New councilman to fill open fourth ward seat
CHILLICOTHE— A new Fourth Ward councilman has been selected to fill the seat on Chillicothe City Council by the Ross County Central Committee after it was vacated earlier this month.
Former councilman Terrell Fairrow recently resigned from his position as the ward representative after a scheduling conflict arose. This conflict prevented Fairrow from being able to attend council meetings regularly.
Steve Barnes, a Republican, will be filling the open position on council. He has lived in the ward for his entire life and considers himself a "proud Eastender." Before serving on council Barnes spent 25 serving the Chillicothe Fire Department working his way from firefighter/basic EMT to assistant fire chief. He believes his career not only helped him to know about the fourth ward but the entire city.
After retiring, Barnes served as a volunteer deputy sheriff on Project Life Saver. This project enables local public safety officials to help those with loved ones with developmental disabilities or Alzheimer's who may wonder. As a volunteer Barnes can help find those individuals and bring them home. He has also helped install free smoke detectors in homes across the area. As a councilman he hopes to continue these efforts to help those in the community.
Barnes's position as ward representative will be up for a vote this November. While he will be running as an incumbent if he wins it will not technically be a reelection since he was appointed.
Even though he was appointed Barnes still had to accept the position, something he ultimately decided to do because he missed being a public servant after years at the fire department. Running to be on council has always been in the back of his mind but he finally decided to jump on the opportunity when the position came open.
"I'm certain I made the right choice," said Barnes of coming to council. "I hope the citizens agree."
As a new member of council Barnes is fully aware of how much he has to learn. He hopes his time around city officials will help him understand the rules quicker. He is also already studying council rules, he said other council members and party officials have been a great help to this learning process.
As a councilman Barnes has many concerns, particularly the deterioration of infrastructure in the ward. He said he believes the ward could have a lot to offer in terms of rental and low-cost housing. By helping enforce city nuisance codes Barnes said he thinks many of the eyesores in the area could be taken care of or refurbished to be a better asset to the community.
"I think blight is contagious," said Barnes of the run-down buildings. "You see one area fall into disrepair and it seems like it spreads."
Barnes also said he wants to do whatever he can do to help lift the basic quality of life for all Chillicothe citizens. He plans to do this by supporting the great programs and departments within the city.
Fourth Ward residents are encouraged to reach out to Barnes with any concerns at 740-703-0911. He said he is always open to citizens calling him as he wants to help people in any way he can, either by giving them an answer or helping them find someone who can.
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: New councilman to fill open fourth ward seat
