This November 3rd Tipp City voters will have the opportunity of determining a new majority on city council. According to the City’s Charter, there are 7 members of the Tipp City Council, and 3 members are elected in one off-year election, while 4 members are elected in the next. This year’s cycle calls for 4 members of the Tipp City Council to be chosen. This is a working majority and if 4 new members are elected, could result in a new direction for Tipp City. By default, voters are almost there. Three incumbents who could have ran for re-election have chosen not to run. These are Mayor Tim Evans, and long-time Members Bill Beagle, and Vicki Blakey. Only Pat Hale, current Council President, and member for 4 years has decided to seek another term, his second if elected. This means at the very least 3, if not 4 new members could be elected to Council. Those running for the 4 seats up for grabs this year are Katelyn Black, Brian Budding, Joe Gibson, and Don Ochs. But who are these others seeking to get elected to council? In addition to the incumbent, one is a total newcomer to the City and its local politics, one is an old-hand at all of this, the third is also a newcomer, and only 19 years old, while the 4th is a lawyer. Not exactly the standard list of candidates, and so a closer look may be warranted.
Brian Budding, is the political newcomer, and fairly new to the city as a resident as well. Having lived here for 5 years, he is still a relative unknown. A GM retiree and current owner of Barefoot Canoes, Inc. he does have business experience that might prove helpful. His performance at the candidate forums sponsored by the Optimists, the Chamber, and WPTW have not exactly been compelling, but his son is a well-known footballer, and he is well-known at the local school district. His repeating of “I want to know where my money is being spent” does not exactly spark my confidence, but he does call for cutting costs before raising taxes. Other than that, his positions are completely unknown.
Next is Don Ochs, the old-hand at all of this, who himself is a former Council Member, former Mayor, and Council President. It would seem that this gives him a great deal of credibility and experience such that he would be elected handily. However, he ran in 2007 as an incumbent and received the second-lowest number of votes in a field of 6. It was mainly due to a great deal of negative press Ochs received concerning his businesses which failed, and a bitter property-line dispute with his neighbor which resulted in the police being called, and two fences being erected to enclose the adjoining properties. This is one of the few areas in Tipp City where there are two fences, several feet apart, protecting one single property line. Ask anyone who was around in 2007 and they will give you an ear-full on this. These two issues alone may have cost Ochs the election. Experience notwithstanding, is this the kind of guy you want back on Council?
Katelyn Black is the biggest news story of this election. At only 19 years of age, she turned many heads in announcing her candidacy. However, in doing so she tackled the tough issue of cutting costs, most notably by declining the health insurance offered by the city to Council Members when elected. “If all members of Council did not partake of the health insurance, this would save the City over $70,000.00” she said. Not a bad idea for a kid still in school. But critics have noted that she is just that, will she understand the complexities of running a City? She does currently sit on the Board of Zoning Appeals, but how often does that august body even meet any more, and what do they really do. At 19 years of age, yes, she does offer a “fresh, new perspective” but a 30 year-old could do the same thing. It will be difficult for voters to look at someone who is 19 years of age without raising that issue.
Then there is Joe Gibson, a resident of 15 years who is a lawyer practicing in workers’ compensation. City Council already has a lawyer elected to it (George Lovett) and it remains to be seen if this is a good thing or not. Gibson is a member of the Planning Board, and Vice President of the Tipp-Monroe Cable Access Commission. As nice as this sounds, he still is a relative unknown in a recent field of folks who have ran for council in recent years (i.e. Gillis, Kessler, McFarland, Evans) and won much on popular votes. While he may offer a fresh perspective of his own, he has run twice before and lost. Will a third time be the charm for Gibson? What is his base? He claims it is the great “silent majority” but what does that even mean. He is fiscally conservative, and has come out in favor of Katie Black’s insurance issue (not accepting the City’s health coverage). He has also come out against the tax credit reduction as well. Will this resonate with voters?
Finally, there is Pat Hale, the incumbent and sole candidate up for re-election on City Council. While he has not blazed a trail of political glory in his first term as Council Member, he did manage not to enrage any particular constituency. As President of council he is known to be very pragmatic and is well-liked in the community. He did get points by voting against the tax credit this past September, but with the issue now tabled and deferred until December (well-after his possible re-election) there is really no telling how he is going to vote. With the anti-incumbent craze starting to take hold in state and local races, he could still be vulnerable.
So in sum, there is a whole range of candidates with a wide range of experience, ages, and perspectives from which to choose. Those who want the status-quo have 2 to vote for (Hale and Ochs). Those want a new perspective, have 3 to pick (Gibson, Budding and Black). Those who want someone totally from the outside, and brand new at politics, and even voting will have 2 to vote for here (Black and Budding). And if the voters want a clean majority of completely new faces, they can vote for Black, Budding, Gibson and Ochs (although Ochs served council in years prior). The election will all come down to what view-point, and what perspective you want for our City in the next term. As to who is ahead, and who is the underdog, it is still anybody’s guess. We’ll all find out on November 3rd. Stay tuned.
