ThisWeek Community Newspapers Hilliard
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April 13, 2011
Five face off in council primary Continued from page A1 later this month. “We need to bring jobs to our city,” Erb said. “We must tap into our community’s resources, reduce the barriers to growth and promote Hilliard as the place to do business in central Ohio. Spending is at an all-time high and our taxpayers cannot afford to foot the bill any longer. We must cut spending and attract new businesses so that we have the resources to pay for essential services.” Erb, who is seeking his first term on council, said his experience at the Statehouse will help him. “Hilliard is a great place to raise a family and I want to keep it that way,” Erb said. “I want to be able to fund our services and relieve the tax burden that is currently on the homeowner. New businesses will bring additional revenue into the city’s coffers without adding students into our schools.” • Albert Iosue, 42, is director of planning and programs for the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio (SWACO), and has been on council since 2008 after serving on the Charter Review Commission in 2006-07. Iosue has lived in Hilliard for 15 years, has a degree in civil engineering from Ohio State, is married and has four children. “I have one goal for the city of Hilliard,” Iosue said. “That goal is to make Hilliard the best community in central Ohio. This can be accomplished by continuing to advance the following: Manage residential growth; grow the tax base by landing new, strong businesses; improve our roads and infrastructure; improve and add more recreational opportunities; continue the focus on public safety; and continue to build on Hilliard’s financial strength.” Iosue said he wants to continue to work hard for the citizens of Hilliard, which is why he’s seeking a second term. “I have worked hard to be fiscally responsible and to only spend taxpayer dollars where it will provide a benefit to the citizens,” Iosue said. “By continually approving a balanced budget based on realistic projections, the city has been able to continue to provide the necessary services our residents have come to expect. I will continue to identify and eliminate unnecessary spending to make sure each dollar is
Candidates Night set for April 20 Hilliard voters will have the chance to meet and have their questions answered by the five men running for Hilliard City Council at a Candidates Night at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 20, in the Safety Services Building, 5181 Northwest Pkwy. The Hilliard Area Chamber of Commerce will sponsor the event. Libby Gierach, chamber president/CEO, said the Candidates Night is part of the chamber’s business advocacy role. “Knowing that the city council makes (legislation) that does affect local business, we believe that it’s incumbent upon the chamber to have a forum for the community to come and
ask questions and have them answered by the people who wish to lead our community,” Gierach said. With the assistance of a moderator, the candidates will be able to give an opening and a closing statement, and answer questions from those attending in a round-robin format. “The public writes down their questions on a card, we will collect them, and they go through a screening committee for redundancy and appropriateness,” Gierach said. “All five candidates will answer the same question in a time allotment.” The event should last an hour to 90 minutes, depending on how many questions are asked.
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Events Lenten Fish Fry, 4:30-7:30 p.m. through April 15 at St. Brendan School, 4475 Dublin Road. Adult meals $8.50, children’s meals $3.50. Soda, beer and desserts are sold separately. Carryout available. Lenten Fish Fry, 4:30-7:30 p.m. Fridays through April 15 at St. Margaret of Cortona Church, 1600 N. Hague Ave. $9 for adults, $8 for seniors and $4 for children 10-under. Free coffee; pop and beer available. Carryout will be available. Call the parish office at (614) 279-1690. University Kiwanis Pancake Day, 8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Sunday, April 17, in the cafeteria at the Wellington School, 3650 Reed Road. All you can eat. Advance tickets are $4. $5 at the door. For advance tickets, call (614) 209-7314. Country Breakfast, 8 a.m.-11 a.m. Saturday, April 16, at Hayden Baptist Church, 6729 Hayden Run Road. Scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, hash browns, sausage gravy, biscuits, See COMING UP, page A8
spent wisely to the benefit of the citizens.” • Nathan Painter, 33, is an attorney and president of Nathan D. Painter, LLC. Painter has lived in Hilliard for seven years (10 in the school district), has degrees in English and an MBA from OSU, and a law degree from Capital University. He is married and the couple’s first child is due in July. “The main issue facing Hilliard is the tax burden on its families,” Painter said. “On council, I will strive to lower the tax burden on families by identifying and attracting small business and other commercial development to Hilliard. This will broaden the tax base and hopefully relieve the pressure on families.” Painter, who currently serves on the Board of Zoning Appeals, is a former magistrate for Hilliard Mayor’s Court and Franklin County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney who worked on bringing the Hilliard Farm Market to Old Hilliard. “Local government needs to play the role of a catalyst,” Painter said. His goals are to: “First, identify, attract and retain small businesses and other commercial enterprises. Second, maintain and enhance city services without resorting to tax and fee increases. Third, make beautification and aesthetic improvements to the city. Fourth, maintain and potentially expand our parks and recreation opportunities. Fifth, work with local organizations to develop and enhance an environment for local arts and artists to thrive and bring community events to Hilliard to foster interaction between families and residents.” • Cornell Robertson, 40, Franklin County’s highway de-
