Hartville Council candidates share views at first Lake Township Chamber forum

The Lake Township Chamber of Commerce is hosting three candidate forums this month, giving residents an opportunity to hear directly from those seeking public office in Hartville and Lake Township.

All candidates have been invited to attend and participate. The forums are moderated by Chamber President Chip Weisel, with questions prepared and sent to participants in advance. Each candidate is given equal time to respond. The events are free and open to the public.

The forums are being live-streamed and recorded by Lake Middle/High School Career Tech students, with the recordings available on the Chamber’s website at lakechamber.com under the News List page. Video production is provided by Andy Eicher Photography.

The first forum took place Oct. 1 at Comfort Suites in Hartville and featured candidates for Hartville Village Council. Of the six candidates on the ballot, three attended: current members Jim Sullivan and Tim Hayden, and candidate Chris Ramsburg. The other three are Steve Reisch, Matt Kadas and Monica Goodspeed, who was appointed by Council to fill the seat vacated by Frank Gant.

Reisch, an attorney with the Stark County Public Defender’s Office, was unable to attend due to a trial but, along with Kadas, submitted written answers to the questions. Their responses are posted on the Chamber’s Facebook page, where the answers from the other three candidates will also appear.

The questions asked of candidates were:

1. How do you see the Council’s role in working with the mayor and fiscal officer to ensure accountable, effective government for residents?

2. As a Village Council member, what do you see as the top three priorities for improving quality of life and economic vitality in Hartville, and how would you set measurable goals for these priorities?

3. How do you, or will you, engage public input to address the general perceived lack of transparency that seems to persist?

4. As a Council member, how would you prioritize funding and partnerships to address challenges such as deteriorating sidewalks, vacant buildings and empty lots while balancing other community needs?

5. How would you work with entrepreneurs and the community to create a more business-friendly environment while maintaining Hartville’s unique character?

6. How would you balance the need for residential growth with maintaining the community’s character, infrastructure capacity and quality of life for current residents?

The next forum will take place Monday, Oct. 7, at 6:30 p.m. at the Hartville Kitchen and will feature candidates for Lake Township trustee. The third forum is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 15, at 6:30 p.m. at Comfort Suites and will feature candidates for the Lake Local Board of Education.