Chris Shaw: I am running for re-election because I believe I have made a difference and there is a lot more I can do to help the residents of Dayton. There is a lot of great change coming to Dayton, and I have the experience to take this change even further and make sure we remain headed in the right direction.

Marcus Bedinger: I am running for Dayton City Commission in an effort to redirect the policy conversation in our city back onto our neighborhoods, which, despite Daytonian's resilience, have been struggling for decades. In fact, too many our neighborhoods have been in a state of crisis for as long as some city leaders have been in office. It is unfair to ask this community for re-election when you have a legacy of decay and negligence. Instead of focusing $1.5B of investment mostly on Downtown, the vision for Dayton should be much more inclusive. My vision includes helping homeowners rehabilitate their homes, instead of allowing them to crumble next to vacant properties. It includes continuing the advocacy of my former boss in the US Congress and calling for federal dollars to support the amount an influx of affordable housing. As someone who has recovered from homelessness, I understand firsthand how rising housing costs are crushing Daytonians and sending the unhoused to fill our shelters every night. My vision includes connecting our young people in Dayton to new job opportunities with higher wages and our students with the types of literacy and enrichment programs that I remember as a kid growing up in Dayton. My vision includes defending our city from loiterers, polluters, "hooning," reckless ATV and motorcycle joyriding, vacant property owners, etc. and establishing a standard of holding them accountable.

Matt Joseph: I’m running for re-election to keep Dayton moving in the right direction. I'm proud of what I've accomplished over the last several years, but there is more work to do. A lot of the issues that we are facing can't be solved overnight, but we have seen a lot of positive changes. I want to continue to be a part of the team that's making these transformational changes and building a better community. I have the experience to continue to make Dayton a safer, more just, and more prosperous city.

Valerie Duncan: Dayton City Commisson

Chris Shaw: If I am re-elected to the City Commission, we will continue to see progress across the City. I’ll keep fighting for good jobs and safe and prosperous neighborhoods. I have the leadership that the city needs to keep moving in the right direction. I will continue to collaborate with leaders from across Dayton to bring people together and find solutions to the tough challenges our city faces. We have come really far from some dark days in Dayton, and we can continue to move in a positive direction with experienced leadership.

Marcus Bedinger: I believe my campaign provides voters with a new choice in this election and an inclusive and equitable plan for city government. I bring my personal experience as a father raising two young children who attend Dayton Public Schools. I live in a great community on the west side, but one of many communities that deserve businesses, safe, affordable housing, and new job opportunities. I believe those experiences and others that I have discussed and will continue to address throughout the campaign should be represented in our city leadership and policymaking. Further, I have experience connecting constituents to needed resources and responding to community concerns. And I have a commitment to community organizing, as evidenced by my years of registering voters and issue advocacy, which I believe is the start of real solutions in our city government.

Matt Joseph: If voters re-elect me, we will continue to see more progress! Dayton will keep moving in the right direction. While I've been on the City Commission, I have worked hard to ensure good -quality and reliable city services, even during some terrible fiscal times, and will keep doing so. I will keep working to make Dayton an immigrant friendly city and more sustainable. I will continue to listen to our residents, especially the most vulnerable, and be a voice for them on the City Commission.

Valerie Duncan: DAYTON – This past week the Dayton Unit of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), along with the League of Women Voters of The Greater Dayton Area and the Dayton Daily News, hosted a Candidates Forum. Valerie Duncan was the clear crowd favorite, touting my message of cutting through the red tape and putting needed monies directly into neighborhoods. As Dayton City Commissioner, it's our responsibility to ensure that the policies and procedures of Dayton have a good impact on our neighborhood conditions for the benefit of its residents and to attract people to live and work in Dayton. My past work experience of 31 years working for the city government, has prepared me for the challenges that currently exist for the City of Dayton. In my public career, I have had the opportunity to work hand in hand with the City of Dayton’s day-to-day department operations to improve Dayton's livability and stability. My expertise in city government will help implement City policies and programs that will include citizen involvement for results that benefit the residents of Dayton I’ve committed my life to getting resources to neighborhoods and businesses There is nothing I want more than to make our neighborhoods thrive again, we can do that by using the $138,000 million dollars that has come to the city to revitalize our neighborhoods. Some issues and problems are complex and sometimes controversial. Through my experience working through a variety of city boards and committees, and my understanding of city operations and functions, including the budget process, I know how to get projects and programs funded to best benefit the citizens of Dayton. During the time that I worked for the City of Dayton, the City manager, gave me the opportunity to allocate $500,000 dollars for the Southeast community neighborhoods, where the needs were identified and their development projects were funded. Several City and County officials have sought my advice, on fiscal policy, budget funding questions, and Economic development strategies

Chris Shaw: My top three priorities are workforce development, safe and clean neighborhoods, and attracting employers with good, high-paying jobs.

