By TODD HELBERG
cnedit@crescent-news.com
Three of Defiance City Council's four ward seats have contested races on Nov. 6, which is rare enough.
Not since 1991 have so many of the ward positions been competitive. That year all four were contested with incumbents winning three.
This year, the Ward I, Ward II and Ward III seats each have two candidates. And, despite three incumbents in the running, this is the first contested ward race for two of them and the first election for a third.
In Ward I, Democrat Dan Bohn will take on Republican incumbent Gary Butler.
Butler is finishing his first, four-year term after facing no opposition in November 2003. Only six months before that election, he was appointed to the seat after Garry Rodenberger stepped down.
The Ward II race has a council appointee defending his seat for the first time.
Democratic incumbent Howard Tropepe is facing off with Republican Larry Bryant. Tropepe was appointed to the seat in January 2006, replacing Tim Holtsberry who was elected council president in November 2005.
In Ward III, longtime Republican incumbent Darrell Handy will battle Democrat Jim Shoch.
Handy was first appointed to council to fill a vacancy in 1994, then won four-year terms in 1995, 1999 and 2003, but none were contested. Handy did run in a challenged council election in November 2005 when he fell to Holtsberry for the president's seat.
While three out of four contested ward seats aren't bad, it was almost four of four.
Independent Dawn Carpenter had filed to run against Democratic incumbent Chris Engel in Ward IV. But Carpenter withdrew from the race in August, leaving Engel as the lone Ward IV choice on Nov. 6.
All council winners will get four-year terms.
Profiles of the candidates, excluding Engel in the uncontested Ward IV election, follow:
Ward I
Name: Dan Bohn
Age: 47
Address: 1704 Terrawenda Drive
Education: 1978 graduate, Defiance High School, attended Defiance College
Family: wife, Marianne; sons, Philip and Nate; daughter, Carissa Cary
Occupation: fixed asset accountant, Campbell Soup Co.
Public office: none
Party affiliation: Democrat
Reason for seeking office: I have served on many boards of the city for the last 10 years. I am currently a member of the planning commission, zoning board of appeals, and the community reinvestment housing council. I served as a past member and chairman of the parks board.
I feel with my past knowledge and experience I am willing to dedicate more time to assist and work with city boards for the promising future of Defiance.
I believe in working with other elected officials and administration. I believe Defiance should be viewed as a professional, energetic, progressive and economically stable city.
Top goals: I am concerned with the completion of the elementary school as there will be many issues to address. Some of those issues I am concerned with are the safety of the students and traffic control. I would like to address these issues before they become a problem. I feel we should continue to work and set time frames and foreseeable solutions with the board of education, city planners, administrators, police and fire. I would like to see a smooth transition for this new school.
The 2030 land use development plan needs to be completed by the year 2010. This will help with the continuation of future land use and recommendation of industrial, residential, commercial land use. To achieve this I am willing to work with city council and the planning commission to complete this plan.
I would like to have a comprehensive review and definition of our current zoning codes. This would be in conjunction with the businesses, individuals, realtors and administration. I would like to incorporate knowledge of our local engineering firms and contractor of home builders and industrial workers. This is a large issue and encompasses everything from signage to parking requirements, overlay districts and many more issues. I feel our zoning codes are outdated, incomplete and confusing. They are not concise or user friendly. The zoning codes are not easily accessed by residential or contractual users.
Name: Gary Butler
Age, address: 45, 766 Chippewa Drive
Education: 1980 graduate, Fairview High School
Family: wife, Rhonda; son, Lewis; daughter, Jane
Occupation: owner/broker, Butler Mohr GMAC Real Estate
Public office: Ward 1 Defiance City Council member since May 2003
Party affiliation: Republican
Reason for seeking office: I believe that I can make a positive difference in helping lead the city of Defiance. Being the leader of a successful real estate company, I feel I have a pulse on what this community needs to grow and be competitive both economically and for the benefit of the citizens of Defiance. The important decisions that we make today will have a significant impact on the generations to come. Being the owner of a small independent business, I feel I bring a fresh entrepreneurial view to council.
Top goals: 1. We must properly plan for growth. I believe Defiance will see unprecedented growth in the next 10 years. We can achieve this by following the city's strategic plan and also be ready for future opportunities. Growth needs to be done in an orderly, defined fashion that makes good sense. We must work closely with the Defiance Community Improvement Corp., county officials, state representatives, Defiance Area Chamber of Commerce, Defiance Development and Visitors Bureau and the citizens of Defiance.
2. We need to be good stewards of our resources: our time, our money, our energy, our infrastructure and our workforce. I will continue to work with the city administration seeking the best possible use of those resources. We need to be fiscally sound and responsible. We need to focus our energy to the positive end. Our infrastructure needs to be in place to support not only growth, but to sustain the quality of life that the citizens of Defiance expect. We must continue to support the city's outstanding work force as they help to make Defiance a "Great Place to Live."
3. As chairman of the buildings and lands committee, one of my goals must always be to make sure that we are using our physical assets to their fullest potential. We have a number of challenges ahead of us, such as the new municipal court building, a possible northside fire station and the acquisition of the Slocum school property. The landscape of Defiance is changing very rapidly and we must make sure that it is changing for the benefit of the residents of Defiance.
