Topics:
Sheriff Maier will speak on Issue 1:  Renewal of the Criminal Justice Sales Tax, and how public safety in Stark County is the #1 issue in the May election.
 
Commissioner Regula will speak on the State of Stark County; 2016 accomplishments and 2017 projects from the Commissioners’ office.
 
Commissioner Richard Regula was elected to the Board of Stark County Commissioners for a third time in 2016, and has a notable history of service work and involvement in local government. He was inspired by his father, Ralph Regula, who was the United States Representative for Ohio’s 16th Congressional District from 1973 - 2009, serving 18 consecutive terms. Richard was also inspired by his mother Mary, who was the founder of the National First Ladies’ Library located in downtown Canton, Ohio.

Richard is a Stark County native and graduate of Fairless High School. After graduation, he attended Ohio University where he received his Bachelor's degree in General Studies. Richard began his career at Regula Brothers Transport, a trucking company that hauls dairy products. The company became R. Straus LLC in 2009, when he became its owner.

Richard is a current member of the Stark-Tuscarawas-Wayne Joint Solid Waste Management District Board and a governing board member of the newly established Carroll, Columbiana, and Stark Regional Transportation Improvement Project (RTIP). Richard currently serves on the board of the Western Stark YMCA; is a board member of the Massillon Chamber of Commerce; and is a member of the Stark County Township Association.

In the past, Richard served as president of the Massillon Rotary Club, and as a member of the Ohio and Erie Canal Corridor Committee. He has served on the board of directors for the Stark County Farm Bureau; on the Navarre Village Council; and spent three terms as Bethlehem Township trustee. He also served on the Clean Ohio Council, where he was appointed by the Governor.

Richard is a devoted member of St. Michael's Parish. He resides in Bethlehem Township with his wife of twenty-seven years, Sherry. Together they have two sons, Thomas and Garrett.
 
 
Stark County Sheriff George T. Maier is a 36+ year law enforcement professional.  He has demonstrated a lifelong commitment to public service in the State of Ohio. Sheriff Maier followed in the footsteps of his late father, Johnnie Maier Sr., a former city police officer. Upon choosing to enter into the field of law enforcement in his native Stark County, Sheriff Maier served as an auxiliary police officer with Lawrence Township Police and as a Police Patrolman for the Village of Hartville.  In November 1982, Sheriff Maier was selected to attend the Ohio State Highway Patrol Academy in Columbus, Ohio, and upon completion in March, 1983 he was assigned to the Wooster Post.
 
In 1990, Sheriff Maier transferred to the Massillon Post. While assigned to the Massillon Post, Sheriff Maier received the Superintendent's Proficiency Award in Auto Larceny Investigation in 1991 and 1992. He also received a certificate of recognition for his life saving efforts while investigating a serious traffic crash in Tuscarawas Township. Sheriff Maier was selected by his peers in 1991 as the Post Trooper of the Year and was also awarded the District and State Trooper of the Year in 1991.
 
In 1993, Sheriff Maier was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and transferred to the Cambridge Patrol Post. He also earned the auto larceny Ace Award for making five on the spot apprehensions for auto larceny. He transferred to the New Philadelphia Post in 1996, where he served until his promotion to Lieutenant and assignment as the Post Commander at the Steubenville Post in 1998.
 
In July 2002, Sheriff Maier was promoted to the rank of Captain and was reassigned to the Jackson District Headquarters in Jackson, OH. He earned the Highway Patrol Health and Physical Fitness award in 2000, 2002 and 2004, and earned a 20 year safe driving award. Sheriff Maier served nearly 25 years with the agency before completing his tenure as Commander of the Patrol's Jackson District in 2007.
 
In May 2007, Sheriff Maier joined the Ohio Department of Public Safety as the Assistant Director. With his extensive background in law enforcement administration and operations support, as well as a strong commitment to community involvement and cooperation, Sheriff Maier was appointed to one of the largest agencies in the State to help the department build collaborative relationships with local, state and federal partners, and to promote statewide highway safety and public safety goals and initiatives. In his leadership role, Sheriff Maier directed day-to-day agency operations and advised the Director, the Governor's Office, and the staff on issues relating to the department.
 
As Assistant Director of the Ohio Department of Public Safety, Sheriff Maier was appointed by Governor Strickland to lead the first significant effort to crack down on prescription drug abuse. He served as Interim Director of the agency in 2010 and assisted in the transition of administrations. He served as Chairman of the State's Interoperable Executive Committee and has served as a Special Deputy with the Stark County Sheriff's Office, the Pickaway County Sheriff's Office, and the Ross County Sheriff's Office.
 
In January 2012, Sheriff Maier was appointed as the Safety and Service Director for the City of Massillon by Mayor Kathy Catazaro-Perry. Under the general direction of the Mayor, he was responsible for the overall safe, efficient, and economical operations of the Departments of Police, Fire, Streets, Parks and Cemeteries. In addition, he also was the Director of Safety and Service and also served as the Chief Administrative Assistant to the Mayor.
 
Maier was selected to complete the unexpired term of the Stark County Sheriff, serving through December 31, 2015, and was subsequently elected Sheriff through January 1, 2017. Sheriff Maier was re-elected in November, 2016 for a four year term through January 3, 2021.
 
In April 2015, Sheriff Maier's Senior Staff nominated him for the J. Stannard Baker Award for Traffic Safety. The National Sheriff's Association Selection Committee then chose Sheriff Maier as the recipient of that award and presented it to him at the National Sheriffs' Association Annual Conference in Baltimore, MD, June 27, 2015.
 
Sheriff Maier is a Washington High School graduate and lives in Massillon with his wife, Misty. He has three adult children, George II, Johnnie H., and Michael P. Maier, along with 5 grandchildren. He has always been active in the communities where he has been assigned and is extremely proud to call Stark County his home. Also, following in their grandfather's footsteps, two of Maier's three sons work in law enforcement.