sign engineer, says many of the projects he’s worked on in his 19 years have been in the Hilliard area. Robertson has lived in Hilliard for 18 years and has a degree in civil engineering from OSU. He is married and has three children. “The city of Hilliard is a great place to live and raise a family,” Robertson said. “However, we are beginning to get crowded in regard to residential developments. “I propose working with the other council members, the mayor, and the development department to attract high-end commercial developments with high-paying salaries for a larger tax base. We could attract such high-end commercial developments by creating a technology corridor, which would provide utilities and fiber optic lines in place prior to development for immediate use. “Britton Parkway north of Cemetery Road is a perfect candidate for a technology corridor with close proximity to downtown Hilliard and I-270.” Robertson said he has a lot of experience talking to residents and businesses through the engineer’s office, understands the need for balanced growth, and he wants Hilliard to maintain the vision the city has given on its website. “I would like to maintain the high level of basic services that we currently benefit from such as police, fire, trash pickup, chipper service, snow plowing of roadways, etc.,” Robertson said. “I would also like to provide additional jobs in Hilliard so our residents do not have to leave the city to go to work.” • William Uttley, 55, is a real estate appraiser who has spent 12 years on council and served four years on the planning and zon-
ing commission. Uttley has lived 54 years in Hilliard, is a Hilliard High School graduate who has a degree in business administration from OSU, and is married and has two grown children. “I truly enjoy serving our community and believe I have the experience and knowledge to help solve the difficult challenges ahead,” Uttley said. “Being a lifelong resident of Hilliard, I desire to see our community prosper and remain a desirable place to live.” Uttley said he has worked closely with three administrations in Hilliard, and is concerned with how to make city government more productive with less revenue. “Due to state budget cuts and other factors beyond our control, the city is forced to rely more exclusively on income tax collections as our key source of revenues,” Uttley said. “Attracting and retaining businesses which generate jobs and tax revenues is essential for the city of Hilliard. “There are a number of important projects, including improvements to our city gateways, enhanced recreational opportunities, redevelopment of Old Hilliard, and the retired rail corridor, to name a few, which can be accomplished with city support.”
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Congressman Stivers opens new Hilliard office Continued from page A1 about 1,000 more square feet than we had in the old office.” The Republican congressman’s old office was at 1299 Olentangy River Road. “We’re geographically centered in the middle of the district now,” Stivers said. “It’s accessible to everybody. If you’re coming from the top of Union County, Richwood, it took you about 75 minutes, and now it takes 45.” Ohio’s 15th Congressional District consists of Union and Madison counties, as well as the downtown and western portions of Columbus, and the cities of Hilliard, Grandview Heights, Grove City, London, Marysville, Plain City and Upper Arlington. Stivers said he and Mayor Don Schonhardt had talked about moving the district’s offices to Hilliard during the 2008 election,
Church FCC to present adult learning programs First Community Church, 3777 Dublin Road, will present “Living Spiritually in a Time of Global Transformation” with Sister Alexandra Kovats April 15-16. Kovats is an adjunct instructor at the School of Theology and Ministry at Seattle University. From 7 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, April 15, she will present, “Living Spiritually in These Times.” “Sustainability and Eco-Spirituality” will be the topic of Saturday’s sessions, which run from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Register online at www.FCchurch.com or contact Natalia Jones at njones@FCchurch.com or (614) 488-0681, ext. 113, for more information.
but then he lost in a recount to Mary Jo Kilroy. However, he told Schonhardt that if he did win the next time, he could enter into an agreement with a local government and wished to move the office to Hilliard. Stivers defeated Kilroy in the 2010 election, but couldn’t move right away. “The federal government doesn’t move as quickly as local government,” Stivers said. “I knew we couldn’t get things approved at the House Ethics Committee and at the House Administration Committee in time to open in January, so what I wanted to do was sign a short-term lease in my existing place, and get in by the beginning of April.” The city of Hilliard made some changes, like adding a wall to the building to accommodate Stivers’ needs. For example, the former HPD communications center of the building is now where some of Stivers’ aides will work and
greet visitors. The older part of the building will be razed in the future, Schonhardt said. “I think it shows that the federal government and local governments can work together to do things that work for taxpayers,” Stivers said. The lease will run from April 3, 2011, through Jan. 2, 2013. Stivers will pay the city $2,162.76 per month for leasing the space. Schonhardt said moving the office was a win-win for Stivers and Hilliard, thanks to the seven new jobs. Stivers said he will be in the Hilliard office one day a week on the average week when Congress is in session, as well as one week per month when he’s working in the district. The office is open from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. weekdays. For additional information, call (614) 771-4968. gbudzak@thisweeknews.com www.ThisWeekNews.com
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