Marcus Bedinger: My top three priorities include youth services, affordable housing, and public safety.

Matt Joseph: My top three priorities will be to continue to make our neighborhoods cleaner and safer, to provide good quality city services, and to make sure all residents have opportunities to use their talents and abilities to the fullest as they work on building the lives they envision for themselves.

Valerie Duncan: There are several major issues facing the City of Dayton. The main concern with most neighborhoods is the overall conditions of our neighborhoods. The major issues centered on the number of dilapidated and boarded houses in the City of Dayton. Other issues concerned the lack of investment in the urban core of the city and the feeling of abandonment. Other concerns are the build-up of trash in the alleys and roadways. The City of Dayton lacks facilities to assist Seniors, Women, Drug recovery, the homeless, and Youth activities for young adults and children, along with food assistance. There appears to be a lack of resources to abate the boarded-up houses and no programs to give Dayton residents an opportunity to become homeowners. Programs for tax abatement should be provided for all residents to participate regardless of their income. Housing programs for low and moderate-income families need to be created. Collaborating efforts can be done for those neighborhoods that suffer from housing blight by channeling resources to address these problems. The City of Dayton’s partnerships needs to be created for housing programs that give residents opportunities to become a homeowner. Other programs that help restore historic structures throughout Dayton need to be established with resources and funds. Pollutants, called Forever chemicals, from the chemical runoffs from the City of Dayton airport and the Wright Patterson Air Force base have contributed to chemical contaminants that are getting into Dayton’s water. The City of Dayton needs to address the issue of water quality and be more proactive. We shouldn't wait until there is a region's water crisis. The City needs to take the necessary actions to prevent the drinking water from becoming contaminated and those pollutants affect the health of our families with children. The other need is the economic development within the City of Dayton. This can be done with a true dedication to those efforts by the City. Again, by helping the development of our neighborhoods with new housing development with the $138,00 million Dayton Recovery funds. Creating housing programs that will lead to homeownership by our Dayton residents. Dayton also needs to help small business development. Various programs need to be created to revitalize our business districts and help with business investments for all of our businesses.

Chris Shaw: To accomplish these priorities, I will continue to advocate for our workforce apprenticeship programs that are preparing our young people for jobs that are in our region now and will continue to come. I will also work with my colleagues to implement our plan to remove 1,100 abandoned structures across the city, repave roads, and invest in our local parks to make our neighborhoods clean and safe. Investing in our infrastructure, neighborhoods, and downtown, will continue to attract new employers to the region.

Marcus Bedinger: We should be eager to increase the budget for the Department of Recreation to connect more of our youth to existing programs, but also to grow our recreational programs in academics, athletics, the arts, and other areas of student and civic interests. One specific program I hope to champion is a mentorship program that connects every youth with our seniors through churches, community organizations, and senior living centers. I remember my mentors from church and organizations like the Dayton Boys Choir, who were critical not just to my development but also in my connection to the city. As it relates to affordable housing, inclusionary zoning is one policy that has proven successful across the country and some places currently in Dayton. However, we should expand its use to make Downtown more diverse, and to ensure that new housing developments can be accessible to those with lower incomes as well as market-rate housing. Infill housing is another way to increase the number of places to live and would also address the issue of blighted homes and vacant empty lots. With public safety, we have to consider a much more comprehensive picture. Of course, police have an important role to play in keeping us safe, but we must also ensure that we are safe from the fires we have seen in vacant and occupied home. In the case of both the police and fire departments, it will require exploring apprenticeship programs that recruit from our schools and neighborhoods, building a force that is from and has a vested interest in staying in the community throughout their career. I also plan to work collaboratively with parents and families to reaffirm the commitment we have to actively raise our children to be civic-minded and productive contributors to our larger community, steering them from criminal behavior and encounters with. Mental health services are also a critical component of public safety that require our immediate attention and resources. I plan to implement a program that connects youth in the community with mental health resources for themselves and their families that can be taken advantage of in the home, to address personal and familial dynamics that might contribute to academic performance and overall development.

Matt Joseph: To accomplish these priorities, my colleagues and I will follow through on our Dayton Recovery plans with demolition of blighted structures, and we’ll clean up neighborhoods by trimming brush, cutting lawns and repaving sidewalks. We’ll find new and innovative ways to provide quality services, like our curbside leaf pickup. We'll continue to elevate and prioritize the needs of our most vulnerable residents, to welcome immigrants, and to work to make sure everyone is heard and participating in all aspects of life in the city. And we will continue to encourage and attract employers and entrepreneurs who can provide good-paying jobs for residents of all education levels.

