VW mayoral candidates share their views

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

Enforcement of city ordinances and a charter were just two of the topics addressed during Tuesday night’s mayoral forum, which was hosted by Van Wert High School government students.

The hour-long forum, which was held in the First Federal Lecture Hall at the Niswonger Performing Arts Center, featured the three people running for Van Wert mayor on November 7 – incumbent Ken Markward and challengers Linda Agler-Evans and Fred Fisher.

The format consisted of opening and closing statements and a chance for each of the three candidates to share information about their backgrounds and qualifications. In addition, the three answered various questions submitted in advance by Van Wert residents. Answers were given in a rotating format, with a two minute limit and no rebuttals.

Markward, a retired educator, noted his 33 years as a teacher and administrator, plus 20 years on the Van Wert school board and seven years on the Vantage Board of Education, plus two terms on city council and his current term as mayor.

Agler-Evans has degrees in psychology and a masters degree in directing and filmmaking. She has served on a number of boards, the community concerts association, the Wassenberg Art Club, the cable TV commission and the International Centre for Women Playwrights.

Fisher, a local business owner for nearly 50 years, previously served on Van Wert City Council and currently sits on the city’s Design Review Board. He is also the current president of the Van Wert County Regional Airport Board.

Each was asked if they thought the city is doing a good job enforcing ordinances pertaining to upkeep of property, lawn mowing and tree trimming.

“This is a relatively new idea and I think it’s working pretty well,” Agler-Evans said. “Sometimes especially in the beginning they went overboard…sometimes people were in the hospital or it could have been avoided. It was kind of an embarrassing situation for all involved. It’s worked out I think pretty well. Everybody wants to have a nice neighborhood, it doesn’t matter what ward you live in but it’s best if a fellow citizen contacts city council or (councilman) Bill Marshall about that instead of us going around and policing these types of things.”

“Most of the ordinances we have that concerns these (things) have been on the books for a long time but until recently they were primarily enforced after somebody complained,” Markward said. “The new police chief had a desire to see these ordinances more strictly enforced. The enforcement is still primarily if someone else calls to complain.”

“In the past year or so I think it’s improved quite a bit,” Fisher said. “You’ve seen people taking more pride in picking things up and taking care of it because they know their going to stand a chance of getting fined if they don’t. Right now I think we’re on the right track, we just have to work it out a little more.”

After city voters twice rejected an initiative to become a charter city (2020 and 2021), all three were asked their stance on the issue.

“The last two years I’ve not heard anybody on council discuss that they wanted to put it back on the ballot,” Markward said. “We do have six people running for four contested council seats. I don’t know what any of them think about it but if they were to put it back on the ballot that would be council’s decision.”

“We’ve gotten along great the way we’ve been for years but a charter city does have a few benefits,” Fisher said. “The biggest problem is…education is a lot and without getting education out there, people don’t understand the pluses as well as the negatives on it, so I can go either way on it…if there was a motion to move forward and it passed I’d be okay with it and if we stay the same, we’re still going to get along and move forward.”

“What a charter city is, is a movement toward central government and it takes away your rights as citizens,” Agler-Evans said. “Anything that does that I think it wrong. This is the United States, we are a statutory city and we don’t need (to be a) charter city. It takes away the rights of you, everyday citizens – don’t fall for it, it’s not a good thing.”

The trio seemed to be in agreement on two topics – all three agreed the city has no need for a part time or full time code enforcement officer and they appeared to be against giving city money to the Van Wert County Humane Society, noting there may be other avenues for the organization to raise or receive funds.

The three also seemed to agree that a city pool is attainable, but expressed concerns about funding it.

Other topics dealt with the Mega Site and downtown development, affordable housing, the homeless population in the city, and the rate of pay for elected officials.

A video of the complete forum will be posted on the Van Wert High School website in the coming days.

After the forum, government teacher Jordan Dettrow praised the 50 students who played a role in the forum, then those in attendance had the opportunity to meet and chat one-on-one with each of the three candidates.