ELECTION COVERAGE
Compare the local candidates on the issues and learn more about the state and local issues on the Nov. 3 ballot in our interactive election guide at vote.daytondailynews.com
When Centerville voters go to the polls Tuesday, they will determine which of five candidates will fill three seats on city council.
Issues facing the candidates include adjusting to less money from the state following cuts in recent years to the Local Government Fund; managing commercial and residential development; and ironing out disagreements with Sugarcreek Twp. for fire and EMS services.
Incumbents Belinda Kenley and John Beals are being challenged by Jim Briggs, Mark Engert and Steve Feverston.
Belinda Kenley
Belinda Kenley has served as a council member for eight years and chairs the city’s business task force and the council’s streets and highways committee. The city’s infrastructure will be her focus if re-elected, Kenley said.
“We have a lot of aging infrastructure,” she said. “We have to figure out a way to pay for that without putting a heavy burden on our taxpayers and residents.”
Kenley touted her government and business experience as reasons voters should re-elect her. In addition to her time on council, Kenley said she has 10 years of experience in state government. She served as a regional liaison for the Ohio Attorney General’s office and the Ohio Auditor of State.
“I’ve learned the processes and procedures for professional city management and making good public policies,” Kenley wrote in response to questions from the Dayton Daily News Voter Guide.
Kenley is an executive with Energy Optimizers, USA, an energy services firm based in Tipp City.
John Beals
John Beals has served on the council for eight years. Beals said his focus if re-elected will be on bringing jobs to the city to keep young adults from leaving.
“We have to retain young people in our community and we need jobs to do that,” Beals said. “We need more modest-level housing for young families.”
Beals said his experience on council, as well as his professional experience in civil engineering, are key reasons why he should be re-elected.
Beals said he has worked in civil engineering design for 50 years, often on projects for city, county and state governments.
Centerville is generally well-managed and only started to see budget problems after the state reduced the amount of funding to local governments, he said.
Still, the city has balanced its budget “through transfers from its rainy day account to meet current costs,” Beals said in the voter guide.
He said the city must find ways to balance the budget without relying on reserves. “We must balance our annual budget through further expenditure reductions or by finding additional funds not currently available,” he said.
Jim Briggs
Challenger Jim Briggs said he would bring a strategic approach to city council if elected.
Briggs, a member of the planning commission since 1999, said he would not be a one-issue council member.
Briggs is a former radio broadcaster and also served in the U.S. Army. If elected to city council, he wants to focus on the financial future of the city.
“They have been slowly bleeding away the reserve funds to respond to the needs of the community,” he said. “We have to keep the infrastructure as viable as we can to maintain a high quality of life.”
Briggs said other top issues include finding appropriate land to develop new housing in a city that is basically “built-out,” finding a way to provide safety services without depending on neighboring townships, and making sound budget decisions.
“As a former executive, I am well-versed in establishing and monitoring the budgetary process,” Briggs said in the voter guide.
Mark Engert
Mark Engert said he is running for council because he is concerned about the financial future of the city.
“I’m not a politician,” he said. “But I believe that we need fresh ideas so we can provide the services we need.”
Engert, who has worked for more than 20 years as a logistics manager, also expressed that he wants to continue to invest in the city’s school system.
“I believe Centerville City Schools are the biggest asset,” he said. “That is what drives people to our community.”
Making sure citizen voices are heard is also a priority, Engert said. “The city government should … embrace the relationship between the citizens and work together to resolve issues,” Engert said in the voter guide.
Steve Feverston
Steve Feverston worked for the city of Centerville for 34 years before retiring as city planner in 2014.
He said he has always worked in community development and growth while working as city planner.
“I want to preserve the character of our neighborhoods,” Feverston said. “We have to find alternate funding sources to accomplish that.”
Feverston said that if elected, he would lobby the Ohio Legislature to reinstate funding that cities lost because of cuts to the Local Government Fund. He said he would also seek cost-sharing measures with other local governments.
The former city planner said he would build on the strengths of the city’s neighborhoods by improving on biking opportunities, adding walking paths and more open space. He said he would also explore using the city’s “historic treasures” to boost business opportunities.
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