today: Issa Ali. The Dayton rapper recently dropped his latest single, “Majesty Pt. 2.” featuring Brooklyn rap legend Talib Kweli and Detroit trailblazer Sada Baby.

• Things to do: The excitement of the holiday season is in the air. Here are 10 great things to do in Dayton this weekend.

• Photo of the day: More than 20 iconic Frisch’s Big Boy statues can be found in a gated area dubbed on social media as the “Big Boy Graveyard” in Cincinnati. Reporter Natalie Jones went to check it out.