WEST FARMINGTON — Six candidates are running for four available council seats in the village.

Four of the candidates, Nick Malone, Tim Malone, James Mooney and Thomas Mooney, are incumbents seeking reelection. Two candidates, Clarence Imhoff and Louis Edward Ralston, are hoping to win council seats.

Imhoff, 62, works for the Ohio Department of Transportation and is an employee with the Farmington Township road department. He earned a bachelor’s degree in public safety and emergency management from Grand Canyon University in 2016.

“I would like to work on updating and improving community service, like the roads, water and police,” Imhoff said.

He noted he will work with other council members in securing funding from grants, as well as federal and state programs.

“It would be awesome to restore the relationship between the village and the township, bringing the community together as one,” he said. “This may also help with the funding resources in order to provide better services to both the communities.”

Imhoff emphasized that everyone working together will make the area get better.

Ralston, 40, a mechanic with the Ohio Department of Transportation, is running for public office for the first time.

He plans to focus on improving the roads, drainage and lighting around West Farmington.

“When it comes to infrastructure maintenance and improvements in small villages, poorly maintained roads and inadequate drainage can directly impact daily life and safety, as well as long-term property values,” Ralston said.

If elected, he would like to have a qualified individual assess the road conditions, drainage and light fixtures around West Farmington to determine their conditions.

“There needs to be some record of updates showing what exactly has or has not been repaired, scheduled or delayed,” he said.

Ralston is promoting greater transparency in government.

“Although monthly meetings are audio recorded as of right now, the audio is not always uploaded for those residents who are unable to physically attend,” he said. “Another idea would be to host some form of monthly office hours where there could possibly be open-door sessions where residents can speak directly to certain council members about topics they feel are important in a one-to-one setting where they can have your full attention.”

Calling small businesses, local farms and community groups the lifeblood of small town culture, Ralston suggests the community board should be used to promote local events and volunteer opportunities.

“It would be so nice to have some sort of youth engagement program,” he said. “I would like to look at a partnership with the school to offer some form of community service or volunteer opportunities within our village.”

The incumbent candidates were sent questionnaires, but did not respond.