ROSS COUNTY, Ohio — The elected Auditor of Ross County will step down this week to pursue a private practice legal career.
Thomas Spetnagel, Jr., told the Guardian on Wednesday that his last day in office will be this Friday, February 23. The Ross County native said the decision comes at a time when he will be taking over his family’s law practice.
A lawyer by trade, Spetnagel, Jr. — an elected Democrat — has served as the County Auditor for more than 12 years. He was Chillicothe High School’s valedictorian for the year 2000 and he obtained his law degree from Capital University Law School. At age 27, he defeated a 25-year incumbent to become the youngest person ever elected Auditor for the City of Chillicothe. When former Auditor Steve Neal became a county commissioner, the Democratic Party of Ross County appointed Spetnagel, Jr. to succeed in the position. To date, he is the only person to ever serve in the role for both the City of Chillicothe and Ross County.
Throughout his career, the father of two has been very active in the local community. His passion for history has led him to volunteer at Adena Mansion and Gardens, where you might’ve seen him portray Thomas Worthington or one of the Worthington family members in Adena’s Murder Mystery Dinner. He is also the Treasurer for Chillicothe High School’s Alumni Association, and he has been a past volunteer for the United Way of Ross County and the Good Samaritan Food Pantry. As Auditor, Spetnagel, Jr. was selected by his peers to serve on the statewide Executive Committee for the County Auditors’ Association of Ohio.
Choosing to raise his family in Ross County just as he was, Spetnagel, Jr. and his wife Breanne live in town with their sons Tre and Tyson. It’s his love for his family which has partially fueled his decision to take a break from public office, he said.
“I made a final decision not to run for another term at the end of last summer; however, I didn’t want to leave office without knowing that I had passed on my knowledge to someone else,” the Auditor said in an interview with the Guardian. “I have reached the point now where I feel secure about the future and continuity of the Auditor’s office.”
A man who has his own dog, perhaps people know Spetnagel, Jr. best as the guy who sells them dog tags. Under Ohio Law, the Auditor is charged with handling the annual licensing.
“My proudest accomplishments are earning clean audits every year; being the only person to serve as both Chillicothe City Auditor and Ross County Auditor; upgrading virtually every system in the office (the real estate, tax, accounting, payroll, and dog licensing systems, as well as the website); and becoming a Courthouse leader during the early days of the pandemic. COVID-19 was something none of us could prepare for, but I implemented safety procedures that other offices eventually adopted and kept the work from getting backed up.”
It’s the pandemic, Spetnagel, Jr. said that reshaped the way the office is today.
“The pandemic completely changed the nature of public service. On the one hand, it forced the county to make some necessary changes to improve technology, to allow ‘remote’ work when it made sense to do so, and to install physical barriers to protect the public,” he said.
“On the other hand, the stress of working through the pandemic probably caused employee morale to drop and greatly increased the incidence of depression. In some cases, employees left public service to look for other work. Serving the public is stressful under normal circumstances, but having to worry about your own health or the health of your family makes it much more difficult. I am proud of everyone who worked in public service during the past two years, as I can attest that it was far more challenging than the ten years before that.”
When he looks back on his career with the county, he said he will always be grateful to the residents of Ross County who chose to re-elect him each time he sought office.
“As your Auditor, I earned clean audit reports from the State of Ohio every single year. I also brought the county’s business operations into the 21st century, ensuring that nothing — not even a global pandemic — could stop the people’s work from being done at the County Courthouse. My decision to leave public service was not easy, but it is what’s best for me and my family. We are genuinely excited about the next chapter of our lives and look forward to being private citizens again.”
Spetnagel, Jr. will takeover his family’s law practice that his father started decades ago, serving Ross County and the surrounding area.
“I am leaving behind a staff of trained professionals who know their jobs and will keep the office running smoothly.”
The Democratic Party of Ross County will meet on March 8 to name a successor. By law, they must wait five days before they choose someone. The chosen person will hold the office until the term expires next year unless they choose to seek the election. Until then, the current Chief Deputy Auditor, Jerry Uhrig will be at the helm.
