“We agree that change on the Butler County Commission in 2015 is necessary,” she said. “Butler County needs a proven, educated choice.”
Also seeking the open seat on the commission is George Nafziger of West Chester Twp., who filed his petition to run for the office Dec. 2, as well as Commissioner Cindy Carpenter of Oxford, and former Butler County Dog Warden Julie Holmes of Middletown, who have pulled petitions but not yet filed, according to the Butler County Board of Elections.
This is not the first time Matacic has sought higher office. She tried unsuccessfully in 2011 to be appointed to a vacant state representative seat, one that went to Margy Conditt, a former Liberty Twp. trustee.
Matacic said her experience as trustee can be transferred to the county level when it comes to economic development, job growth and every day management of the county.
“You take a look at how we’ve developed a team here in Liberty Twp., it hasn’t always been that way,” she said. “When I came on, it was a little disjointed at times and through the years we’ve been able to work together and we’ve built and developed a team and have a lot of respect for one another.”
She cited her management skills, her understanding of how to treat and respect people and businesses, and her past and present success as Liberty Twp. trustee as reasons for her viability as a county commissioner.
First elected as a trustee in 2001, Matacic has helped the township improve its bond rating to Aa1, depositing more than $20 million in township reserves and maintaining a seven-year comprehensive budget forecast.
Matacic said that when it comes to her competition on the commission, “headlines from the past three years speak for themselves.”
“It is my goal to take Butler County to the next level, and that can only happen with a more sensitive and business-like approach to the management of the county,” she said.
Matacic said she plans to work with Commissioners Don Dixon and T.C. Rogers “to advance Butler County as a professional, responsible and business-friendly community.
“I look forward to turning the page to a more positive outlook,” she said.
Matacic serves on a variety of boards and committees through the county and the region, including the Butler County Township Association, West Chester-Liberty Chamber Alliance, Butler County Chamber Caucus and the Hamilton Rotary, as well as Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments and the Ohio Township Association.
Joe Hinson, president and CEO of the West Chester-Liberty Chamber Alliance, said Matacic has had a “vast education” in both the infrastructure and makeup of the region.
Asked about what traits might transfer well from Matacic’s role with the chamber’s board to a position in higher government, Hinson said “she has had a lot of experience working with businesses.”
“We’ve done a lot of different things on transportation, which is basically one of her fortes,” Hinson said. “I think she brings a lot to the table, especially with what she’s done with OKI. I think because of her vast experience besides Liberty, her approach has become more of a regional approach, not necessarily just a local approach.”
Matacic also has been active with the Butler County Republican Party for more than a decade, serving on its Executive Committee and Central Committee, as well as serving for three years as region committee chairperson and on the party’s finance, policy and by-laws committees.
David Kern, executive chairman for the Butler County Republican Party, said Matacic is “one of the hardest working trustees” he’s met in his more than 30 years as a Liberty Twp. trustee.
“She’s been very, very diligent,” Kern said. “Her attention to detail is remarkable and … she cares about the township and the area a lot.”
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