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Ep. 83 — Ron Grethel on Election Reform, Flock Cameras and Ohio House District 62

This week, we start with local news from around Clermont County and the region before sitting down with Ron Grethel, Libertarian candidate for Ohio House District 62, for a wide-ranging conversation about election reform, privacy, data centers, family policy, property taxes and what he believes state government should look like.

We begin in Mount Orab, where the village is considering a proposed High-Tech Overlay that would establish additional regulations for data centers and other high-tech development on industrially zoned land. The proposal comes after sustained public opposition to data-center development and an earlier village moratorium. Residents are also asking officials to determine what may already be permitted under Mount Orab’s existing zoning code before moving ahead with new regulations.
At the Clermont County Commissioners meeting, Commissioner David Painter raised two issues he believes local governments should be paying closer attention to: automated license plate readers and data centers. Painter pointed to questions surrounding privacy, Fourth Amendment protections and data access involving Flock cameras, while also encouraging local officials to study data-center development before making long-term zoning decisions.

The ATF has also deployed a Crime Gun Intelligence Mobile Command Center to Batavia, where federal agents are working alongside the Clermont County Sheriff’s Office. The mobile unit gives investigators access to ballistic analysis, firearm testing, fingerprint and DNA collection, and the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network. Officials described the deployment as a regional investigative resource rather than a response to a newly announced spike in Clermont County gun crime.

In Batavia Village, Council unanimously approved a pre-annexation agreement involving approximately 104 acres for a proposed mixed-use development between State Route 32, Harold Road, Old State Route 32 and the Trotters Way area. Plans discussed by officials include retail along Harold Road and a mix of residential development behind it, with the possibility of attracting a large national retailer and grocery store. The project still faces annexation, zoning and additional development review.

Flock cameras were also a major topic in Batavia. Several residents urged Village Council to discontinue its automated license plate reader program, raising concerns about privacy, data sharing and Fourth Amendment protections. Council did not make a decision but agreed to continue reviewing the program and hear from both Flock representatives and critics of the technology.
Batavia Council also heard questions involving a TIF ordinance approved earlier this year. A resident raised discrepancies involving the property identified in the ordinance and referenced agreements with Batavia Local Schools and Great Oaks. Village Solicitor Chris Moore told Council the ordinance probably needs to be corrected and said he would investigate and bring the matter back for further review.

And Milford Schools says it has reduced general-fund appropriations by roughly $5 million compared with last year while continuing to manage projected deficit spending. District officials say fiscal year 2026 ended substantially better than previously forecast and that they are continuing to monitor spending, revenue and cash reserves as they work through the current five-year forecast.

Interview — Ron Grethel
Ron Grethel is running as a Libertarian for Ohio House District 62, which includes portions of Clermont County.

Ron talks about what brought him into politics after serving eight years as an Air Defense Artillery officer in the Army National Guard, including deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, and later building a career in insurance and software development.

We start with what being a Libertarian means to him. Ron describes his philosophy as less about the familiar “taxation is theft” formulation and more about “don’t tread on us” — limiting abuses of power by both government and private institutions while maintaining a government capable of enforcing basic rules.

From there, we get deep into election reform.

Ron explains his support for ranked-choice voting and open primaries, arguing that the current primary system gives a relatively small group of partisan voters substantial influence over who reaches the general election. We discuss how ranked-choice voting works, Alaska’s election system and Ohio’s restrictions on local governments adopting ranked-choice voting.

That leads into the barriers facing independent and minor-party candidates in Ohio, including signature requirements and ballot-access rules, and a broader conversation about whether the two-party system creates incentives that contribute to political polarization.
We also talk about family policy.

Ron discusses a bipartisan paid family and medical leave proposal in Ohio and why he supports creating a program that could give workers time away from their jobs to care for a new child, sick spouse, parent or other family member.

The conversation expands into adoption, maternity costs, childcare and the financial pressures facing families. Ron talks about his own family’s experience with adoption and discusses policies he believes could reduce some of the upfront financial barriers associated with adopting a child or having a baby.
We also discuss an Ohio proposal that would create additional state records involving pregnancies and pregnancy outcomes. Ron explains his privacy concerns with creating government records of miscarriages, stillbirths and abortions and discusses how those concerns fit into his broader view of government data collection.

Then we get into data centers.

Ron argues that if Ohio communities are going to host major data-center developments, state and local governments should examine their effects on energy, water, infrastructure and taxpayers. We discuss tax incentives, energy generation, small modular nuclear reactors, water use and whether communities hosting large developments should receive more direct benefits from them.
That conversation naturally brings us to Flock cameras.

Ron, who works as a programmer, walks through how he believes automated license plate reader technology could be designed differently. Rather than maintaining large databases of vehicle movements, he suggests systems could compare plates against narrowly defined law-enforcement alerts and immediately discard information that does not match.

We discuss warrants, data retention, private companies collecting information on behalf of government and the broader question of how constitutional privacy protections should apply as surveillance technology becomes more capable.

From there, we move into property taxes and local government. Ron discusses land-value taxation as one possible alternative worth examining and talks about the importance he places on local control and keeping government decisions closer to the people affected by them.
And then things get wonderfully wonky.

Ron introduces us to “Article the First,” one of the original constitutional amendments proposed alongside what became the Bill of Rights but never fully ratified. The amendment dealt with congressional representation and the number of people represented by each member of the U.S. House.

That launches a conversation about congressional districts, the Wyoming Rule, centuries-old unratified constitutional amendments — sometimes called “zombie amendments” — and what happens when constitutional proposals are sent to the states without an expiration date.

Finally, we talk right to repair, open-source software and what it actually means to own the technology we buy. From tractors and automobiles to old iPads and digitally purchased video games, Ron argues that consumers should have greater ability to repair and continue using products after manufacturers stop supporting them.

Links from This Episode
• Ron Grethel for Ohio House

News
• Mount Orab considers new High-Tech Overlay regulations for data centers
• Residents question what Mount Orab’s existing zoning code already permits
• Commissioner David Painter raises Flock camera privacy and data-center issues for county attention
• Pierce Township continues its data-center moratorium while studying possible regulations
• ATF deploys Crime Gun Intelligence Mobile Command Center to Batavia
• Batavia moves forward with pre-annexation agreement for proposed mixed-use development
• Proposed Batavia development could include a major retailer and grocery store
• Batavia Council begins broader review of its Flock license plate reader program
• Residents raise privacy and data-sharing concerns involving Batavia’s Flock cameras
• Questions raised over Batavia TIF ordinance approved earlier this year
• Village solicitor says the TIF ordinance may need to be corrected
• Milford Schools reduces general-fund appropriations by approximately $5 million
• Milford continues monitoring projected deficit spending and cash reserves

Events
• Monarch Migration Hike at Clingman Park
• Night at the Museum — Cheers for 250 Years at the Bethel Historical Society and Museum
• Hike with Park Staff at Ten Mile Creek Nature Preserve
• Loveland Oktoberfest
• Fall Equinox Women’s Camping Retreat at Clingman Park
• Clermont County Food and Farm Tour
• Fall Bird Walk at Cincinnati Nature Center
• Yoga in the Park at Sycamore Park
• Milford Art Affaire
• Farm-to-Table Dinner at Harmony Hill Vineyards
• New Richmond Farmers Market
• RAPTOR Inc. Open House

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