Their opponents, Darius Beckham and Karen Wick, said they would bring fresh ideas, experienced leadership and new energy to the elected body. They are campaigning with incumbent Mayor Jeffrey Mims Jr., who is seeking a second term.
Mims usually is aligned with two members of the city commission, Chris Shaw and Matt Joseph, who are not up for reelection. Commissioners Fairchild and Turner-Sloss sometimes disagree with their colleagues and end up on the losing side of 3-to-2 votes.
This story looks at the four candidates vying for two open city commission seats. The mayor’s race will appear separately on the ballot.
Commissioners are considered part-time jobs that pay about $57,700 annually. The city has a general fund budget of roughly $228 million and 1,900 employees.
Darryl Fairchild
Incumbent City Commissioner Fairchild said he has spent the last seven years in office fighting for investments in housing and neighborhoods because residents deserve to live in stable, cohesive and safe communities.
Fairchild, who is the manager of chaplain services at Dayton Children’s Hospital, said Dayton must invest in young people, stop the spread of blight and take steps to make sure every resident feels safe.
All Daytonians deserve to have their voices heard, Fairchild said, but too often he hears complaints about how unresponsive the city has been to their concerns. Fairchild vowed that he, Davis and Turner-Sloss will put people before politics and restore trust in city government.
“We need government that works — it needs to be transparent, responsive, responsible, accountable and it needs to work for everyone," he said.
Fairfield said the commission is supposed to set a clear vision for the city and provide direction to the city manager.
Children need safe spaces, activities and the support of caring and responsible adults, and the city must work with young people and youth-focused nonprofits, the schools and business and community leaders to secure funding for strategies to improve their lives, Fairchild said.
“We have kicked the can on this issue for over 20 years, it is time for us to create a sustainable solution,” he said.
Karen Wick
Wick, a Dayton school board member who has owned and operated Coco’s Bistro restaurant in Dayton for nearly three decades, says she’s a creative thinker and a problem-solver who will work tirelessly to move the city forward.
“I’m a mom, I’m a woman, I’m a nurturer, I’m an entrepreneur, I’m a thinker, I’m a doer, I’m a solution-oriented person,” Wick said. “I’m looking forward to bringing people together to get things done in the city of Dayton.”
Wick said her main focus areas in office will be public safety, strengthening neighborhoods and business entrepreneurship and development. She said the best leaders have strong relationships, and she’s spent her life working with diverse groups of people to turn big ideas into real results.
Dayton is poised for “amazing” growth and opportunity in coming years, but there’s a lot of work to do and many problems to tackle, Wick said. She said the city needs to lower crime rates, attract and create new jobs and better support businesses and neighborhoods.
“When our businesses thrive, our entire city thrives,” she said.
Wick said one of the first things she would do if elected is try to find ways to cut red tape, and she says it is imperative to address rising housing costs, homelessness and mental illness issues.
Jacob Davis
Credit: Knack Video + Photo
Credit: Knack Video + Photo
Davis is a small business owner and an attorney who litigates civil rights and fair housing cases who says his skillset will be invaluable in city leadership.
He says the balance of power at City Hall is at stake in this election and city government will become more accountable and transparent if he, Fairchild and Turner-Sloss come out on top.
Davis said the city often creates barriers that discourage resident participation and limits voices and input, especially when it comes to big ideas, new policies and community proposals.
“I believe it’s time for our community to dream big again,” he said. “I think we all recognize that oftentimes with our city government, particularly over the last four years, we’ve been in a race to no.”
Davis said he wants to help create a housing trust fund to help pay for home repair assistance and homeownership grants. He also wants to implement a program like Lot Links, which allowed people to acquire vacant and tax-delinquent properties for low prices to try to return them to productive use.
He also proposes to implement a new nuisance abatement program, expand the neighborhood grant program and offer incentives to city employees who choose to live in Dayton, which hopefully would get more police officers to reside in the communities they serve.
Darius Beckham
Beckham, a former legislative aide for the city commission and Mayor Mims’ previous senior policy aide, says he is an experienced public servant and community advocate who believes the city is at a pivotal point of growth. But Beckham says Dayton faces serious challenges that will require maturity, focus and partnerships to counteract.
“I’m running because I believe we need to keep building momentum while also tackling the issues that still hold too many neighborhoods back, things like gun violence, disinvestment and the lack of economic opportunity,” Beckham said.
If elected, Beckham said he will work hard to make Dayton safer and more vibrant and equitable for everyone. He said he wants to strengthen partnerships with schools, faith institutions and employers to expand opportunities for young people and prepare residents for the jobs of the future.
Beckham said he wants to modernize and streamline city systems that are outdated or inefficient, like the building permit approval process, which some people have criticized for taking too long.
“Commissioners must listen, lead and connect, serving as the bridge between City Hall and our neighborhoods,” Beckham said. “Dayton is a city with tremendous potential and resilience. We’ve made real progress in areas like neighborhood stabilization and downtown investment, but too many residents still feel disconnected from that progress.”
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