As mayor, Shane Gunnoe wants to leave Dover 'in a much better place than when I found it'

DOVER ‒ Shane Gunnoe said he has worked hard to restore trust in the mayor's office and change the culture at City Hall in the year and a half that he has served as mayor.

Gunnoe, 41, was appointed interim mayor in May 2022 after former Mayor Richard Homrighausen was suspended from office by a three-judge panel appointed by the Ohio Supreme Court. Homrighausen had been indicted by the grand jury in March 2022 on theft in office charges.

After Homrighausen was convicted and sentenced on those charges, Gunnoe was named mayor by the Dover Republican Central Committee in February to fill out the remainder of Homrighausen's term, which expires Dec. 31.

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Gunnoe, a Republican, and Democrat Colby Byrom will both be seeking the office in the Nov. 7 general election.

"If you look at some of the things we've accomplished in the last year and a half, it's a number of substantial improvements," Gunnoe said, touting his accomplishments.

Those include spending more money on street paving during that time period than at any time in Dover's history, adding a school resource officer for Dover City Schools, making improvements at Dover City Park, reducing operating expenses at the municipal light plant by about $500,000 and reducing water rates for residents by about $600,000.

"I have two young children, and hopefully someday they're going to choose to call Dover home," he said. "They're 4 and 6 now, so they're not going to be adults for many years, but I'm heavily invested in what the future of our community is going to look like for the next generation. So, I want to leave Dover four years from now in a much better place than when I found it."

Changes in how city hall operates

Gunnoe said he is working to see that the problems that occurred while Homrighausen was mayor do not happen again. The city is conducting annual ethics training and is working to create an anti-nepotism policy. The former mayor had been accused of being involved in the hiring of his son, Peter, as a city employee. Gunnoe said he also examines every purchase order for any department under the mayor. In 2021, the former superintendent of the light plant approved about $350,000 in purchase orders without council authorization.

And Gunnoe does not perform weddings. Homrighausen was convicted of theft in office, dereliction of duty and four counts of soliciting improper compensation related to fees he collected for officiating at weddings.

"That's been a policy of mine," Gunnoe said. "I'm not performing marriages, certainly not until council adopts rules on that. We've got a lot of things going on, and I'm heavily invested in the details of those projects and the day-to-day operations of the city, so conducting marriages are not really a priority of mine."

Dover Chemical suit

The mayor said he is open to seeking a settlement or a compromise with Dover Chemical Corp. to end the company's lawsuit against the city over a surcharge the city was charging Dover Chemical for electricity from the light plant. So far, the city has spent around $500,000 on legal fees to defend itself.

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Money from the surcharge, currently around $1.1 million, is being held in an escrow account. If the city prevails in the lawsuit, that money will go to the city.

"We have an obligation to defend our ordinances, to defend our residents via our ordinances and ensure that funds owed to Dover Light & Power are properly recouped," Gunnoe said. "With that said, I've expressed on multiple occasions and many times that if there is an avenue for a negotiated settlement, that is something I am fully willing to discuss and entertain."

Responsible growth

Dover needs additional housing if it hopes to grow, he said, but that growth must be done in a responsible manner. The city is considering approval of a 30-lot housing development on the north end of the city, but residents living along Goettge Run are concerned it could bring more flooding.

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Gunnoe said the city has hired a company that has a stormwater management engineer to look at the entirety of Goettge Run in the next year to identify chokepoints, eliminate anything that causes backup of water and protect the people who live along the stream.

Other issues he is focused on include completing the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail through Dover, driving business investment into the city and supporting the light plant. The city has invested about $1.5 million in the plant in the last year and a half, he noted.

"I'm a big proponent of municipal power, and I believe it's a tremendous asset the city of Dover has," he said.

Gunnoe served as Ward 2 council member from 2008 to 2014 and council president from 2014 to 2022. He was an unsuccessful candidate for county commissioner in 2012 and for the Republican nomination for state representative in 2018. The 2001 graduate of Dover High School graduated from Capital University with a bachelor of arts degree in history and political science. He took additional classes at the Akron University School of Law.

Reach Jon Baker at 330-364-8415 or at jon.baker@timesreporter.com.

This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: Shane Gunnoe wants to leave Dover better than he found it