OTTOVILLE — The Ottoville Area Chamber of Commerce “Meet the Candidates” night Monday nearly turned into a full-fledged debate when Democratic Putnam County Commissioner hopeful Mark Schmiedebusch took a question on the county’s Road 5 widening project and ran with it to challenge his opponent, incumbent Republican Travis Jerwers, on what Schmiedebusch called his “flip-flop decision.” The questions from the packed-house audience concerned upcoming legal ramifications of the project. Some residents along the county thoroughfare have filed suit on the commissioner’s decision concerning eminent domain on property taken for the new road modifications. The suit also accuses the commissioners of violating Sunshine Laws. The suit failed in Putnam County courts and the Ohio Supreme Court. Schmiedebusch immediately turned to his opponent Jerwers and questioned his vote on the project at the beginning and why it changed later. “I did vote for the Road 5 project and was for it until I learned more about it,” Jerwers said.
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