Ward II
Name: Howard Tropepe
Age, address: 51, 705 Thurston St.
Education: 1974 graduate, Boardman High School; attended Oklahoma City Community College
Family: wife, Susan; sons, Zayne Knight and Chris; daughter, Angela
Occupation: Powertrain quality coordinator
Public office: Ward II councilman since January 2006
Party affiliation: Democrat
Reason for seeking office: I have enjoyed being on city council these two years and I have met a lot of people. I want to give back to the community, and one way is being a public servant. Personal gain is not what I am about. I want to help people and the city. There is a lot going on such as growth and development, and I want to continue be a part of it.
Top goals: 1. Do the best job I can for the citizens of Defiance, listen to their concerns and act upon them. 2. Work closely with the board of control and present ideas that are good for the city and the taxpayers. We work well together, and I will continue to keep pushing ideas for our citizens. 3. Work as a team. I will work with all the councilmen and agree to disagree. I feel we all have good ideas, but I realize not all are feasible at this time, but we can work on these ideas together.
Name: Larry Bryant
Age, address: 70, 1211 S. Clinton St.
Education: 1955 graduate, Defiance High School
Family: wife, Rosie; two daughters, Lori and Dodi Thompson; son, Scott
Occupation: barber (Larry's Barber Shop)
Public office: none
Party affiliation: Republican
Reason for seeking office: To give back to a city that has been good to me.
Top goals: 1. To be an advocate for the citizens of Ward II by asking questions and resolving problems. I will have an open door policy and work with other council members. 2. Perform as part of a diverse group, knowing that not everyone will agree on every issue all the time. I want to gain an understanding of all services and programs. Every effort will be made to act in a business-like manner. 3. To help the council move forward for the betterment of the city. I am aware that personality conflicts only hamper the effectiveness of the group.
Ward III
Name: Darrell W. Handy
Age, address: 52, 721 Corwin St.
Education: 1973 graduate, Fairview High School; 1992 graduate, Northwest State Community College; 1996 graduate, Defiance College; attended Defiance Area Chamber of Commerce's leadership program; completed Dale Carnegie course
Family: wife, Kim; son, Adam; daughters, Sarah and Leah Gustwiller Jones.
Occupation: warehouse manager at Titan Tire of Bryan since 1973
Public office: Ward III councilman since 1994
Party affiliation: Republican
Reason for seeking office: We live in a great community and I feel I have the ability to work with others to continue to make Defiance a great place to live. I have two children and three grandchildren who live in Defiance and I want them to have the same opportunities I have had.
Top goals: Continue implementation of the strategic plan that city council has passed. I will continue to work with various entities like the Defiance Area Chamber of Commerce, county commissioners, the economic development office, Defiance Development and Visitors Bureau and various groups in the city to get this plan implemented. Many citizens have worked hard on the plan to provide guidelines for the future of our city. I have worked well with all of these groups and will continue to do so for citizens of Ward III and all of Defiance.
Capital improvement projects. We need to continue to replace old water lines and look for funding sources for the EPA-mandated CSO project. We will need to work on seeking funding for the widening of the Ohio 66 bridge over U.S. 24. This will help the traffic congestion for the residents living on the north side. I will work for the completion of the Northfield Addition street resurfacing project, work to get the back half of the Wooded Acres Subdivision street resurfaced and the complete rehab of East High Street by working with the streets and sidewalk and finance committees. I will continue to get the new reservoir filled so we will have a better quality water and no nitrate alerts.
Economic development has to remain a high priority for this council. When you create jobs by retention and expansion, you expand your economic base and government is less likely to have to come back and ask for new tax dollars. We need to work hand in hand with the economic development office and other government agencies. We need to make sure that our children have the same opportunities that we have had.
Name: Jim Shoch
Age, address: 47, 595 Briarheath Drive
Education: 1978 graduate, Eastern Mennonite High School, Harrisonburg, Va.; 2000 graduate, Hondros College of Real Estate
Family: wife, Tammy; three children, Lydia, Jesse and Aaron
Occupation: realtor, Coldwell Banker; bus driver, Northeastern Local Schools
Public office: none
Party affiliation: Democrat
Reason for seeking office: I believe it is time for a change and a new generation of leadership. I see myself as a progressive team player who is concerned for the well-being of all and is committed to diversity and respect for those with differing views. I will uphold the values of our civic duties to participate in the democratic process.
Top goals: 1. A greater sense of teamwork on city council. This is achieved by my leadership skills of observation, mutually respectful conversation and thoughtful analysis of our county's challenges. 2. I will long for and strive toward building a community of mutual care and concern where differences are resolved comparatively. This will be achieved by the direct participation on the service of our community's collective ideals. 3. To become actively involved in the exciting changes that are a part of our county's current growth. I will work to benefit the community and individual happiness. I am a progressive team player who desires to see all of Defiance's residents enjoy a good life. The responsibility for our lives and the kind of community in which we live is ours and ours alone to ensure that Defiance, Ohio, remains "A Great Place to Live."