State representatives work on making laws and is the lower chamber of the Ohio General Assembly. The term of office is two years up to a maximum of eight years. The annual salary for a state representative is $68,674. That amount can increase if a member is a committee chair or in the chamber’s leadership.
Early voting in the March 19 primary election is underway and can be done by mail or visiting the Butler County Board of Elections, 1802 Princeton Road, Hamilton.
Here’s a look at both candidates:
Thomas Hall
Seeking re-election, Thomas Hall, 28, said his work remains unfinished.
“My pledge stands firm: to shepherd each of these proposals through the legislative process until they emerge as enacted law. My candidacy is anchored in the firm belief that our constituency deserves an unapologetic conservative advocate in the halls of Columbus.”
Hall said voters should return him to Columbus because of his ability to produce results for the district, being his strong conservative voice, and his proven record getting bills signed into law. He said he’s proud of the amount of grant money brought back to the district.
As his top priorities, Hall listed property tax reform; championing first responders; strengthening local and state partnerships; deregulating and empowering small businesses; and enhancing the homestead exemption.
“I will prioritize property tax reform as a crucial agenda item,” he said. “Seniors should never have to worry about being taxed out of their own homes.”
Hall said he’ll remain steadfast in his commitment to collaborate with colleagues in crafting pragmatic solutions tailored to Ohio’s needs. He said his blueprint is clear: to confront these challenges head-on with unwavering resolve.
Hall resides in Madison Twp. and is single. He serves as a volunteer firefighter in addition to his job as a state representative. A graduate Madison High School, Hall also earned a bachelor’s degree from Miami University. Prior to his election to the statehouse, Hall also served as a Madison Twp. trustee from 2016-2020.
In other issues, Hall said he helped taxpayers by voting to reduce the number of tax brackets from nine to two. He said property tax remains his primary concern and has introduced four bills focusing on property tax reduction. He also voted to eliminate the Commercial Activity Tax after fiscal year 2025.
Hall worked to enact Fair School Funding that has a three-phase implementation plan. He’s also supported universal school choice and increase funding to career technical schools.
Hall said he is pro-life and has a 100% pro-life voting record. He said he will continue to work with his colleagues to defend the most vulnerable.
Hall said voters made their voices and stance on recreational marijuana overwhelmingly clear in Ohio with the passage of Issue 2. He is working with his House colleagues to create and implement recreational marijuana. Hall said the Senate and House have many disagreements that need to be worked out for implementation and revenue.
Zachary Stacy
Zachary Stacy is a first-time candidate. He said people are struggling and he’s seen Butler County grapple with the drug crisis, poverty, crime, homelessness and unprecedented property tax hikes.
Stacy, 30, said he’s the child and orphan of drug addicts. But through hard work and dedication, he’s been able to overcome these obstacles. He said the tax hikes and spike in homelessness has taken a toll on the community.
“Now more than ever, I believe local policy and community-first priorities have taken a back seat to national hyper-partisan politics. I can no longer stand by and watch as working-class families are largely ignored by Columbus,” he said.
Stacy said, “we have been represented by politicians who worry more about Washington politics instead of their own communities. We have elected individuals who have been pre-positioned to take office and push a political agenda. Many of us often complain about career politicians, but this is who we continue to elect.”
He wants to see blue-collar, everyday people representing the district and that he understands the voters because he’s one of them and believes he can be their voice.
If elected, his top priorities are more state investment to fight the drug and homelessness crisis; find “real relief” from the ever-growing property tax burden; bring light to the spike in violent crime; and bring more support to affected communities and police departments.
Stacy said the “state’s financial situation is currently phenomenal, and therefore, we should take advantage of this opportunity to make significant investments in treatment and recovery programs.” He also wants more communication between the state and local government to tackle drug addiction and to provide adequate resources to empower police to combat drug trafficking. He also believes homelessness should be treated as a state-level issue and provide resources to provide job training, shelter, food services, and other necessary assistance to those in need.
He supports a cap on property tax percentages as well as ending property tax on individuals 65 and older.
He also believes Ohio has a generally strong education system, but there are some local districts that require major improvements. While school choice can provide immediate relief to students in struggling districts, it fails to address the root cause of the problem. He said the state education department needs to hold every failing district accountable and work towards improving them. “Simply removing funding will not solve the issue,” he said.
Stacy said the passage of Issue 1 concerning abortions was an extreme reaction to extreme stances taken by some Ohio Republicans.
“Based on my own experiences involving my wife’s health and the challenges she faced during pregnancy, I have been very open about my support of a bipartisan solution on this subject,” Stacy said. “Unfortunately, politicians on both sides have raised too much money and elected too many candidates on the issue. I was initially in favor of leaving Ohio abortion law as it was, with protections for medical emergency, rape, etc. With the passage of Issue 1, it is now the state’s role to abide by the wishes of the voters and to ensure these procedures are rare, safe and moral.”
Stacy said the voters have made their position clear on recreational marijuana and the state should not work to undermine the voters. “The state should now focus on safely regulating it as we do alcohol and tobacco sales,” he said. “We have bigger things to worry about.”
Stacy resides in Monroe with his wife and three children. He is the farm manager for the Butler Tech Natural Science Center and service manager for Zimmer Tractor. He is a graduate of Middletown High School and Butler Tech Career School- Equine Sciences program.
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