CRIDERSVILLE — Voters in Cridersville will have two familiar names on the ballot as they choose a new mayor in November, and both were aiming to put their best foot forward at a mayoral forum Tuesday at Otterbein Cridersville.
Current Village Council president Rick Walls and council member and former mayor Robert Conner are both vying for the chance to succeed Mayor Lorali Myers, who has decided not to seek re-election after two 4-year terms as the village’s chief executive. Both candidates pointed to their long history with the village, with Walls having lived in the village for over 40 years, serving both on village council and with the fire department, and with Conner being a lifelong resident with 16 years experience as mayor.
“In 1992, I was on council and I ran for mayor and was mayor in the village for 16 years,” Conner said. “I have the urge to serve the community, so I want to serve again and administer the duties that come along with the mayor’s position.”
“I’ve always been very involved in the community,” Walls said. “That’s given me some insights on what the community is here.”
During the forum, both candidates answered questions from community members, ranging from taxation philosophy to economic development. Each candidate had a different emphasis when it came to providing a central message to voters. Conner expressed a desire to expand the village’s corporation limits, broadening the tax base, while Walls looked at infrastructure as one of the village’s key concerns, with grants being one possible solution.
“Our infrastructure is getting very old,” Walls said. “Sewers, storm sewers and water will all have to be upgraded in the future, along with our streets. It’s one of those processes in which we just need to find the money to do this.”
“The village is a tax-based village that needs income,” Conner said. “I think we have low-hanging fruit at the corporation limits where we can increase the corporation and increase our tax base, making it easier on the residents of the village. For every dollar spent at Speedway, the village doesn’t get anything out of it because it’s in the county. That’s something the village needs to look at.”
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