FORT LORAMIE — The race for election to the Fort Loramie Village Council has four people running for two seats, but only one name will be on ballot on Nov. 3.
Voters will see that incumbent Matt Hoying is running for re-election. Hoying did not return calls from the Sidney Daily News for information about his campaign.
Timothy Boerger, Phil Eilerman and Timothy Siegel have filed as write-in candidates. Eilerman and Siegel responded to SDN questions recently.
Eilerman, an incumbent, has sat on the council since 2000 and has served as mayor for the last 10 years.
“I’m running for office because of my passion for the town of Fort Loramie. i enjoy being a part of the community and giving back. As part of the current town government, we are in the middle of several large projects ansd I want to support all of this activitiy and continue to help Fort Loramie grow,” he said.
Siegel served on the council from 1992 through 1995, but had to resign before his term ended.
“My job had changed and I was not able to continue servicing the village people the way it was needed … I am in a point in my life where I can put time into the job that it deserves,” he said. “I believe the village could use some new ideas. It has been going along fine, but new ideas can be good to see things in a new way and maybe help the village progress. It’s not about any one person in the village; it’s about what’s best for the village as a whole.”
Eilerman will bring “experience, leadership, continued success and detailed town knowledge to the town council,” he said. He listed some of the improvements that have been made in the village during his time in office: “The Industrial Park has grown substantially and there are plans for cintinued growth. The Commercial park was developed, new water treatment plant, reconstructed town park, new Redskin Park and four new housing developments.”
He thinks that the upcoming reconstruction of State Route 66 from State Route 705 to Industrial Park will present a challenge to the council.
“This will be one of the biggest street reconstructions this town has ever been challenged with. part of the challenge is working with multiple contractors and organizing and planning the different stages with minimal inconvenience to the residents and businesses who call Fort Loramie home,” Eilerman said.
Attracting new businesses to Fort Loramie and stretching village funds are the challenges Siegel said the council will have to meet.
“The market for business is very competitive,” he said. “Secondly, I think finding ways to make the money go farther (is a challenge). The federal and state governments keep cutting the funding they send to the local governments. This means the small villages have to do the same with less. I have written several grants for the fire department … I will try to continue this and maybe help the village find some money.”
Siegel served as the village representative to the Regional Planning Committee when he was last on the council. He noted his current civic involvement that will serve to inform his work if he is elected this year: “I ahve been a member of the fire department for almost 29 years, holding an officer’s position for 13 years. I am a member of teh Local Emergency Planning Committee.” Siegel is also a member of the Shelby County Hazmat Team, Shelby County ARES and state of Ohio Water Tactical Delivery Committee and a past vice president and past president of the Shelby County Firefighter Association, of which he is currently a training coordinator. He is the former vice president and current president of the Fort Loramie Chamber of Commerce.
In the Fort Loramie mayor’s race, Randal J. Ahlers is running unopposed.
