NEWS

City residents to select council president

Evan Peter Smith
Reporter

ZANESVILLE — Local business owner and former city council representative DJ Dittmar is challenging incumbent Dan Vincent for the job of city council president in the upcoming election Nov. 3.

Vote campaign

The role of council president is to lead council meetings, assure council is following proper procedure, supervise the clerk of council, engage with the public on council issues and vote in the instance of a tie.

Dittmar, who is running as an independent, served two terms on city council, representing the 1st Ward from 2007 to 2008 and holding the At-Large seat from 2011 to 2013.  A longtime Zanesville resident and graduate of Capital University, he is the owner of Ditty's Downtown Deli, Handy Jay's food cart and the sound equipment company Alchemy Sound.

D.J. Dittmar

Vincent, a Republican, is a registered nurse and nursing administrator at Genesis Hospital, a former real estate agent and small businesses owner. A resident of Zanesville for the past three decades, he has been involved in the Muskingum County Community Foundation and city government, having previously served four terms as an At-Large council representative before becoming council president, a position he has held for the past six years.

Dan Vincent

Here are their thoughts on some issues:

Why seek the job of council president?

Dittmar: He said council needs a leader who is not a politician at heart. For Dittmar, the desire to seek the job revolves around the issue of accessibility. He said his connection to the community and his understanding of the needs of the people make him necessary to change the tone of council. As someone who is easily reached and open to help on issues faced by individuals in the community at any time, Dittmar said, he can provide a stronger sense of community outreach.

Vincent: He said his desire to seek re-election stems from his continuing desire to serve the community. As someone who has worked on the Muskingum County Community Foundation, he has worked to provide charitable outreach to the community as a whole, he said, and his work as the donors liaison at Genesis Hospital has led to the hospital being one of the top facilities in the state for increasing the number of organ donations to help save lives. He said his experience with various different organizations in the area — from working with Ohio University Zanesville and Zane State, to local businesses — has strengthened his desire to continue his role in the community.

What was your proudest moment in city government?

Dittmar: He said his practical business expertise and common sense have been his proudest assets of his time in city government. Specifically, he sited a decision to go against a proposed plan to replace the heating, ventilating and air conditioning system in the city jail, instead opting to hire a local contractor to repair the system, which he said was overlooked. By so doing, he estimated that he saved the city about $750,000. In addition, he said his other proud accomplishments are the small problems he helped average citizens solve. A tree falling on a house or a car, a structural problem with someone's home, a question about local government: He said his accessibility allowed him to solve these problems in a timely manner, as opposed to what he sees as the inaccessibility of some government representatives.

Vincent: He said his proudest moment on city council was a piece of legislation he personally drafted to refinance city bonds and lower interest rates to save taxpayers $650,000. More recently, he cited his continuing initiative to clean up blighted areas in the city and improve current properties, including an effort that led to the city receiving $125,000 in state grant money to improve Secrest Auditorium and his push for a city plan to clear away blighted properties in the Brighton area.

Why should residents vote for you?

Dittmar: He said his accessibility and his understanding of the needs of local businesses are his strongest qualifications for city leadership. As someone who is personally involved with the needs and frustrations of the community, Dittmar said, he can work with city council to help create a more open environment, where all issues are discussed with the help of the community and the personal desires of city leaders are put on the back burner. He said his phone line will always be open, and welcomes anyone to call at any time if he is elected.

Vincent: He said his experience and dedication to public service make him a candidate who can improve the city. Having sat through more than 150 council meetings, Vincent said he will continue his goal of proposing ideas for future community improvement in the areas of property, business and culture, and said he will work to get rid of outdated city ordinances and look forward to systematically update the city's legislation.

epsmith@gannett.com

740-450-6772

Twitter: @evansmithreport

Fall voter guide online

Ohio's early voting for the November election started this week. Before you head to the polls, be sure to check out our voter guide at zanesvilletimesrecorder.com/voterguide.

Just tell us where you live and we will give you a list of all candidates in contested races and the issues that will be on your ballot so you can be ready to cast your vote.