Schaffer pitches modernization, stronger ties for Adams County government

Alex Schaffer is asking Adams County Republican voters to decide whether county government should keep working through paper files and old routines or move toward faster records, tighter budgeting and stronger state ties.

Schaffer entered the race after returning to Adams County in the summer of 2025, and he says his connection to the county dates to childhood visits with his grandparents. He has framed that return as a response to a county he sees as proud but frustrated, with residents who feel they are not being heard. That argument puts the race ahead of personality politics and into the question of how Adams County government should function.

The stakes are clear on the ballot. Adams County’s primary election is Tuesday, May 5, 2026, with polls open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. The commissioner contest is the only contested county race on the ballot and appears only on the Republican ticket. The current board of commissioners is Barbara Moore Holt, Kelly Jones and Jason Hayslip.

Schaffer’s reform pitch centers on basic operations. He says many county offices still rely too heavily on paper records, which slows public records requests, financial reconciliation and forecasting. That matters because the Adams County Auditor’s Office is not just another filing desk. The county describes it as the chief fiscal officer, payroll officer, tax assessor and secretary of the budget commission and board of revision, making it one of the main places where spending decisions and tax administration meet.

He is also pressing for better coordination among townships, villages and county government, arguing that those levels need to be on the same page if Adams County wants to move forward more smoothly. The county already posts weekly commissioners agendas and minutes online, and some court case records are available digitally, but Schaffer is arguing for a broader shift from partial access to day-to-day digital operation.

That modernization pitch is aimed at a small county with real fiscal and infrastructure pressure. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates Adams County’s population at 27,865 as of July 1, 2025, up from 27,477 in the 2020 census. Median household income is $50,264, and 84.5% of households report a broadband subscription. Schaffer is tying that reality to state-level resources, pointing to Ohio Department of Development funding for local infrastructure and business or job-related projects, along with BroadbandOhio’s ongoing rural broadband work toward universal access.

If Schaffer wins, the test will not be a slogan. It will be whether Adams County government can move faster on records, spend more cleanly, and use outside funding more effectively for the people it already serves.