Valerie Duncan: The City of Dayton Commission needs to be committed to addressing the housing blight of our city neighborhoods. That includes adequate allocation of the City of Dayton general funds and the $138,000 million Dayton Recovery funds The current City Commission has not acted to alleviate the housing problems and now there are thousands of run-down and boarded houses to do something about. The current City Commission needed to “DO SOMETHING” As your Dayton Commissioner, I am committed to adequately funding the departments that are responsible for housing issues. The $138 million that has been allocated to the City of Dayton, will be used to address the issues of our neighborhoods and create housing programs that will lead to homeownership including for senior, moderate, and low-income residents. Provide facilities that help senior needs, women's needs, homeless needs, drug recovery needs, and youth activities. Major development is on the way to revitalize downtown Dayton. The City of Dayton has several partners including City Wide Development, the Dayton Chamber of Commerce, the Dayton Development Coalition, and the Downtown Dayton Partnership. As a result, millions of dollars are being invested to help Downtown Dayton thrive. The City of Dayton needs to commit the same development investments and efforts to revitalize Dayton neighborhoods. The city’s housing issues need to be our number one priority. There are several creative ways to get our housing infrastructure back on track. We need new leadership to implement plans and get measured results. “I will be a leader who will work to ensure people of color are not red-lined when they look for financing for a home,” Duncan continued. “The playing field must be equalized to create a pathway for homeownership for Blacks and Latinos in our city.” “It’s also the responsibility of our commission to – now that we are making desperately needed upgrades to the jail – do the work to see that a disproportionate amount of black and brown people are not discriminated against and put behind bars unfairly.” Pollutants from the chemical runoffs from the City of Dayton airport and the Wright Patterson Air Force base have contributed to chemical contaminants that are getting into Dayton’s water. The City of Dayton needs to address the issue of water quality and be more proactive. We shouldn't wait until there is a region's water crisis. The City needs to take the necessary actions to prevent the drinking water from becoming contaminated with forever chemicals and those pollutants that affect the health of our families with children. The City Commission needs to be committed to Dayton’s safe and quality water. Major development is continuing to revitalize downtown Dayton. As a result, millions of dollars are being invested to help Downtown Dayton thrive. The City of Dayton needs to commit the same development investments and efforts to revitalize Dayton neighborhoods. We need new leadership to implement plans and get measured results. Every neighborhood in Dayton deserves access to the same community-building tools as we use downtown. The Downtown Dayton Partnership, Chamber of Commerce, City Wide Development Corporation, and the Dayton Development Coalition need to understand there is a community of neighborhoods outside downtown that will help the city center to thrive. These organizations, and others like them, need to be aligned, with an overall plan and objectives to create development programs for neighborhoods and businesses, help houses that need repair and restoration, and to enable home ownership. As your voice, I will end the log jam that is our Commission, be committed to addressing the issues of our neighborhoods each face, and work to expand programs for home ownership, residential repair, restoration, and low-income and moderate housing for our residents, as well as senior housing. A re-focus beyond downtown will improve housing and streets, to better attract and retain quality workers and families with better paying jobs. In turn, Dayton will see reduced crime, and improved health, and more families will make Dayton the home they choose to live, work, go to school, and raise their children.

Chris Shaw: I want voters to know that our city has accomplished great things while I have been on the City Commission, and I have the experience to ensure progress continues. We have created thousands of good jobs all across our community. Over $1 billion has been invested in our downtown core, and this money is helping us invest in every neighborhood. We are repaving roads, purchasing new playground equipment for neighborhood parks, and we brought back curbside leaf pick up. We will continue to invest in our neighborhoods over the coming years with $22 million going into removing over 1,000 abandoned structures. And we will keep these investments coming. I am particularly proud of the work I have done to bring business leaders, labor leaders, and Dayton Public Schools together to invest in apprenticeship programs. There are many good-paying jobs coming to our community, but we need a prepared workforce to take advantage of these opportunities. These apprenticeship programs are a way that we are investing in our youth so they can stay here in Dayton and have a chance at a great, quality life.

Marcus Bedinger: This election is an opportunity for citizens to take control of the wheel and steer the direction we go in the future. Currently, a vast majority of the decisions on the City Commission are made in 3-2 votes, with no need for collaboration or listening to the voices of citizens. Electing just one new voice to the City Commission will allow us to return to old-fashioned debate and collaboration, where everyone's ideas can be heard, and the votes are not determined by whoever has a 3-2 monopoly on power. I believe in a much more vibrant democracy, and that is what Dayton deserves. I hope voters consider the historic opportunity in this election, and make the choice that many other cities across the country have taken-- changing leadership, allowing space for fresh voices and ideas, and moving toward a city that leaves no one behind.

