Scott, 67, a third-generation Kettering resident who grew up in Southern Hills, is a retired business executive and owner who has served as a city councilman for four years.
Suddith, 52, who has lived in Kettering for nearly 25 years, is deputy director of the Montgomery County Veterans Service Commission and has a master’s degree in public administration. He has served as a councilman for two years.
What’s right with Kettering
Both candidates say they are proud to call Kettering home and tout its livability, with local restaurants and shopping, good schools, solid infrastructure, quality parks and other amenities.
“We do a lot of things really well,” Suddith said. “The two that are most vital are sound fiscal management and listening to the needs and desires of our residents. … Kettering is a community that is strongly built by its people. This focus on listening, understanding and gathering input from our citizens has been crucial, and it’s paying off. At the city, we are actively using the strategic plan — which was finalized in 2023 — to guide policy decisions, which means we are moving forward with what the community has told us they want."
A comprehensive land use plan underway, which will be completed in 2026, will provide further guidance to influence development to keep the city moving forward, both candidates said.
“In today’s world and this region, Kettering must look at opportunities to be the best in class in attracting, maintaining and inspiring business,” Scott said. “The city must look for ways to redevelop commercial lots and find opportunities to develop new housing.”
Leadership style
Strong, effective leadership is needed to make tough decisions and move the city forward, Scott said.
“I’ve spent my career creating opportunities and jobs, running a business of almost 100 employees to being an executive at a Fortune 150 company,” he said.
With Kettering facing budget shortfalls in the coming years, Scott said rather than tax increases, the city must either spend less or bring in more revenue from the expansion of existing businesses and by bringing in new businesses.
“I’m committed to being a full-time mayor of Kettering. I will use my 40 years of private executive business skills to lead the Kettering City Council and city to provide real solutions, listen to concerns and be an advocate for all residents and business owners of Kettering. We have full-time problems in Kettering that need full-time attention,” Scott said.
The office of mayor is a responsibility to the community, which Suddith, who described his leadership style as “one of collaboration, deliberation and consensus,” said he takes seriously.
“I have dedicated my time to this community through volunteerism, active involvement and serving on the city council over the span of the past 20 years. … I genuinely believe that strong leadership and learning comes from involvement and understanding," said Suddith, who graduated from the Kettering Leadership Academy and served on the charter review commission under former Mayor Don Patterson and six years on the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts Board.
“With the retirement of our current mayor and with her support and endorsement, I made the decision to run for mayor in order to protect a long history of professional city management free from the distraction of national partisan politics,” Suddith said.
Biggest issues facing Kettering
In addition to possible budget shortfalls in the future, Scott said neighborhood decline, property maintenance issues, rising criminal activity, more empty storefronts and overall economic uncertainly means “the business as usual attitude of Kettering is no longer viable.”
He presented a number of proposals to address these issues, including reestablishing the Kettering Chamber of Commerce, streamlining the permit and inspection process, providing economic incentives for small-business retention and creation, implementing an aggressive enforcement of property maintenance throughout the city, and creating an anonymous hotline for residents to voice their concerns.
The biggest challenges for Kettering are opportunities to shape the future, Suddith said.
“One way in which we can see an immediate impact is through the redevelopment of underused or unused property throughout the city. We have an opportunity to continue to work to have sites available for employers who want to grow and support our workforce, and we have a real chance to find innovative ways to mitigate issues around our housing inventory. This includes incentive programs for updating, expanding and improving older homes that haven’t been maintained well over time,” he said.
A working relationship
The council term ends in December 2027 for Scott and Suddith, so whoever is not elected mayor will remain on the council.
“We both want the same thing. A safe, comfortable and thriving city that our neighbors are proud to call home,” Suddith said. “We only differ in our approach to keeping it that way in the face of the challenges in front of us. I expect we will both be at the first meeting in November after this election, both ready to work alongside each other as we have for the last two years tackling the issues ahead.”
Scott said Suddith and he are professionals and have been through the candidate process.
“Regardless of the outcome, I’m committed to our professional relationship for the good of Kettering and council. This is not nation or partisan politics, but about our love of the Kettering community,” he said.
Family life
Scott is married to Letty and has three grown children: Rob, Sarah and Lauren, and four grandchildren: Brayden, Jax, Lucas and Annie.
Suddith and his wife, Melissa, have been married for 28 years. Originally from Lebanon, where they were high school sweethearts, they are parents to two grown sons, Caleb and Andrew.
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