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ELECTION 2021: DGKN questionnaire for Dalton Village Council candidates

The Dalton Gazette & Kidron News e-mailed questionnaires to candidates in contested local government races.

On Nov. 2, voters will have the opportunity to choose among six candidates for four seats on Dalton Village Council.

Patrick Sword, Jim Bucklew and Terry Johns are running for re-election. Marty Boggs, Blake Nussbaum II and Steve Rabatin have thrown their hats in the ring.

Marty Boggs
Political Party: Republican
Office Sought: Dalton City Councilman
Age: 55
Address: 131 Briarwood Drive, Dalton
Family: I was raised a simple life to work hard and to take a stand in what you believe in. God first above everything. I have a wonderful wife who supports me and two wonderful children that God blessed me with. A son who is 19 years old and a daughter that is 9 years old.
Occupation, qualifications: Truck driver 34 years, lived in Dalton 11 years
Education: High school/trade school
Elected Office Experience: None
Why are you running for this office? To speak for the taxpaying people of Dalton and keep village honest.
If elected, what is the key issue facing your community and how would you address it?
I guess I don’t want to point out one issue over another. I would like to hear what the people of Dalton would tell me what they would like to see done in town and bring to council to see what can be done. I think a lot of politicians bring in what they want to do without getting input from the people the taxpayers of the city.

Jim Bucklew
Political party: Independent
Office sought: Dalton village councilman
Age: 56
Address: 357 S Cochran, Dalton
Family: One son, Kenneth
Occupation, qualifications: Self-employed, owner of Jim’s Services Wild Animal Control; two years experience as a council member; two years on East Wayne Fire District board; previous volunteer firefighter/ first responder 17 years with DVFD; resident since 1966
Education: Graduated from Dalton High School in 1984; two years at a trade school for welding training
Elected office experience: Two years as a Dalton council member; two years as East Wayne Fire District board member
Why are you running for this office? To give back a service to the community with being a strong supporter for the police, fire and the educational system.
If elected, what is the key issue facing your community and how would you address it? Try to expand our fire coverage with outside communities, and serving and listening to the opinions of the community.
If you are running for re-election, or you served in an elected position in the past, what do you feel were your main accomplishments as an elected official?
I feel regarding finances and budgeting I feel we used the villagers’ tax money wisely.

Terry Johns
Political Party: NA
Office Sought: Dalton Village Council
Age: NA
Address: 119 Briarwood Drive
Family: Wife Patty, son and a daughter
Occupation, qualifications: Environment – safety and health manager
Education: Ohio State
Elected Office Experience: Former County Commissioner, Village council, Former State Trooper
Why are you running for this office? To assist the mayor with village funding and to assist village residents who come to council for assistance.
If elected, what is the key issue facing your community and how would you address it? Funding the fire department and passing the fire levy.
If you are running for re-election, or you served in an elected position in the past, what do you feel were your main accomplishments as an elected official? Please list a few campaign promises you made in the past and how you fulfilled them. Was there something you didn’t accomplish that you hope to try again this time?
I made no promises but I do listen to the concerns of the citizens.

Blake Nussbaum II
Political Party: Republican
Office Sought: Dalton Village Council
Age: 38
Address: 415 West Schultz St Dalton OH 44618
Family: Wife Jessie, two Children Ava 9 Addison 5
Occupation, qualifications: UPS Industrial Engineer Manager 20 year experience
Education: Bachelors degree Supply Chain
Bachelors degree Human Resources
Minor Environment Health and Safety
Associates in Business Management Technology
Certificate in Hazardous Materials
Elected Office Experience: EWFD Board of trustees.
Why are you running for this office? I would like to continue to make Dalton one of the best places to live in Wayne County. I have a vested interested in the community and the only way to help make it better is to get involved.
If elected, what is the key issue facing your community and how would you address it? The improvement of the downtown is a major area of focus along with creating a process to attract business into the area. I have project based experience, data analysis and creating budgets within UPS and now EWFD. My second focus is ensuring the budget is reviewed and executed critically. Responsible growth and cooperation can summarize my goals for being elected as a councilman.
If you are running for re-election, or you served in an elected position in the past, what do you feel were your main accomplishments as an elected official? Please list a few campaign promises you made in the past and how you fulfilled them. Was there something you didn’t accomplish that you hope to try again this time?
My experience with EWFD has been a great continuing education in the past couple of year for me. During that time I have helped settle a long term disagreement and legal battle. Created a mission and vision statement for the department along with multiple process controls and most recently the creation of an employee handbook. I helped create the budget for estimated staffing cost, pass a levy, and implemented that plan to help stabilize the fire department.

