Most Ohio voters can name the president. Many can name the governor. Some may even know their mayor. Ask who controls property tax assessments, oversees the county jail, maintains local roads or manages election operations, and most residents would draw a blank.

Election season often feels dominated by national headlines and statewide races. Meanwhile, the offices most directly affecting your day-to-day life are often ignored or unrealized. County commissioners are a huge example. The positions do not generate headlines, but they control a lot of local tax dollars, what gets built in your community and how efficiently county government operates. Roads, public safety funding, development decisions and even how aggressively local gover