9]MANSFIELD — A trio of Mansfield City Council 6th Ward candidates campaigned Wednesday during the first Richland County Democratic Party luncheon of the primary election season.
Current 6th Ward council representative Jean Taddy, appointed to office in January to complete the unexpired term of Garnetta Pender, was joined by fellow candidates Doug Caldwell and Easther McNeil.
The ward is an area largely comprised of the eastern part of the city.
The luncheon was at the local Democratic Party headquarters in the K.E. McCartney Memorial Building, 16 S. Park St. The three candidates are competing in the May 7 primary.
The winner will in November run against Republican Stephanie Zader, who is unopposed in the primary.
JEAN TADDIE
Taddie, 52, 282 2nd Ave., is the director of the North Central Ohio Land Conservancy, a non-profit land trust that protects nature preserves. She has a bachelor’s degree in business administration/human resources and a master’s degree in communication, both from Cleveland State University.
Taddie said she was born and raised in the Cleveland area, before moving to Mansfield and into the 6th Ward 22 years ago.
“I was the youngest of seven children and right away that taught me negotiation skills, peacekeeping skills and my parents taught us to work hard and look out for each other,” Taddie said.
“I never planned to run for office. (But) after 22 years of being in Mansfield and in the 6th Ward, I think we’re ready for some change,” she said.
“It’s nice we’re tearing down (dilapidated structures),” she said. “Some things need to come down. But it’s important we have conversations about what goes there next. I look forward to being a part of that, leading conversations and inviting residents to get involved.
“I want to see us invest in neighborhoods. I love the Mansfield Rising plan, but it’s mainly focused downtown. Let’s roll that out more broadly. Let’s use that process to get citizen input,” she said.
Taddie she said believes she is in a better position to beat Zader in the general election.
EASTHER McNEIL
A retiree, McNeil, 304 E. Arch St., said he has lived in Mansfield most of his life.
“I have seen it when it was a thriving area. It’s gone down, down, down,” he said.
“If I am elected, probably a lot of people working for the city … they’re gonna be mad. The first thing I will do is have an inventory of the city. I cant do it, but council will have to do it.
“(There is) old money in this town that still controls this town. It shouldn’t be that way. People on City Council … they don’t say anything about it. Things has to change,” McNeil said.
“A lot of people downtown don’t like me. So be it,” said McNeil, adding he believes rent charged by local landlords is too high.
As a member of council, McNeil said he would push for Mansfield to have a medical marijuana dispensary, adding his wife’s medical conditions have been improved by obtaining medical marijuana through his son in Nevada.
“Some of you may not like it. But the whole state is going that route. It helps, whether you believe it or not. It helps,” McNeil said.
“There is a ton of stuff I would like to see done, but I will probably be dead and gone before it gets out,” he said.
DOUG CALDWELL
Doug Caldwell, 63, 536 S. Diamond St., said he has lived in Mansfield his entire life.
“I have 55 years of experience doing John Todd Park, being beaten up by my brothers, walking through the alleys … all kinds of experience,” he said.
“The thing I am most interested in is making sure Ward 6 is appreciated … is brought up to where it needs to be.
“Some of the housing … there is getting to be a lot of empty houses. A lot of rental people coming in and some of the lowest form of people renting those houses. They are bringing their dirt with them, and by dirt, I mean drugs and thievery,” Caldwell said.
Caldwell said he is the former president of the Hedges Street Neighborhood Watch Association and member of the Mansfield Police Review and Community-Police Relations Commission.
“I know just about everyone in my ward,” he said. “There are a lot of things that can and should be done in Mansfield. Communicating with my constituents in the 6th Ward is a big thing for me. They want to be aware of what’s going on in this town. A lot of times different candidates don’t communicate face to face. I can do that. I will do that.”
Caldwell said he had never heard of Taddie before this campaign. He was also critical of Zader.
“I never seen her down Second Street, Hedges, Foster … any of those places. It’s going to take someone familiar with the area who can relate to the people, the good and the bad people, to get things done,” Caldwell said.
