Rinaldi seeks to improve responsiveness and accountability of county’s top elected board

With a “Firehouse Primary” looming this coming Friday, May 5, for nomination to the Shenandoah District seat on the Warren County Board of Supervisors, Royal Examiner sat down with one candidate for the seat, current Shenandoah District representative to the Warren County School Board, Ralph Rinaldi. The primary, while for the Warren County Republican Committee nomination, is open to ALL registered voters living in the Shenandoah District. The primary will be held at the North Warren Company 10 Fire & Rescue Department headquarters from 2-to-7 p.m.

Both Rinaldi and his opponent, John Stanmeyer, have been interviewed by Royal Examiner Publisher Mike McCool for “Meet the Candidates” video segments on our website. However, this  reporter’s curiosity was struck by Rinaldi’s decision to seek a move from his incumbent seat on the school board to a challenge for a seat on the county’s highest elected body, the one with its hands on final policy decisions, including how the county government’s operational tax revenue is spent. See our Q&A with Rinaldi below:

“Ralph, you’ve been on the Warren County School Board for how many years? Why a run for the County Board of Supervisors now? — Isn’t that kind of out of the frying pan, into the fire?”

“I have served four years on the Warren County School Board.  As far as the pan to the fire, when serving on any board in a decision-making capacity that jump can occur during controversial decisions. There will always be some unhappy people.

“However, one must vote on what is best for the majority of those affected, even if the decision is not aligned with your own personal feelings. That occurred this past year with the school boards decision on the model policies. My personal feelings is a boy is a boy, and a girl is a girl.  The vote to accept the state policies was a fiscal decision to avoid the likelihood of a lawsuit and possible loss of state funding — a perfect example of a tough vote done for sound reasons. Of course in electoral politics, opponents will often use such tough-decision votes to stereotype their opponent as something they’re not.”

Royal Examiner File Photo from 2021 WC School Board meeting when Rinaldi held the vice-chairman’s seat.

We then asked Rinaldi, “Can you summarize what you believe to be the major issues you think you could offer some leadership in helping resolve as the Shenandoah District supervisor?”

“Major issues to be improved are policy and procedures, transparency, contract bidding, and spending accountability. Staff turnover also needs to be addressed, along with improved management at all levels. The above issues can be improved by leading by example. County leaders and senior staff should provide that leadership. Citizens and county employees should expect that from their elected and appointed leadership.”

In the wake of the above list of issues he feels need addressing at the top of the county governmental hierarchy, we felt a logical next question was: “How did, if it did, your time with the Property Owners of Shenandoah Farms (POSF), much of it as chairman, impact your decision to run for the district’s supervisor’s seat?”

“Yes, the issues mentioned above have all occurred in the relationship between the county government and POSF.  When POSF asked for financial information, we basically got the run around. After continually being ignored, POSF complained with no response. Lack of communication from the County side further accelerated the disconnect. POSF exhibited leadership with no leadership in response from the County.  All POSF wanted was to be heard on our financial and management concerns, and we were ignored.  After years of service by our members it was a complete insult.  After two years of trying to get the relationship back to normal with no success, THAT was the push I needed to run.”

Drawing on his experience of the past four years on the Warren County School Board, we asked, “How do you rate the county’s elected leadership’s relationship with its public school system at this point, and in recent years? — And how would you like to see that relationship evolve in coming years?

A shot of the school board at work session in November 2022 at the public schools Diversified Minds 15th Street location. From left, are Chairman Dr. Kristin Pence, Rinaldi, Melanie Salins, and Dr. Antoinette Funk – Andrea Lo is out of frame, as is School Superintendent Dr. Chris Ballenger. The current board lineup has established a positive and constructive working relationship. Will that survive the Nov. election? Stay tuned, sports – we mean public school fans.

“I believe the relationship with the current Board of Supervisors and the School Board has improved. However, both boards need to continue respecting each other to continue building a stronger relationship.  That will depend on each board member on both sides continuing a good working relationship in an honest, willing-to-listen manner.”

And with that answer, we concluded our interview with a better grasp of one candidate’s thought processes in seeking a switch from one elected county office to another. It might be noted that incumbent Shenandoah District Supervisor Walt Mabe has yet to make it clear on whether he intends to run for re-election this year.