Akron mayoral hopefuls answer citizen questions in latest debate
The seven candidates for Akron mayor answered questions directly from Akron citizens — including which person each candidate would like to serve under as deputy mayor — during a debate Wednesday night.
The 90-minute debate at the Akron-Summit County Public Library was one of several leading up to the May 2 primary. It was the second of two debates sponsored by the Akron Press Club, Ideastream Public Media, Akron Beacon Journal/BeaconJournal.com and the Ohio Debate Commission.
The event was livestreamed and also will air on WVIZ (PBS) television at 7:30 p.m. Thursday.
The candidates were not given an advance look at the questions, which were submitted from the public.
Some questions were asked by residents with Andrew Meyer, Ideastream Public Media deputy editor/news in the audience. Others were asked by Rick Jackson, Ideastream senior host/producer, who moderated the debate.
The Democratic candidates in the May 2 primary, which likely will determine the next Akron mayor as there is no Republican candidate, answered a total of eight questions and then had an opportunity for closing remarks.
The audience was asked to refrain from applause or participating in or influencing the debate. The crowd mostly stayed quiet, though at times people could be heard snapping or quietly clapping after a particular candidates’ remarks. A group of about six people sitting in the back of the auditorium also silently held up signs, including “Justice 4 Jayland” signs, referring to Jayland Walker, the 25-year-old Akron man who was fatally shot 46 times by eight Akron officers on June 27.
Several candidates asked for thoughts for the Walker family as a grand jury began meeting this week convened to decide whether the officers involved in the shooting should face criminal charges .
The candidates are:
Mark Greer, former Akron small business program manager
Shammas Malik, Akron Ward 8 councilman
Keith Mills, school intervention specialist
Tara Mosley, Akron Ward 5 councilwoman
Joshua Schaffer, cellphone store manager
Marco Sommerville, deputy mayor
Jeff Wilhite, Summit County councilman
More: Akron mayoral candidates discuss police reform, school safety during debate
Here are some of the questions and answers from Wednesday's debate.
I have three daughters (two PhDs and one MD) that have left Akron. How can we make Akron a place that people want to live and work in?
Mills: “We have to be welcoming for them. They have to find a job that actually pays them a living wage.” Mills also said companies have to be encouraged to come to Akron and maybe take preference for citizens of Akron.
Sommerville: Sommerville said two of his three children left Akron because the opportunities were not in the community. “We must continue to attract businesses here to this community so young people can stay. We must work harder with the University of Akron to build on our strengths.”
Wilhite: The community needs to "pay attention to the businesses that are here that we already have. If we listen to them, they’re crying for talent." There needs to be a better way to learn about the opportunities in existing businesses to fill those jobs, he said.
Mosley: “If we want to attract our young people and want them to come back home, we have to make sure those jobs that are here are providing a livable wage.” Mosley said she appreciates new housing downtown, but people want to live in affordable housing in a neighborhood. Safety also needs to be addressed.
Malik: “I left this community for college and law school. I moved back home because I love this community so much...but we are going to continue to see people leave if we do not meaningfully address safety and education.” Malik said the amazing businesses in Akron will not invest if “we can’t get safety and education under control.”
Schaffer: Schaffer's plan includes five years of free taxes for people who want to stay in Akron after they graduate from high school or college. He said he was the only candidate suggesting reducing the special assessment tax and eliminating it for poor and middle-income people.
Greer: Polls have said that 20% of Akronites are considering leaving Akron, he said. “People are calling for change. They're calling for a city that is moving forward rather than stuck in one place,” he said. “Nobody wants to get on a train that’s stuck on the tracks. When we get on a train we want it to move forward. Our leaders have not moved our city forward for decades."
More: What role should Akron mayor play with schools? Candidates answer this, other questions
Which other candidate would you most like to serve under as deputy mayor, and why?
Sommerville: “It’s a very simple question for me. It would be Jeff Wilhite. And why? He is a decent man and a man of integrity. He has a great family. He’s a man who has government experience. He knows when people are saying things that aren’t true. He knows how to get things done.”