Matt Joseph: I believe things are moving in the right direction in Dayton, but there's plenty more to do. I will continue to advocate for good paying jobs for our residents, and for us as a city to continue investing in neighborhoods to remove blight. I will also continue to advocate for a more sustainable city. Climate change is real, and it’s proving to be dangerous and costly for our residents. We need to look for more ways to make infrastructure more resilient, to save energy, to invest in renewable energy, and even increase our tree canopy to create more shade in our neighborhoods to keep energy costs down and our neighbors safe. Maybe most importantly, I will make the tough, smart decisions that will be best for our city in the long-term.

Valerie Duncan: In the Position of a City Commissioner, it is also our responsibility to make decisions on the City's Budget and policies that impact the City of Dayton. As a City Commissioner, I will be working diligently with the mayor and my fellow Commissioners to make decisions on the City's budget and policies that ensure that the various Dayton and regional issues of the Miami Valley are addressed. As Dayton City Commissioner, it's our responsibility to ensure that the policies and procedures of Dayton have a good impact on our neighborhood conditions for the benefit of its residents and to attract people to live and work in Dayton. My past work experience of 31 years working for the city government, has prepared me for the challenges that currently exist for the City of Dayton. In my public career, I have had the opportunity to work hand in hand with the City of Dayton’s day-to-day department operations to improve Dayton's livability and stability. My expertise in city government will help implement City policies and programs that will include citizen involvement for results that benefit the residents of Dayton. There are inadequate healthcare facilities for residents that live in the Northwest part of Dayton, I would advocate that those healthcare facilities be provided with emergency care. Since the demolition of the Good Samaritan hospital, there is a void to provide the affected neighborhoods with adequate healthcare. As a City Commissioner, I would advocate that a healthcare facility be provided. The City Commission has not addressed the lack of adequate healthcare needs for the northern areas of the city. I would also advocate that facilities be provided that serve the needs of our seniors, women, drug recovery, and the homeless, as City Commissioner. Matt Joseph has been a Dayton City Commissioner, since 2004. Matt says he has led a transformation for the neighborhoods. Dayton has had more blight in 20 years, since Matt Joseph, has been on Dayton’s City Commission. Under Chris Shaw's watch, the results are the same for Dayton neighborhoods. More boarded up, vacant, burnt down houses than ever in Dayton’s history. Chris Shaw, votes on the City Commission, with Matt Joseph, on where the $138,000 million of Federal Recovery money, but the current grant program is a 5,000 matching grant. The neighborhoods have to match $5,000 to get $5,000 from the city. How much recovery money has each neighborhood received!! They recently voted to give a business owner a $178,000 grant for a restaurant on North Main Street. How much Federal Recovery money did the other businesses and neighborhood receive throughout Dayton? The recovery money needs to be equally and fairly be available for all neighborhoods and businesses.

Chris Shaw: I studied International Business at Howard University and Organizational Management at Wilberforce University.

Marcus Bedinger: Bowling Green State University-Opera Performance, Sinclair Community College- Paralegal

Matt Joseph: Carroll H.S. grad, BA from University of Dayton, MA from George Washington University

Valerie Duncan: Master of Arts in Public Administration, University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio December 1980 (GPA 3.5) Bachelor of Arts in Urban Affairs, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio March 1975 (GPA 3.5) Associate of Applied Science in Legal Assisting, Sinclair Community College, Dayton Ohio December 1993 (GPA 3.9)

Chris Shaw: I am in my second term on the Dayton City Commission. I am currently the owner/operator of Shaw Cleaners. Shaw Cleaners is a full-service commercial and wholesale dry cleaning and laundry business that is over 100 years old and located in Southwest Dayton. I am also an experienced human resources professional.

Marcus Bedinger: Retail Management (Downtown CVS), Federal Caseworker and Community Liaison (Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez, US House of Representatives), Office Manager and Executive Assistant (Spiffy IT & Consulting, Bellbrook, OH)

Matt Joseph: Principal Logistics Engineer, Sierra Nevada Corporation

Valerie Duncan: Retired

Chris Shaw: I have served as the Economic Development Committee Chairman for the Dayton Unit NAACP and as the Economic Development Chair for the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce. I have also served on a number of community boards such as the Montgomery County Workforce Investment Board, the City of Dayton Manufacturing Task Force, the Dayton Ombudsman Board, Cure Board, Montgomery County Human Services Levy Council Board, Downtown Dayton Partnership Board, and National League of Cities Infrastructure Committee

Marcus Bedinger: Believers Christian Fellowship Church (member), Brothers In Unity, A. Phillip Randolph Institute, Dayton Opera Chorus

Matt Joseph: Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission, Dayton Sister City Committee, Welcome Dayton

Valerie Duncan: AFSCME Retirees- Chapter 1184 , Gem City Market Alliance, AMVET 24 and 598, Miami Valley Military Affairs Association, Walnut Hill neighborhood Association, NAACP Dayton Unit, Rebuild Together Dayton Organization, League of Women Voters of Greater Dayton, Dayton Women's Rights Alliance, and Eastern Hills Neighborhood Association