This is Too Much: The Price to Serve

I had a secret wish that I hadn’t told a soul about if I were able to serve as county clerk. I wanted to petition the Summit County Council for a decrease in my salary so I could lower the cost of business licenses in the area. I was heartbroken when I researched the idea and found that I couldn’t do that.

I knew there were federal and local restrictions, but I had no idea I couldn’t request it by choice when it would impact only me. I wouldn’t even be able to request a salary freeze during that time. So my next best option is to donate a portion of it back to the community, which I will do.

I didn’t know for sure what the county clerk’s compensation was before I put my name in to run for office. So I was absolutely floored when I researched and learned that it was actually over $150,000 a year, plus benefits, making the total compensation package just shy of $200,000 for 2025.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, I would be in the top 85th to 90th percentile of individual earners in Summit County. That isn’t just a living wage. That is an elite wage.

So with all of the talk about salaries in the public sector at the state and local level, I feel we are missing an important part of the conversation. As we talk about just compensation for the work being done, which is very fair, we also have to include the incentives it creates and whether we are achieving what we hope to accomplish.

As we discuss compensation in public service, I think we should also ask who is realistically able to pursue public office in the first place. What I can say is that I know it will cost me more than $50,000 to run a competitive race for county clerk.

My filing fee was just shy of $900. Can the less affluent members of our community participate if that’s the entry fee just to try to compete? Do they have the resources to even begin a campaign?

I also know that incentives matter. If I were elected, I would be stepping into a position with a compensation package that far exceeds what many families in Summit County earn. At some point, we have to ask whether continually increasing compensation is helping us achieve the outcomes we want.

Are we encouraging more people from different backgrounds and income levels to participate in public service, or are we creating positions that become increasingly attractive as long-term careers?

There is value in experience, but there is also value in having leaders who regularly return to the realities of running a business, balancing a household budget, hiring employees, paying property taxes, and living with the consequences of local policy decisions. A healthy government should have room for both. When fewer people feel they can afford to run, and more offices become occupied by the same small group of people for decades at a time, we should at least be willing to ask whether the system is producing the representation we intended.

I believe public office is a stewardship, not a destination. It should be an opportunity to serve our neighbors for a season, not a privilege reserved for a select few.

My concern is not what any specific person earns. My concern is whether the people who build our communities, run our businesses, raise our families, and shoulder the everyday challenges of life still have a meaningful seat at the table. If they do not, then we should have the courage to ask why and the humility to make changes. That is a conversation worth having.

Suni Woolstenhulme

Oakley

https://www.parkrecord.com/2026/07/15/this-is-too-much/