The three candidates for Butler County Commission all called for a change in the culture of the commission when they met at a forum Wednesday evening.

“The Butler County Commission has been dominated by one small segment and one party, which has led to a lack of accountability at the ballot box,” said Democratic candidate Jodi Billerman, 44. “If you are voting for one party by default, I ask you to reconsider. I will put community before contention or cronies.”

“I’m running because I’ve become increasingly concerned about the direction of our country and our county,” said Libertarian candidate Daryl Olthaus, 52. “On the local level, we have less confidence in our government and question whether they have our best interests in mind. I feel I have an obligation to get involved and lead the county through the rough times we’re experiencing.”

“I’m not part of establishment. I wasn’t endorsed by the Republican Party,” said Republican candidate TC Rogers, 64. “There’s a cloud hanging over most of the Butler County departments that they were afraid to escape. You can’t have people working if they think the hammer is going to come down next month.”

On the issue of growing jobs, Rogers said that he wanted to reinstate a development council where private businesses and the county worked together to attract more jobs to the region.

“The county hasn’t been doing enough,” Rogers said. “There are people who’d volunteer time to serve on these boards. I believe when someone brings us a project, I’m better equipped to do the math to know if it’s a good idea. I have no desire to bring a large firm in here if it’s not going to net us dollars.”

Billerman said the county needed to be wary of the kind of growth it was attracting.

“Retail development looks nice, but it doesn’t produce high paying jobs that will ‘lift the tide’ around here,” Billerman said. “We can sell this county by managing it better…We can do a lot but we can’t necessarily spend a lot of funds. More is reaching out and selling this county and working with business leaders who may want to come here.”

Olthaus said he didn’t believe government could do a lot to attract jobs, but needed to keep taxes low and maintain the infrastructure to be appealing to businesses.

“The political environment in Butler County has been a problem,” Olthaus said. “By improving that on the commission and improving relationships throughout the municipalities, that will attract businesses in and of itself. If a business is looking at coming here and they hear how difficult it can be, that is a detractor.”

All three candidates questioned the viability of Butler County’s public transit system when asked about areas where the county could improve its deficit.

Wednesday’s event was sponsored by Cox Media Group Ohio and the Butler County Chamber Caucus.