5 Democrats seeking at-large seats on Kent City Council
Five Democrats are seeking at-large seats on Kent City Council in the only partisan primary in Portage County's May 6 primary election.
Voters will narrow the field to three candidates, who then will face Republican Cecil Anderson in November. The three current at-large council members − Michael DeLeone, Gwen Rosenberg and Roger Sidoti − are not seeking re-election.
The Democrat candidates are, in alphabetical order, Derek Salustro, Michael Thrasher, Benjamin Tipton, Tracy Wallach and Sarah Elizabeth Wesley.
Salustro stated in his bio in the Kent League of Women Voters' Spring Voter Guide that he has run numerous events to raise funds for local charities, including food drives for Kent Social Services. He has served as a member of the Kent Planning Commission for the past two years.
"I believe that a 'rising tide raises all ships,'" he said. "I think it's important that whatever we do for this town, that it has the ability to affect all people positively. Since our community is only as strong as our weakest, we need to find ways to help and protect them."
He said economic efforts should include job training, and programs should be strengthened to help those in need, including a "victory garden" program to provide fresh produce.
He said he'd also like to see economic diversity, expressing concerns about Kent's reliance on Kent State University as its primary economic driver during hard economic times, and addressing housing challenges by focusing on transitional housing for seniors.
Thrasher, a lawyer, has volunteered as a campaign worker during the presidential campaigns of John Kerry, Barack Obama, Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden.
He stated in his Spring Voter Guide bio that Kent has seen "rapid growth in recent years" but questioned whether council has planned for potential negative consequences, such as parking, infrastructure strain and crime.
He also cited a "long list" of other concerns such as condition of roads, sidewalks and parks, safety and property maintenance.
"Rest assured I'll have plenty to say as the need arises but my highest priorities will always be availability and the willingness to listen to the people that put me there," he said.
Tipton has served on Kent's Board of Zoning Appeals, Fair Housing Board and salary review board. He also is a member of Kent Rotary Club and is treasurer of the Episcopal Church of Kent. He works at Kent State University, where he is assistant vice president of foundation relations.
He ran for council in 2023, seeking to serve Ward 1, but Councilwoman Melissa Celko won the primary and that seat on council.
Tipton said he has a plan to address issues such as housing affordability, economic growth and cost efficiencies, which would include sustainability efforts.
"I care about my community, and I want to see it flourish," he said.
Wallach is a former member of Kent City Council, serving four terms in Ward 6. She was unseated by Councilman Jeff Clapper in the May 2023 Democratic primary.
On her website, Clapper stated that she's lived in the Kent area for 42 years, moving back to the city to study for her graduate degree at Kent State University, and has lived there since then.
"During the time I was previously on Council, the downtown was redeveloped, we finally got a hotel, a better relationship was established with the University allowing for cooperative endeavors like the East Main Street project, and stronger ordinances were passed to deal with the encroachment of illegal boarding houses and student nuisance issues," she stated.
Prior to joining council, she said, she's been involved in the city in various ways, including serving as the city's first recycling coordinator, and becoming part of the steering committee that brought Main Street Kent to the city.
"I have developed relationships with city staff that allow me to get things done quickly and efficiently and I know how government is supposed to work for the betterment of people's lives," Wallach stated.
Wesley, who serves on the city's Civil Service Commission, is a teacher in early education at Kids Kare in Kent and a volunteer at the Longcoy School Association.
She stated in her Spring Voter Guide bio that she hears many complaints about the housing crisis, and said she believes a town hall between landlords and tenants would be "a great place to start." She also hopes to address road repair, saying that many streets are in "serious need of repair."
"I will fight for funds to get these roads repaired," she stated.
She also believes that economic growth is a challenge in Kent, saying she has seen businesses come and go.
"I would like to try to help bring new business into the city and help businesses find economic relief that are already doing business in our city," she stated. "As Stow continues to grow and bring in commercial business I think Kent deserves a chance to have some of those businesses possibly move into our town to increase our economic growth and bring jobs to Kent."
This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: 5 Democrats vying for Kent City Council at-large seats
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