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12:59 PM Thursday, October 22, 2009

Nov. 3’s election could be confusing for some Middletown voters. At the same time voters will decide who will represent each of the city’s four wards on City Council for the next four years, they’ll also be asked to decide whether to scrap the city’s ward system for electing council members.

Confusing? Not really. If voters decide to do away with ward elections, the four men who will be elected Nov. 3 would still serve full four-year terms. Their terms would end at the end of 2013, just as council would shrink to five at-large members from the current seven members.

So the Nov. 3 election could be the final time that city voters choose ward representatives to council. Running for those four ward seats this year are two men from each ward. The Journal has interviewed all the candidates and here’s how we see it:

FIRST WARD — Incumbent Jim Armbruster, who is finishing his first term on council and currently serves as vice mayor, is being challenged by Gary Barge, 48, who ran unsuccessfully in 2007 and is perhaps best known for his quixotic efforts to convince the city to clean up the old hydraulic canal that runs behind his home on Wilbraham Road. Two years after his last council campaign, Barge still does not seem to have a firm grasp on the budget problems facing City Hall, and insists that there cannot be cuts in police and fire services, which are, by far, the city’s two biggest expenses. He also cannot articulate a clear vision for the city’s future.

On the other hand, Armbruster, 65, offers his experience on council and his long history in the community as his best attributes. He readily admits that, after winning election in 2005, he needed to learn the inner workings of City Hall before he could be an effective member of council. Unlike his opponent, Armbruster displays a pragmatic understanding of the city’s challenges but still insists — as he did at the Oct. 20 council meeting — that Middletown has many amenities and much to be proud of. In a second term, we would hope to see Armbruster be more proactive and share his views on important issues more often.

SECOND WARD — Frankly, neither candidate is ready to take a seat at the City Council table, in our estimation. However, 2nd Ward voters must choose between these two candidates on Nov. 3 — A.J. Smith, an articulate and ambitious 20-year-old, and John Soppanish, 67, a frequent critic of City Council and vice president of the 2nd Ward Community Council.

Smith is a likable, gregarious fellow and we hope that he retains an interest in local politics. But we fear that a better opportunity elsewhere could convince Smith to leave Middletown, and council would find itself trying to fill the 2nd Ward seat through an appointment again. If he makes Middletown his permanent home, we hope he will get involved with city boards and commissions, learn the system and come back at a later date for another council run.

Soppanish has paid his dues in the 2nd Ward, working on many projects there and running for City Council previously, but still fails to provide a clear vision for the city’s future. His accusation that Smith had doctored photos of Smith with national political leaders came off as cheap-shot politics, especially after the Ohio Elections Commission dismissed the complaint quickly.

All things considered, we still give the edge to John Soppanish in the 2nd Ward. We believe he would best represent the interests of the 2nd Ward — which he knows so well — and is mature enough not to be manipulated by other council members during difficult votes. He’s been a frequent observer at City Council meetings and thus is familiar with the issues facing City Hall.

THIRD WARD — This race — between incumbent Anthony Marconi and newcomer Joshua Laubach — resembles the 1st Ward race. Marconi, like Armbruster, joined council after the 2005 election and spent his first year dealing with antagonism from other council members and learning how city government operates. From day 1, however, he has been a standout council member, in our view, constantly challenging city administrators on expenditures, demonstrating deep knowledge of city issues, listening to constituents’ concerns, and generally saying what’s on his mind. In recent months, the loquacious Marconi, 52, has curbed his tendency to ramble at meetings, and it’s made him a more effective council member, we think.

Laubach, 27, is an articulate and knowledgeable candidate, too, and we like his background in economics and his straight talk on the problems plaguing Middletown — too many Section 8 vouchers, the city’s unfriendly reputation with businesses, and the town’s overall decline. While we prefer Marconi in this race, we hope that Laubach will stay involved in local politics, gain some experience, and make another run for council in the future.

FOURTH WARD — Two men are vying for the seat that’s been held by outgoing council member David Schiavone, who is completing his fourth term and has been the 4th Ward’s only council representative since the ward system was put in place in the 1990s.

Local attorney Daniel Picard, 53, and Paul Nagy, 71, an unsuccessful candidate for mayor in 2007, are running to succeed Schiavone. Both candidates are knowledgeable about the city’s problems, but Picard has been the most clear, articulate and practical-thinking candidate in all four of the ward races. Even Nagy has acknowledged being impressed with Picard’s campaign rhetoric. We found Picard’s opinions about job retention and how the city could better serve its current employers to be on the mark, and believe he would be a good addition to City Council.

In summary, we believe that voters would be best served by electing Daniel Picard and John Soppanish to the 4th and 2nd ward seats, respectively, and by re-electing Jim Armbruster and Anthony Marconi to the 1st and 3rd ward seats on Nov. 3.

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This Journal sponsor theme of "incumbants have the experience,therefore re-elect them" is getting old fast.Are we really satisfied with the job the incumbants have done the last four years?Should we give the challengers a try this time?Could it get any worse with newer people on Council?Let's keep electing new people until we get the right combination for our city.Throw the old poor performers out.We already know what they can do and it isn't what this city needs. Gut Council-then gut city hall.

What A City!
12:22 PM, 11/2/2009

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Mr. Smith will be better than his incompetent opponent any day!

I hate dumb people
6:14 PM, 10/25/2009

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Mr. Smith an us yuong guys know everthing. U old H8trs aint got no sense. there aint no machine an i aint part of it cuz if there wuz i wood B.

styrafoam cooler
10:18 AM, 10/25/2009

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Any candidate could disappear for any number of reasons in a four years. But, in the mean time, would we not all benefit more from a fresh thinker with mentorship from highly successful high powered political figures than four years of business as usual. It is clear to me that the "machine" is at work here. Readers, we have some incumbent council members working for the good of their ward and city, but do not vote for another to maintain the style of leadership we have. We need change!

adriane scherrer
7:11 AM, 10/25/2009

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Perhaps if you ask nicely, one of your teachers will give you extra help with reading comprehension.

I would try to help you myself, but I'm certain that you are the type that has issues with authority figures and my time would be better spent helping someone with more potential.

I will say that your grammar was much improved in this latest attempt to gain attention, but you'd still be better served by a teacher or perhaps one of your many smarter classmates.

Mike_Presta
6:59 AM, 10/24/2009

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