Steven D. Rabatin
Office Sought: Dalton Village Council
Age: 34
Address: 562 Tionesta Drive, Dalton, Ohio 44618
Family: wife- Keri, children- Nora, Owen and Vivienne
Occupation, qualifications: Firefighter/Paramedic, Corporate Security Officer
Elected Office Experience: None
Why are you running for this office?
My family goes back many generations in Dalton and the surrounding area so I have a deep rooted connection to the community, people and land. I have spent much time volunteering and participating in local activities so it felt a natural fit for me to pursue the privilege, if elected, to serve as a Dalton Village council member.
If elected, what is the key issue facing your community and how would you address it? It’s important for Dalton to continue to be a place where people want to live and raise families. I feel it’s important to maintain this view and for that to happen local community leaders, both formal and informal, must continue working together to make this happen. An open, transparent and financially accountable local government that understands its community and its needs can help continue to make Dalton a place people want to live.

Patrick Sword
Political Party: Republican
Office Sought: Dalton Village Council
Age: 56
Address: P.O. Box 227, Dalton, OH 44618
Family: Pam (wife), Stephanie (daughter), Jon (son-in-law), grandsons, Beckett, Maverick, and Emmett; Josh (son), Sarah (daughter-in-law)
Occupation, qualifications: President/owner of Sword Excavating and Electrical Contracting. Over 31 years of business experience.
Education: Graduated Dalton High School. Two years electrical/electronic technology education at Stark State.
Elected Office Experience: Member of Village of Dalton council since 2006. Currently, council president. Also served two years on Board of Public Affairs.
Why are you running for this office? To continue to input my financial experience in business with council and to help maintain a fiscally sound village.
If elected, what is the key issue facing your community and how would you address it? Work with ODOT to remedy traffic flow issue at 30 and 94. Continue running a fiscally sound budget. Continue to provide reasonable rates on sewer and water and services the village provides.
If you are running for re-election, or you served in an elected position in the past, what do you feel were your main accomplishments as an elected official? Council as a whole, and the mayor, have accomplished the following: transparency – all council meetings are recorded and put on the website, the remodeling of town hall and its functionality, paid for mainly with county Covid funding. Village Hall is accessible to residents 40 hours a week. Deleted unnecessary “no turn on red” signs. Sent resolution to ODOT which rescinded permission to close Wenger Road. Future upgrades to water distribution lines are in the works. Will be installing an emergency generator for a water well in the event of power loss in the village. There have been several small upgrades to the sewer plant, one being the installation of two new pumps to ensure functionality at the headworks. Reinvestment in the infrastructure of the village. Implementation of a public friendly, “public speaking policy.” Updated the village website which allows for credit card payment of utilities. When Covid hit, council lowered water rates by 35 percent to assist residents. We have also adjusted our police department pay scale to incentivize elective critical intervention training. Most of the accomplishments above have been implemented in the last year and a half. In my opinion, there have been more positive changes in the last year and a half than I have seen in the previous 15 years. My goal is to continue to represent the people.
Was there something you didn’t accomplish that you hope to try again this time?
I would hope council, and the mayor, can remedy the traffic flow issue at 30 and 94. I would like council, and the mayor, to generate a list of the most needed infrastructure improvements over the next 30 years in order of priority.

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