Wooster City Council members are elected to represent citizens, oversee the city budget, set policy, and create ordinances. Key responsibilities include reviewing and recommending changes to tax exemption agreements, providing public feedback to the council, and potentially serving as liaisons to city commissions and committees. They are expected to attend council meetings, engage with residents, and ensure laws serve the needs of the community.Core Responsibilities:Representation: Council members act as the voice of the citizens, ensuring their needs are represented in the city s decision-making processes.Budget Oversight: A primary responsibility is overseeing the city s budget, including establishing and approving expenditures.Policy & Legislation: They are responsible for setting city goals, establishing policies, and creating or amending city ordinances and resolutions.Community Engagement: Members attend city events, participate in council meetings, and gather feedback from residents to stay informed about community needs.Specific Duties:Tax Matters: The Wooster Tax Incentive Review Council, which includes council members, reviews tax exemption agreements and provides recommendations for their continuation, modification, or cancellation.Charter Review: City Council appoints a panel to review the city charter and then votes to place proposed amendments on the ballot for citizens to approve or reject.Advisory Roles: Council members may serve as liaisons to city commissions, committees, departments, or other organizations to provide oversight and support.Public Hearings: They participate in public hearings to hear citizen input on important local issues, and citizen input is a part of every first and third Monday city council meetings.City Council - The members of City Council are representatives for the citizens of the city of Wooster. They have been elected to oversee the city budget, establish goals, and set policies.Every citizen is welcome to join the council meetings that take place on the first and third Monday of each month*. The meeting begins at 7:30 with citizen input to follow.The City of Wooster is currently divided into four wards. City Council consists of one Council Member from each of these wards and three At-Large members; all Council Members are elected to a four-year term.Source: https://www.woosteroh.com/city-council#:~:text=The%20members%20of%20City%20Council,third%20Monday%20of%20each%20month*.
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Campaign Phone
(330)601-8430
What is your current occupation and education?
Business owner; Financial Planner; Undergrad BA - University of Dayton; Further MBA study - American University, Kogod School of Business
Social Media
www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61574877753969; www.linkedin.com/groups/14631608/
Infrastructure: Wooster continues to grow. People from outside our community see the value in moving their businesses, corporate headquarters and families here. With growth comes the need for increases in municipal construction and services, I would prioritize council funding a coordinated approach using long-term planning, elegant financial design, smart technology and well thought out, deliberate maintenance. The community's roads, utilities and services must stay ahead of demand.
Furthermore, I would emphasize integrated programming with the Wooster City Schools and the Wayne County Career Center to recruit, train, develop and retain people within the city's municipal workforce. The municipal workforce continues to lose baby-boomer aged workers to retirement. We need to create opportunities to seamlessly backfill those leaving with younger, capable, and competent people.
Homelessness and Safety: Like many communities around the country, Wooster has homeless people who roam areas of town; specifically Wooster's downtown. In observing our homeless population, it appears many have mental health and/or addiction challenges. Any proposed solution to the homeless crisis will require partnership with all the resources in our community. We cannot adequately address safety without addressing the plight of the homeless. Our merchants downtown deserve the safest environment to open for business. Our homeless deserve a compassionate community that provides them with life tools.
I have spent 30 years working in the financial services industry. During that time, I have worked for some of America's most prestigious financial institutions as a financial planner, a divisional manager and as a program director. During my career I have built teams, trained many people in many positions, held positions with large financial responsibility and supervised for compliance. All of these skills translate well to helping me help a city like Wooster thrive.
Specific to finance, I have the FINRA Series 53 Municipal Securities Principal's License giving me exposure to municipal finance that few in municipal government have. I have a thorough understanding of municipal financial statements, mileage and tax structures.
I love Wooster. I grew up in Wooster. I graduated from Wooster High School in 1988. My parents had businesses in Wooster. I chose to move back to Wooster after the COVID crisis. Now I have a business in Wooster. During my time away from Wooster, I proudly called Wooster my hometown.
I feel Wooster gave me a foundation from which I have had a good life. I feel compelled to give back to the community that gave to me. By running for city council, I believe I can best give back by utilizing my attributes to engage the community and help Wooster succeed.
Since returning to Wooster, I have immersed myself in community involvement. I recently finished my term as Board Treasurer for Boys and Girls Club of Wooster.
Currently. I belong to the St. Mary Pastoral Council and the church's finance committee. I'm a member of Wooster's chapter of Rotary International. I'm active with the Wooster High School alumni from the the Class of 1988 - many who still reside in Wooster. My business belongs to the Wooster Area Chamber of Commerce. I feel my exposure to these organizations will give me a large audience from which to solicit and receive feedback respective to the city's future.
