BUCYRUS — A lively question and answer-style discussion with Bucyrus candidates for mayor and council-a-large was hosted at Bucyrus High School on Wednesday evening.
The event was hosted by the Bucyrus Firefighter IAFF Local 1120.
All three candidates vying for the position of mayor in the Nov. 5 general election were present for the event, including incumbent and Republican candidate Jeff Reser, Democratic candidate Ron Bores and Independent Dan Wirebaugh.
During introductions, Reser said he has been the mayor of Bucyrus for a little more than five years after taking over for Roger Moore after his untimely death. He said an aging population, poverty and less people living in the city contribute to higher utility bills and a lower tax base.
He said it’s important that the city streets look good with trees aligning them and that we have a strong infrastructure, which includes the construction of the new water treatment plant that he helped facilitate, and a historical agreement with the EPA in working to clean up the Sandusky River.
Wirebaugh said he worked at Anchor Swan for nearly 30 years and has 20 years of managerial experience. He owns and operates Affinity HealthWorks with his wife of 19 years, Barb, and has served on city council for the past decade. He said he and his city service-safety director pick, former council member Steve Pifer, will focus on increasing the tax base through job creation, lowering utility bills, improving public transportation and removing fluoride and other chemicals from the city’s drinking water.
Democratic candidate Ron Bores said he worked for the city for 30 years under seven different mayors and knows very well the operations of the city. He said he will be frugal with taxpayer money and that his city service-safety director will be Sid Seevers, who served in the position for several years when Dan Ross was mayor. Bores said Seevers brought in $12 million worth of grants during that time.
When asked by James Massara, moderator of the event and News Director for Crawford County Now, Country Legends 1540AM/107.5FM WBCO and Iconic Rock 92.7 WQEL in Bucyrus, what the candidates plan to do with the green spaces left by the demolition of derelict houses throughout the city, each candidate had a unique response.
“Every time we tear a house down, we lose utilities, sewage and water customers,” Bores said. “I know that some houses need to be torn down but I think there are a lot of houses out there that can be rehabbed.”
He said a program like one in Columbus could be put in place to allow interested parties with access to the funding to purchase the houses from the city at a low cost.
“Not for a rental, but to live in. We would give them a timeline to get it done,” Bores said.
He pointed out that the green spaces already in existence are not available for the construction of new houses due to zoning restrictions for lot sizes.
Bores said if the city institutes a program in which the houses can be rehabilitated, it will allow for more utility customers to help pay down the cost of the new water treatment plant and lessen the burden on current residents.
Wirebaugh agreed with Bores on preserving many of the houses and is working on a pilot program.
“About the green spaces, there are some that would make a good spot for tiny house villages, maybe three or four could be placed on one lot,” Wirebaugh said.
He also said if the city acquires a property that may become valuable in the future, it should be held on to.
“It may be beneficial to take care of the properties and spend the money mowing it for 10 years to be able to utilize it better in the future,” Wirebaugh said.
Reser said, that many times, there has been no other option but to tear down the houses due to rodent infestations and dilapidations that were beyond repair.
“In big cities, they use the green spaces as pocket parks, but we do not have a large enough staff to maintain them,” Reser said.
He said the property owners neighboring the green spaces have the option to take them over and build on them or to enjoy a larger yard.
There are three positions for Bucyrus City Council-at-Large members and four people are vying for a seat. Three of the four candidates were present for the Meet the Candidates event, including incumbents Mark Makeever and Kevin Myers, and newcomer Karl Eichler.
James D. Mee was not able to attend the event.
Makeever said he is running for re-election because he originally ran to make sure things are going the way citizens want them to.
“I am here for the citizens of our city,” Makeever said.
Myers said he originally ran for council because he feels he can make a difference and wanted to become more involved in the city he loves.
Eichler said he has ideas to help the city grow and would like the chance to serve the citizens as a council member.
The deadline to register to vote in the general election on Nov. 5 is Monday, October 7. Early voting begins on October 8 and the Crawford County Board of Elections will be offering extended hours to accommodate citizens.
For more information, visit the Board of Elections website