ST. PARIS – Three candidates are vying for two St. Paris village council seats on the Nov. 7 ballot.
The candidates are Frank Blair, Gregory Hayes and Tony Hoyt. The Urbana Daily Citizen invited them to be part of a preview story leading up to the election. Two responded to outreach and submitted answers to a candidate survey. The third was not responsive to outreach by the newspaper.
Below are their responses in the alphabetical order of surname:
Frank Blair, 203 Dugan St., St. Paris
What are your qualifications to be a member of the St. Paris Council?
Myself and my family have been in the community for almost 30 years. I have coached little league and high school bowling. I’m a member of KOP and St. Paris Lions Club. I’m an active member in the community that speaks to all citizens and businesses, while listening to their concerns. I attend and am vocal in almost all council meetings to help advocate for all citizens that may have any concerns or complaints.
What are the strengths and weaknesses facing St. Paris as a village?
Our #1 strength is our citizens. We are a small and caring community that sticks together. If someone is in need, we always pull together to help one another.
I feel that what is hurting our community the most is the current lawsuit that we have hanging over our head. This has created a black cloud over our village. I would love to see our community band together and move forward as a stronger unit.
I would also love to see more attendance in our council meetings. We need fresh ideas and new faces to help grow our village.
What are the opportunities and threats facing St. Paris as a village?
An opportunity for the village would be to improve our local park. I would love to see the new equipment that is currently on hand, installed and utilized by all families in the village.
I would like to see more professionalism in our council meetings. With the possibility of new members, we could work together for the citizens of St. Paris & change for the better.
How could the village government improve its services to the village residents?
The village government could improve its services by offering 24/7 police presence. We can also improve by offering zoom sessions on each council meeting so citizens that can not attend in person, can still have an opportunity to participate. Lastly, more businesses to the community is key. Having more of a business presence stimulates growth.
_____
Tony Hoyt, 607 S. Springfield St., St. Paris
What are your qualifications to be a member of the St. Paris Council?
As a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine, I worked in Community Development – focusing on helping local organizations improve their project design and management skills, grant writing, and bringing community stakeholders together to implement projects.
I have 15+ years of Finance and Accounting experience spanning multiple industries.
I have an MBA in Sustainability from Bard College, with a focus on local investing to support thriving communities.
I can build positive, working relationships with people from varying backgrounds and beliefs.
I have a big heart and genuine interest to make St. Paris a home that is safe and inclusive for all residents.
What are the strengths and weaknesses facing St. Paris as a village?
St. Paris’ strengths include: a rich history dating back to its founding in 1831, and its location – which allows citizens to enjoy the calm and peace of a rural area while being within a half hour drive of the conveniences of half a dozen larger towns. Our biggest strength is our citizens. They help one another when needed and enjoy living in the town, with many families having been around for generations, like mine.
St. Paris does have its share of weaknesses, including: multiple vacant storefronts in the downtown area, increase in vandalism and safety issues, and ongoing infrastructure issues.
What are the opportunities and threats facing St. Paris as a village?
In recent years, there has been a growing trend of small towns investing in their downtown areas to create spaces to attract charming businesses, which then attract visitors and tax dollars. If you look around us, Urbana, Mechanicsburg, and West Liberty are all catching on to this with great success and I see this as a big opportunity for St. Paris. The biggest threat facing St. Paris is the increasing frustration of citizens with the local government. If this continues, it could have long-term negative effects and perhaps drive residents to leave.
How could the village government improve its services to the village residents?
It comes down to collaboration and transparency. In order to make any real progress in addressing the issues facing St. Paris, collaboration is key. It is crucial that we focus on working together and supporting one another, both within the local government and with other non-profits in the village and the school district. Also, a lack of transparency between the local government and the citizens seems to be a source for many issues. Local government should record council meetings and post them online, and provide regularly-scheduled updates about ongoing critical issues.
_____
Gregory J. Hayes did not respond to the newspaper’s efforts to include him in this story. The residential address he provided to the Champaign County Board of Elections is 216 Cottage St., St. Paris.
