Independent councilman urges measured county growth
ELYRIA — Independent Elyria Councilman Andrew Lipian is running as a write-in candidate for Lorain County commissioner, saying his campaign is centered on rebuilding public trust, expanding access to government and approaching development more deliberately.
“I feel that trust has been one of the things that’s really been lacking in a lot of institutions, especially government,” Lipian said. “Everybody likes to talk about transparency like it’s a buzzword, but I actually want to implement communication that goes directly to the people.”
Lipian said he would use town halls and public polls to seek residents’ input before making major decisions. Although elected officials must exercise judgment, he said, they also should rely on feedback from the people they represent.
He pointed to his record on Elyria council, where he said he has conducted polls and held regular town halls. Through what he called the Good Neighbors Initiative, Lipian said volunteers collected food, clothing and toiletries for people experiencing homelessness and delivered bottled water to East Palestine after the train derailment.
Lipian also helped establish the Lorain County for Ukraine committee, which he said assisted in resettling 20 Ukrainian families in the county.
Growth and local control
Lipian said he supports economic development but believes county officials should be selective about the projects they pursue.
“I don’t think Lorain County needs to take anything that comes its way,” Lipian said. “I think we should be picky.”
He expressed particular concern about the pace of data center development and said officials should take more time to study the effects of artificial intelligence on workers and society. He also wants communities to consider the environmental effects of data centers and how large developments could alter their identities.
“We have the land. We have the water. It doesn’t need to be now, and it doesn’t need to be so fast,” Lipian said. “We’re getting in over our skis.”
Lipian said he fears rapid development could upset Lorain County’s balance between urban and rural communities. Villages and townships should be able to grow without being transformed into cities, he said.
He also expressed concern about the proposed urban county program. Lipian said the arrangement could provide additional funding but place too much control over its distribution with the commissioners.
If the program moves forward, Lipian proposed creating a body with one representative selected by each participating township, village and small city. That body would review funding requests and forward its recommendations to commissioners.
Representatives would recuse themselves when requests from their own communities were considered, he said. The representatives should be chosen by their local councils or trustees rather than appointed by commissioners.
Workers and experience
Asked about the continuing Lorain County Job and Family Services strike, Lipian said reaching an agreement would be a priority for him. He said he would support providing workers with back pay and returning to negotiations.
Lipian said county employees who administer public benefits should not have to depend upon those same benefits themselves.
“Whatever we have to pay them so that doesn’t happen, I think, is the right thing to do,” he said.
Lipian grew up in Grafton and moved to Elyria in 2015. He served in the U.S. Air Force, including work in an inspector general’s office investigating complaints of waste, fraud and abuse. He later worked in public affairs and was commissioned as a second lieutenant.
His local government experience includes managing the Lorain County Records Center and serving as an economic development coordinator in community development. He currently serves as Grafton village administrator.
Lipian was first elected to represent Ward 1 on Elyria council as an independent in 2021 and is serving his third term.
Facing the write-in challenge
Lipian said he entered the commissioner race with his wife’s support after it became clear that a write-in campaign was his remaining path to the ballot.
He acknowledged that write-in candidates face an uphill fight but said he considers the campaign viable rather than symbolic. Lipian pointed to his first council race, which he said he won by 35 votes against an established candidate. He said he received 60% of the vote in the following election.
Lipian said the campaign will require voters to remember his name and deliberately write it on their ballots.
“If you’re writing someone in, it’s because you really believe in them,” Lipian said. “There can be no higher honor than that.”
He said he intends to earn voters’ support through personal contact and by demonstrating that his campaign is serious.
“I’m out for people to know that my name equals someone you can rely on and count on,” Lipian said. “I’m out to earn trust.”
