GALION, Ohio — Current council member for Galion’s third ward Mike Richart is running for his second term and is opposed by Jim Hedges.
Jim Hedges
“I sincerely want to make a difference. I’m not just talking about making a difference, I want to make a difference,” said Hedges.
The lifelong Galion resident who received a paralegal associate degree, a bachelor’s in criminal justice and minors in psychology and business from Ashland University believes the next step for his citizenship is to serve on city council.
“My mentality is what I can do for you; what will it take,” Hedges said. “This is my home and where I grew up. I want to take this place back to its glory years.”
Hedges said he has a few ideas for transporting the city back to those years. One is bring big business back into town. Although Hedges did not specify which businesses he would like to bring back, he said he would work hard for that to happen.
“I want to be the voice of the people. I don’t want to say what I have to say to get into office and not do nothing. I’m not a yes man. I’m a guy who wants to make a difference,” said Hedges.
Michael Richart
Richart, Galion’s current council member for the third ward, has resided in Galion for 25 years with his wife and daughter, whom they adopted from Hawaii. Before joining council in 2013, he never considered being involved with city government.
“I was asked (to run) back before we changed the government. So I had the opportunity to serve my community,” said Richart.
Richart has an associate degree in business from Upper Iowa University and 30 years of experience in retail. Currently he works for an industrial supplier in Mansfield.
He referenced the city’s plunge into fiscal emergency in 2004. He said the time is ripe for Galion to be what it could be. The city’s fiscal status is the biggest obstacle, said Richart.
“This is a great community, a great town — we have great people. Now we have the opportunity to fix this. We just have to work as a group to help the community,” he said.
He praised the city’s efforts for acquiring a competitive utilities rate, also known as the controversial Power Cost Adjuster.
“The way it was before, it wasn’t competitive for attracting businesses. Now it is,” said Hedges.
