Chillicothe City Council: Henderson, Proehl and Creed nab at-large seats

CHILLICOTHE— This election season the Chillicothe City Council was destined to see changes with several seats up for vote. While at the polls, voters were able to choose three at large candidates and a candidate to represent their ward.

While the seat was open Diedra Nickerson of the Third Ward was the only candidate running unopposed this year in council.

According to unofficial results from the Ross County Board of Elections, the winners are:

Chillicothe City Council At Large Representative

While voting for at-large members of Chillicothe City Council voters can choose up to three candidates to vote for. Candidates were Gunner Barnes (D), Jeff Creed (R), Allison Henderson (R), Anthony Phillips (R), Dustin Proehl (D) and Davis Tatman (D).

The winners were Allison Henderson with 17.57% of votes, Dustin Proehl with 17.30% of votes and Jeff Creed with 16.74% of votes.

Dr. Henderson is the current 5th Ward representative on council who was looking move to an at-large position so she can help more of the community with their issues. She also is a local business owner with an optometry practice in town.

So far she has supported safety efforts in the town as well as fiscal responsibility and accountability. She previously said if elected she would continue to support these efforts to make the city safer for those living in and visiting it.

Proehl, who has served on council for over 15 years, is a schoolteacher who grew up in Chillicothe and is raising his children here. His goal on council is the same as his goal in the classroom which is to help create a better future.

Over his years on council, he has helped complete many projects that have bettered the city and made it more appealing to citizens and investors. While he calls downtown the "heart of the city" he knows the betterment and care for the city needs to expand to all areas. This is why he is passionate about meeting with and talking to people from all walks of life so he can hear from them firsthand what they need.

Creed is a former military personnel and Chillicothe Fire Chief. Having enlisted in the Army at 17 he was involved in Desert Storm as security and transportation for prisoners of war. He also served years later in Afghanistan and Iraq helping to secure prisons in the area making them safer and more efficient.

During this time Creed worked with a team to produce the best outcome while sticking to a budget, he then took these skills home with him while on the fire department to help increase efficiency by combining the police and fire dispatching system and creating a long term budget plan that is still helping the fire department to this day.

Chillicothe City Council 1st Ward Representative

Lisa Bennett (R) and Ruth Teeters (D) ran for the First Ward seat on the Chillicothe City Council.

With 58.19% of the votes Lisa Bennett won.

Bennett is a retired teacher who grew up in the area and has many memories of the neighborhood throughout her childhood.

Bennet plans to better the city by supporting utilities. She believes having good roads and sewer systems can help set the town up for more success. With the World Heritage designation and so many hidden gems, she only sees Chillicothe growing bigger and better.

Chillicothe City Council 2nd Ward Representative

Incumbent Kathy Payne (R) and Christina Arredondo (D) ran for the Second Ward.

With 55.37% of the votes Kathy Payne won the second ward seat.

Payne is the current ward representative who was running for her third term. She is also a local educator of over 40 years currently working as the assistant superintendent of Chillicothe City Schools. Payne originally ran to become a representative as a way to give back to the community she loves. Having raised her kids here she hopes to continue making Chillicothe a place for families.

Payne hopes to continue supporting public safety through fire, police and EMS services. She said a safe community will help bring in more businesses and citizens to all of Chillicothe. Citing the home shortage in the area Payne said she also hopes to see vacant buildings being taken care of and the space better utilized.

Chillicothe City Council 4th Ward Representative

Incumbent Steve Barnes (R) and John Thacker (D) ran for the Fourth Ward seat.

With 53.02% of votes Steve Barnes won the fourth ward seat.

Barnes is a current councilman having been appointed to the position earlier this year. Previously he worked serving the community as assistant fire chief at the Chillicothe Fire Department with an over 20-year career in the department. He was born and raised in the ward and is proud of it.

He hopes to continue being a voice for his community as well as being a friendly face to help people who are looking for answers. He said oftentimes when people have issues and they don't know where to go to get answers, he is able to ask questions for them or point them in the right direction for help.

Chillicothe City Council 5th Ward Representative

Gregory McKeever (R) and Julie Thacker (D) ran for the Fifth Ward seat.

With 50.23% of the votes Gregory McKeever won the fifth ward seat.

McKeever was born in raised in Ross County and served the community for several years at the Sheriff's Office, State Highway Patrol, Chillicothe court system and at universities as a public safety teacher. Though his job moved him around he always came back to Ross County.

McKeever plans to focus on safety services and utilities as he calls them the basics of a community. Without strong support in these categories, the community will have a harder time growing and thriving.

Chillicothe City Council 6th Ward Representative

Incumbent Jamie Brown (D) and Dan Demint (R) ran for the Sixth Ward.

With 50.18% of votes, Dan Demint won the seat.

Demint currently works as a property coordinator for corrections. He calls himself an "east-ender through and through" having been born in and lived in Chillicothe for most of his life. With his wife and four kids as well as friends he has a solid connection to the area.

He hopes to first learn the inner workings and rules of council and the committees then use his knowledge to find ways to upgrade aging infrastructure and keep functioning infrastructure in the modern age, create tangible solutions for crime issues and create a sustainable attraction to bring people into the sixth ward. He also wants to maintain the health and safety of the ward with as little impact on tax dollars as possible.

Chillicothe City Council President

In the running for council president are incumbent Joe Gieringer (R) and Kevin Shoemaker (D).

With 50.79% of votes, Kevin Shoemaker won the Chillicothe City Council President seat.

Shoemaker grew up in Ross County and moved back here after working around the state. His father, Myrl Shoemaker, served as Ohio's 57th lieutenant governor so public service is in his blood. Shoemaker is running to help bridge the divide he has seen in politics.

As an attorney Shoemaker has worked with all kinds of people, something he believes will help him. With this, he knows there is good to be found in everyone which is how he hopes to connect people.

Shelby Reeves is a reporter for the Chillicothe Gazette. You can email her at SReeves@gannett.com or follow her on Twitter @Shelby_Reeves_

This article originally appeared on Chillicothe Gazette: Who won in Chillicothe City Council during the November election?