Trending
LORDSTOWN -- Four candidates are vying to become the next mayor of Lordstown village as current Mayor Arno Hill is stepping down at the end of the year after more than 30 years of public service.
Robert S. Bond, Mark R. McGrail, Danielle Watson and Jackie Woodward are campaigning to become the mayor in 2024.
Bond, who is serving his fourth term on village council, said he is the only candidate for mayor with any village government experience.
He said he has served on most of the council committees, including utilities and the advisory council for the Mahoning Valley Sanitary District, where the village gets its water.
Bond said there needs to be a balance among industry, small business and residential use while keeping residents' needs a priority.
"100% tax abatements lasting 15 years are excessive," he said.
Bond said he does not favor doing away with abatements, but feels they should be smaller percentages and for a shorter time.
"A 3-year-old child will graduate high school, in most cases, before the first tax dollars come in from a 100 percent, 15-year tax abatement," Bond said.
He said as mayor, he always will consult with council and have approval before making commitments. He added it is important for the mayor to be available at a variety of hours and not be hampered by a work schedule.
"I have the ability and can arrange my schedule around the village's needs," Bond said.
Bond said when General Motors closed its factory, the village's revenue suffered greatly. Now, roads and other infrastructure need overdue maintenance. He said the revenue is rebounding and the work of resurfacing roads and putting new roofs on some of the buildings is starting and will be an ongoing process.
"I am familiar with and understand the procedures needed to make our local government more transparent and to allow it to function with greater efficiency," Bond said. "Our primary objective must always be to protect our residents. I have the experience, knowledge, ability and drive, and am up to date on the issues that are before us."
MARK McGRAIL
McGrail, who served 12 years on the village board of education, said as a resident he interacts with members of council and other village officials regularly, advocating for residents.
He said he spoke against granting a contract to Warren to supply the Trumbull Energy Center with water because it would raise water rates. He said he supported the contract going to the MVSD, the village's water supplier.
"Giving the contract to MVSD would have saved the village millions of dollars and stabilized water rates for residents," he said.
McGrail noted when the senior center closed several years ago, he was instrumental in opening the Lordstown Village Senior Center.
"The center remains a group effort, and I am a part of that group," he said, noting activities and homemade meals are provided to seniors.
He said, as mayor, he will focus on a new vision for village government.
"We need to stop electing the same people over and over and expecting different results. We need a new vision," he said.
McGrail's goals if he is elected include having a village government focused on the needs of residents, particularly children and senior citizens. He said he also wants to see more efficient use of current village resources and wants to access alternate sources of revenue for village projects. He said he wants to return services to residents, develop a comprehensive plan for responsible economic development and review zoning code and zoning maps with a focus on protecting the rights of residents.
McGrail also wants to develop a more transparent government. In order to do so, he wants to establish more efficient forms of communication between village government and village residents. He says that can be done by recording village government meetings and archiving them on YouTube. He also wants to bring back the newsletter.
"Lordstown has always offered an excellent quality of life. … Together we can protect and improve the quality of life offered to our residents," he said.
McGrail said he also will focus on grant writing, noting that in the past, the village has missed funding opportunities when not seeking available grants for projects.
"Businesses and people come to Lordstown for what we have. We as officials need to sit down and discuss goals and long-term planning for projects we want to do. We need to focus on how we will fund them," he said.
DANIELLE WATSON
Watson, who is making her first run for public office, brings 20 years of management experience, including managing prominent businesses in the village for the past nine years.
"My main priority as mayor would be to balance the growth of the many large employers we have in Lordstown with the desire of residents to maintain a small, tight-knit feel to the community," she said. "As part of this goal, I would also focus on expanding our infrastructure and maintaining our full-time police and fire departments."
As mayor, Watson said she would work to have a community farmers market and see about getting a post office with the village's own ZIP code, a grocery store, senior care facilities and other businesses that can bring services to the community.
Watson said she will work with the "excellent Lordstown school system" to ensure quality education.
Getting natural gas to residents in need is another focus for Watson. She said some residents face high costs for home heating because they are on propane or heating oil.
"There has been discussion about expanding natural gas service in the village for years," she said. "I have been working with other local legislators to identify funding from the state budgets to help improve this infrastructure and lower utility costs for residents."
Watson said for busy streets, the village needs sidewalks to connect children with the parks and schools. She said grants from local Eastgate Regional Council of Governments or federal sources like the Safe Routes to School program could help offset some of the costs.
She also would like to create more family events throughout the year.
"We don't want to be a major city, but we can still keep the largely quiet feel of the village while making it more convenient for people to live here," Watson said.
JACKIE WOODWARD
Woodward, who has served on the Lordstown Board of Education since 2018, said she is a realist and transparent. She has built a reputation in the community as someone who, she said, can offer information and insight. She also plans to push for more communication between the village and residents.
"It's important to know where tax dollars are being spent," Woodward said. "I believe that Lordstown has a lot to offer and I want to build on its good qualities. I don't have a hidden agenda and want to ensure that our village continues to grow in a healthy and prosperous way."
She said it is important that sewer mains be completed in areas where that has not been done.
"Income tax was increased for this purpose so this project needs to be addressed before moving on with anything else," she said. "The cost to complete these projects will only increase as time goes on so we need to finish this sooner rather than later."
She said services she would try to bring to Lordstown include a pharmacy; medical care options, including an urgent care, doctor's offices or health clinics; affordable senior housing; more restaurants and residential housing options.
"I want to foster entrepreneurship and encourage small businesses, promote them and help them overcome hurdles, so eventually they will grow and become sustainable long term," Woodward said. "I want to connect residents with other residents and bring back the team spirit of supporting others within our community."
She said she will work with council and department leaders to promote guided growth where residents and small businesses benefit the most.
Meet the candidates
Robert Bond
AGE: 68
PREVIOUS ELECTED OFFICE: Lordstown Village Council elected 2004, 2013, 2017 and 2021; Lordstown Village Board of Public Affairs, 2005-2007
GOALS: Tax abatements with smaller percentages and shorter periods of time, maintenance of roads and infrastructure and more government transparency.
Mark McGrail
AGE: 69
PREVIOUS ELECTED OFFICE: Lordstown Board of Education, 12 years with eight as board president
GOALS: Use new and more efficient forms of transparency and communication between village government and residents, access alternate sources of revenue for village projects and focus on the needs of residents.
Danielle Watson
AGE: 39
PREVIOUS ELECTED OFFICE: None
GOALS: Expanding village infrastructure, maintaining full-time police and fire departments, establishing community farmers market and balancing the growth of large employers in village with the desire of residents to maintain a small tight-knit feel to the community.
Jackie Woodward
AGE: 39
PREVIOUS ELECTED OFFICE: Lordstown Board of Education, January 2018 to present
GOALS: Bring more residential housing options to the village, foster entrepreneurship and encourage small businesses to help them grow and become sustainable. Also, bring in more medical services for residents, such as an urgent care facility and pharmacy.