LEXINGTON — Four candidates are running for three seats on Lexington Village Council.
At least two of those candidates will be new to Lexington’s legislative body.
Councilman Wynn Kearns is running to retain his seat; appointee Zachary Alleshouse is not.
Current council president Robert “Bob” Jarvis is leaving council and is running unopposed for mayor since current Mayor Brian White is not seeking a second term.
Joining Kearns in the council race are Keith Bacin, Aaron Hoptry and Charles L. Snyder IV.
You’ll find more information on each of the candidates below.
The Lexington Kiwanis Club will host a meet the candidates night on Thursday, Oct. 12, at 7 p.m. at Lexington High School.
Keith Bacin
Keith Bacin, 64, resides at 419 Cedarwood Drive.
Bacin is nearly a lifelong Lexington resident and Lexington Schools graduate. He’s attended village council meetings consistently for the last five years. He believes it’s helped him understand how the office works.
“I think I’m in tune enough with what’s going on to hold office and feel comfortable with it,” he said. “You go in there thinking you’re going to change the world, but there’s rules and laws that you have to abide by.”
If elected, Bacin said he wants to help implement the village’s Leverage Lexington 2035 Comprehensive Plan.
“Our zoning is very antiquated and needs to be addressed,” she said.
“I think with the comprehensive plan that was developed, that’s our path. We have a clear vision of where we want to go and how we want to do it. We have to make sure that our laws and regulations go along with that.”
In addition to zoning, Bacin said he wants to boost the number of businesses downtown and in the industrial district. He’d also like to see the village update its infrastructure.
“We’re constantly growing, we’re really close to becoming a city, so we have to prepare for that,” he said.
Bacin retired from General Motors after 28 years as a tool and die maker. After that, he earned an associate degree from North Central State College in allied health. He currently works as a certified surgical technician for Avita Health System.
Bacin also went through North Central State College’s law enforcement academy and served for eight years as a volunteer auxiliary officer for the Lexington Police Department in the 1980s.
Prior to that, he also volunteered as a firefighter and EMT for the Troy Township Fire Department.
Bacin currently volunteers with Wishes for Kids, a non-profit that helps fund wishes for children with life-threatening illnesses and is a DonateLife ambassador. He’s also served on the village charter commission.
Aaron Hoptry
Hoptry, 32, resides at 2 Tamarac Drive.
Hoptry said his top priorities are resident safety and transparency for elected officials.
“I believe that the Village of Lexington is in the most important and largest evolution period in its history,” he said. “Lexington needs strong leadership that will steer the community in the direction that benefits the entire community.”
“I believe in an open, transparent legislative body that puts the needs of every citizen first. I believe that residents should have a say and know exactly how their tax dollars are spent.”
Hoptry is a career firefighter and paramedic with the City of Mansfield.
He also volunteers at the Troy Township Fire Department, where he serves as a lieutenant.
He is also an EMS instructor and member of the advisory board for central Ohio EMS training in Lexington.
Wynn Kearns
Wynn Kearns, 58, resides at 95 Woodside Boulevard.
Kearns was appointed to village council in 2003. He was elected to retain the seat later that year and has served on council since.
“I had no idea at that time what I wanted to do, but I wanted to serve the community,” Kearns said.
Kearns said working with now-retired Chief Brett Pauley of the Lexington Police Department solidified his desire to serve on council.
“He involved me with decisions on equipment, training, I was his ally in making it happen,” Kearns said.
“He did all the real work, but I helped lay out the capital requirements and associated ordinances and communcate his needs to Council. We ended up creating a police levy to fund additional staff, it passed and success followed.”
Kearns now serves on committees involved with the cemetery and sewer department.
“Those are not as ‘fun’ as topics, but the work needs done,” Kearns said. “I enjoy community service and I want to finish some things I have started.”
If re-elected, Kearns said he wants to continue beautification work in Lexington’s central business district, finish the remote-read water meter project and complete the restructuring of the Lexington-Troy Township Union Cemetery management.
He also wants to help integrate the new village leadership — including the new mayor, new council president and new council members.
“I am very happy with the group of people running for Council this year,” he said. “We have a lot on our plate now and we are working hard to keep the ball rolling.”
Kearns has worked in the steel industry since 1990. Since 2015, he has worked as a regional sales representative for Indiana Tube.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in geology from Miami University, a master’s degree in coal geology from Southern Illinois University and a master’s degree in business administration form Ashland University.
Prior to being elected, Kearns volunteered as a youth sports coach and served on the Lexington Baseball Softball Association, Lexington Soccer Association and GMAC Clear Fork pool boards. He also served on the village’s park board and chaired the 2002 park levy board.
“I observe the Golden Rule and I truly care,” Kearns said. “My neighbors are great, and I cannot think of any place in Lexington where I do not feel safe or where you find trash on the street.
“People take ownership and care. All of that makes me happy.”
Charles Snyder IV
Charles “Chuck” Snyder IV, 46, resides at 170 Kimberwick Court. He has never held elected office.
“I’m doing it a lot for my kids,” Snyder said. “I’ve got two young girls that are in sports. I like Lexington a lot and I think some of my professional history might be helpful.”
Snyder works as a telecommunications design engineer for Breezeline in Columbus. He said his job required him to work with easements and right of ways. He is also a U.S. Navy veteran.
He said he likes many of the goals outlined in the Leverage Lexington 2035 Comprehensive Plan — acquiring land along the Ohio 97/Interstate 71 for industrial development, linking the Clear Fork Reservoir and B&O Bike Trail and relocating the baseball, softball and soccer fields, which are currently in a floodplain.
“That (plan) really kind of motivated me to want to be a part of the growth in Lexington,” he said.
Charter amendments would clarify residency requirements, require online posting for ordinance changes
Lexington also has three charter amendments on the ballot.
Lexington is governed by local ordinances and a charter established in 1976. The charter is reviewed in the spring of each odd-numbered year by a committee consisting of two village council members and three citizens.
White said the proposed amendments to the ballot were recommended by the charter review commission.
“The charter has been around a long time,” White said. “It’s part of the process. The charter requires this review. If anyone has any thoughts about charter review, they can petition for changes.”
Sections 3.02(C) and 5.01(B) dictate requirements for council members and the mayor, respectively.
As written now, the charter requires council members and the mayor to be qualified electors of Lexington for 18 months before and during their term of office.
The proposed amendment would add a requirement that council members and the mayor remain a resident of the village during their entire term of office.
White said the way the charter is written has led to some confusion over the years. Former village councilwoman Katie Getz stepped down last year after she temporarily moved out of the village, despite a legal opinion implying she was still able to hold office under the village charter.
“There’s been some discussion over the years about what does (being a qualified elector) really mean? It implies residency,” White said.
“It’s a housekeeping thing that we really need to get that cleaned up and clarified.”
The third charter amendment would change section 4.14(A), which dictates the rules for publishing new ordinances and resolutions.
Under the current charter, new ordinances and resolutions must be published in five public places within the village for a period of at least 15 days after their adoption.
Council determines those locations, but White said it’s typically village hall, the senior center, the library, the post office and Mechanics Bank.
The new charter would reduce the number of required posting places to two.
It would also require the village to post new ordinances and resolutions on its website — something not mandated in the current charter.
White said he believes posting these updates online will make them more accessible.
“Today everything is electronic,” he said. “This will get much better coverage.”
The village’s website is www.lexingtonohio.us.
