BUTLER, Ohio — Butler will have a new mayor this November. Residents knew that when Kevin Carr declined to seek re-election after four years in the position.
But for a time it was unclear who would succeed him. No one filled out an application to run for the position until Ken Kinley finally registered as a write-in candidate.
“I love this place and when I saw no one was running for mayor, I decided to put my hat in the ring,” Kinley explained.
A 20-year resident of the village, Kinley previously served for eight years on the Clear Fork school board. He says 30 years in the Air Force helps qualify him for the position.
Carr, who has a full-time job outside the mayor’s office, says the workload is growing difficult to balance. He notes times his other work responsibilities have made it difficult to attend meetings.
Still, he said he enjoys serving the village and might reconsider running in the future.
Prior to his stint as mayor, Carr served six years on Butler’s Village Council. He said the council and mayor’s office have worked well together. He hopes to work with Kinley to provide a smooth transition for the village.
“Kinley has my support, 100 percent,” Carr said, “I’m glad he showed interest (to run).”
Kinley will shadow Carr for the next three months to prepare for the job.
“I want to do what I can to make Butler a good community to come to and live in,” Kinley said.
Voters will need to be aware of the write-in candidate if they wish to cast a vote in the race. Like all other write-in candidates, Kinley’s name will not appear on the ballot. Anyone selecting “write-in” on the voting machine will then need to spell out the candidate’s name.
