Below is a summary, in their own words, from your Minerva Park candidates for Mayor.
CANDIDATES FOR MAYOR
Tony Benedetti
Unfortunately, we did not receive any information from Tony to post here, but you will have a chance to meet him and ask questions on Tuesday, October 24th at Candidate's Night.
Tiffany Southard
I was born in Columbus, Ohio, and have lived in this area my entire life. I attended Hawthorne Elementary and graduated from Westerville South High School. While I have not always been an official resident, Minerva Park has always been a large and important part of my life. Deciding to call Minerva Park home was a simple decision.
I am married to Reese Southard, a K-9 officer for the Village, and have two amazing children: Taylor is a junior at University of Cincinnati and Tanner is in the process of starting real estate classes in the next few weeks. For people that know me, they know I am committed to giving 100% to everything I do. I am energetic and hard-working.
I have owned my own travel agency for over 20 years. In addition, I have been a licensed real estate agent for over 10 years. I love to travel and experience new places. I enjoy spending time with friends and family.
I have served on The Village of Minerva Park’s council for 2 years and loved it so much I decided to run to be the next Mayor. The last 4 years have been a roller coaster. We have tackled so many projects from storm sewers and sanitary sewers to streets and buildings. There have been many upgrades to the pool, playground areas and green space with the help of council and volunteers.
I am so proud to work alongside some of the most amazing staff one could ask for. Without them many of these projects wouldn’t have been possible.
Communication:
We have upgraded our communication in so many ways. We have implemented a completely redesigned website. This website is updated with latest news and all things Village as it becomes available. The village now has text blasts, weekly email updates Facebook posts, live streamed council meetings, audio recordings of all council and committee meeting typically posted to the site within 24 hours. While there will always be something new and improved, we strive to get information out as timely as possible with many forms of communication.
Safety:
Safety is another topic that comes up so much. The work will never be done in this department and will always remain a top priority in our Village. We have an outstanding police force. These officers workday in and out to keep our community safe. Our safety committee keeps up on the latest community concerns, we address those as quickly as possible. We have expanded our police force in the last 4 years to include an SRO and a K-9. We continue to monitor new equipment and implement safety features as needed.
Many of you know I could go on for days because I am so excited about the progress we have made as a team in our Village. There will always be work to do and projects to complete.
If I am reelected, I will continue to work with council, staff and residents to make this Village a place each and every one of us is proud to call home. I believe one of the most important characteristics a mayor can have is to be able to lead but also work well with people of all different backgrounds. I will continue to make infrastructure a prime focus but not lose sight of things like the green space needs. The job title of a mayor is much different than I ever expected. The responsibility that comes with a position like this is not one to take lightly. Residents depend on good leadership to protect their home values as well as maintain safety standards and thrive to be better than yesterday.
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