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Ellen Belcher is the Dayton Daily News opinion pages editor. She writes about state government, education, the environment, higher education and all things Dayton.
Martin Gottlieb is an editorial writer and columnist for the Dayton Daily News opinion pages. He focuses on the political process itself and does such national issues as war, the economy, taxes and Social Security, as well as a hodge-podge of local and state issues.Home > Blogs > A Matter of Opinion > Archives > 2009 > November > 01
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Editoral: Races aren’t too sexy, but they really count
There is no race for president, nor will voters get to choose a governor, a U.S. senator or anyone for statewide office on Tuesday.
In what’s officially considered an off-election year — because all the candidate contests involve municipal, township and school board positions — there is just one marquee issue. Casino owners are trying again to open the state to gambling.
But as strongly as some people feel about that issue, it still doesn’t have the drawing power of major national and state political races.
As a result, a strong majority of registered voters probably will stay home Tuesday. Turnout for Montgomery County is projected to be less than 40 percent.
The reason to take a stand and pick a side is that many of the races will impact you in direct and concrete ways.
Choices for city council, township trustee and school board play a big role in determining the level of services residents receive and, yes, the taxes we pay. And, as happens every year, this election has cases that require a discerning eye from informed voters.
In some instances, the choices raise questions about what’s acceptable behavior for elected leaders. In other cases, voters must pick the best choice from among multiple strong candidates.
Consider the Harrison Twp. trustee contests. Two candidates on the ballot have ties to the adult entertainment businesses in a community where frustration with strip clubs and sex shops is a continuing theme.
Candidate Julie Caserta’s husband co-owns the Naughty ‘N Nice adult store on Dixie Drive. Her husband’s business partner is related to the owners of The Living Room strip club.
Also running is Georgeann Godsey, who works for the management company that owns the shopping center where The Living Room and Naughty ‘N Nice are located. Trustees make key decisions about zoning and law enforcement that can affect adult businesses.
Meanwhile, Trotwood is in such a financial bind that it has four tax issues on the ballot. They affect the city’s most basic operations, like filling potholes and keeping ambulances on the street. Even if voters approve all of the requests, the city will remain on shaky finanical ground. Yet, two candidates for city council are delinquent on their own property taxes.
Janice Chinn, a candidate for the 2nd Ward council seat, owes $4,254, while Mattie Clay, a candidate for the 1st Ward seat, owes $2,602. Both have been behind on their taxes for more than a decade.
As financially strapped as Trotwood is, every dollar in unpaid taxes makes it that much harder for the city to offer the services residents need.
In West Carrollton, Edward Jones wants to be one of the city’s council members just a year after he was convicted of a felony charge of receiving stolen property. He was caught on video taking merchandise from a discount store that ended up on the shelves of a store owned by his ex-wife.
At the other end of the spectrum, there are the Washington Twp. trustees contests. There, incumbents Joyce Young and Lee Snyder are opposed by newcomer Scott Paulson in one race. Incumbent Dale Berry is opposed by Harry Drain and Kenneth Parks in the other.
All six candidates have strengths. Ms. Young, Mr. Snyder, Mr. Berry and Mr. Drain have experience as trustees, while Mr. Parks is the former township fire chief. Mr. Paulson is an active community volunteer and a key player who helped grow a start-up company into a significant employer in Springboro.
Township voters who do go to the polls Tuesday will have the pleasant job of picking three winners among six good candidates.
There are similarly strong fields running for Centerville’s, Kettering’s and Beavercreek’s city councils, and for school board in Kettering and Springboro.
If you’re a registered voter, it’s not too late to get educated. Making an informed vote is the only way to ensure your community has thoughtful people making decisions you can live with.
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