Longtime incumbent Kenton County District 2 Commissioner Jon Draud faces challenger Tony Schmiade in Tuesday’s Republican primary.
Jon Draud
Jon Draud was first elected as a county commissioner in 2010. Draud is no stranger to civic involvement, spending five years as Crestview Hills city councilman and 10 years in the Kentucky House representing District 63.
Draud said he is seeking another term because he enjoys “having a little influence where I can help people.”
Draud is an educator by trade, spending over 50 years in the profession. Draud previously served in a variety of roles at Holmes High School and as the superintendent of the Ludlow School District.
Draud said he is proud of the work the Fiscal Court has done and told LINK nky he believes “it’s the best Fiscal Court in the history of Kenton County.”
He said that major accomplishments during his time on the Fiscal Court have focused on improving public safety, including unifying the county dispatch system from three to one.
Draud and the Fiscal Court were also the decision-makers who implemented a new radio system for Kenton County, replacing an obsolete system that used technology from over 50 years ago. The Kenton County Fiscal Court, in conjunction with the fiscal courts of Campbell and Boone counties, entered into a memorandum of understanding committing to complete the project. The project marked unprecedented cooperation between the three counties.
The Fiscal Court voted to turn the 225-acre Fox Run Golf Course golf course into a public park. That decision nearly doubled the amount of Kenton County designated park land.
Draud said he and the Fiscal Court intend to continue the implementation of mobile high-speed internet service to the residents of southern Kenton County, the majority of which is rural farmland.
“We’re currently involved in extending mobile internet service,” Draud said. “The southern end of the county has a lot of wiring work that needs to be done in order to get on the internet. You can imagine the problems that caused during COVID-19, when the kids weren’t allowed to go school, and they didn’t have internet service either.”
Draud said that he is proud of his record on the Fiscal Court, and believes he will be a reliable asset to the people of Kenton County for years to come.
“For a long time, I have a proven track record of success and continue to be successful in all of these ventures,” Draud said. “I’ve served for a long time. I have an opponent this time. I think my experience is very valuable to the court.”
Tony Schmiade (R)
Tony Schmiade says he is not a politician.
But he has had a long career in civil service. He’s worked for Kenton County for over 25 years. He started cleaning toilets and mowing grass at county parks, working his way up through the Public Works department to become a Public Services Foreman, a position he served in until his retirement. He describes himself as a blue-collar, working class citizen.
“I will fight to take less out of the taxpayer’s pocket,” Schmiade said in an op-ed submitted to LINK nky.
Schmiade is running for Kenton County Commissioner because he said he believes there is too much government overreach. On his campaign website, Schmiade questions the way county government budgets tax money.
Schmiade says he is a fiscal conservative and advocates for more transparency within the Kenton County budget, a better budget process and decreasing multi-million dollar contingencies within the budget, in order to put more money back into the taxpayers wallet.
“I have worked hard to provide for my family and I don’t need the county government standing there with their hand out wanting me to pay more taxes and fees,” Schmiade said. “Property taxes keep going up. Our kids and grandkids will not have an opportunity to keep the family farm if something doesn’t change.”
Schmiade also believes positions for boards such as the library and health department should be elected, not appointed.
Schmiade opposes all medical mandates, and believes that medical decisions should be left up to individual choice and not mandated by governments. He is also opposed to the regional health department, and advocates for local control. He argues that full transparency and accountability are lacking in the current public health structure.
“My heart and soul tell me that we need change and it needs to start at the local level,” Schmiade said. “I want future generations to prosper in Kenton County. I am proud of where I come from and I want what is best for my family, friends, and fellow Kenton County residents.”
*A previous version of this story misspelled Tony Schmiade’s last name in the headline.