Wilhite: “Every person on this stage loves this city... Marco has given this community 30-plus years of dedicated service. I would be honored to work with anybody on this stage at any point as long as we’re all moving in a positive direction.”
Mosley: Mosley complimented each of her opponents with a specific characteristic before saying “If I had to pick one person, it would be me. But I can’t do that, but if I had to pick one person I would pick Shammas because he and I are both progressives. We share a lot of the same values and he is someone I know would serve me amicably.”
Malik: Malik joked that it was going to sound like bias that he picked Mosley, but that he chose Mosley in a similar question at the Akron Urban League last week. "Everyone up on this stage cares deeply for this city,” he said. “I’ve watched my colleague, Ms. Mosley, as I’ve worked on council these past few years. I know how hard it has been to get to where she is today. I am very mindful of the fact that she is the only woman on this stage and no woman has ever been mayor of this city.”
Schaffer: “I look forward to working with Tara Mosley. I think she’s the favorite tonight and I have a lot of reasons for that. I think that when you are an existing politician, you lose touch. I think a lot of people on our stage are no longer in touch with the low-income Akron people that they represent. I think Tara is not only in touch, Tara gets it, she’s a very smart woman and I think she would make an excellent, excellent addition to my administration.”
More: In their words: Seven Akron mayoral candidates share their plans if elected
Greer: “I think we’re having some great job interviews up here,” Greer said to some laughter from the crowd. Greer said everyone on the stage knew what it means to not just “put ourselves in the arena but work to move the city forward.” He said if he had to pick one person, it would be Wilhite. “I’ve come to know Jeff and I’ve seen the work he has done in the community.”
Mills: Mills said he would need all of his colleagues’ help if elected and “all of them have a place in my administration. I really am a staunch believer that we have the talent here in Akron to push Akron forward.” Mills said he was stuck between Mosley and Wilhite. Mills said he met Wilhite’s mom before the event and “in a sincere moment I told her if Jeff was picked, Akron would be in good hands” but Mills said he was still stuck between two.
How will you develop a healthy relationship with City Council and help to influence council to be respectful of each other taking into account racial differences that divide council presently?
Schaffer: Having Mosley as his deputy mayor, Schaffer said he would build upon the relationships she has made and ones he has been making. “Having a combination of my fresh ideas and Tara Mosley’s experience is how we’re going to get things done.”
Greer: “When we talk about building relationships with City Council, we have to ensure that our City Council actually serves and represents the people who elected them there,” Greer said. “We can’t shut down public debate because things get tough and when people show up, we can’t clear the room because people have an issue with how things have not been going forward.”
Mills: Mills said it is OK to have different opinions, as long as there is open discourse. Mills said his biggest pet peeve as he’s knocked on doors is that residents don’t know who their council person is or haven’t heard from their council person. “Build the relationships and be open and respectful."
Sommerville: Sommerville said he was council president. “I know what it takes to bring people together." Sommerville said he and other council members began going out to dinner to get to know each other better and realize they shared the same concerns. He supports retreats “to treat each other better and with respect.”
Wilhite: The administration and council relationship is no different than a relationship with family and friends, Wilhite said. “You listen. You’re humble enough to understand when you don’t have all the answers. You work with them, but it’s got to be understood from day one that the focus is on the residents that they have been elected to represent.”
More: Akron mayoral candidates exchange insults and ideas in first debate with all 7 present
Mosley: “Under our administration, we will have an open-door policy for all council members. It does not matter whether you have a difference of opinion of them or whether you like them in real life. The door has to always be open,” she said, adding that she has been able to bring "meaningful solutions" because she had done those conversations with people she doesn't agree with "all the time.”
Malik: “When I talk about a city where each of the 190,000 people feel like they are part of the solution, it requires building a city government that is less top down, where no mayor is king, where someone is trying to build consensus even with people whom they often disagree and where we are building processes in every issue — whether its development or policing or the environment — every issue, especially the budget, where people’s voices are heard. Not just if you call us, we’ll listen. Building processes where we are asking their opinion and incorporating that into actions we take.”
Betty Lin-Fisher can be reached at 330-996-3724 or blinfisher@thebeaconjournal.com.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Final Akron mayor debate sees tough questions from citizens
