Pollock sworn in as at-large member of council, Fisher to run in 2nd Ward race

The Marion County Republican Party Central Committee appointed replacements for a vacant seat on Marion City Council and a candidate for the upcoming City Council election.

GOP Chairman Ken Stiverson said the Central Committee voted to appoint Matthew Pollock to fill the vacancy on Marion City Council that was created when Brett Cornelius resigned as an at-large member. Cornelius, who was pastor of Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Marion, accepted the call to another pastorate in Illinois. He resigned from council in late June.

Pollock, 49, said he had "quite a few" reasons for applying for the vacant seat, not the least of which was his belief council has been "spinning its wheels" for the past several years.

"For the last almost four years we've had issues with the auditor, other financial issues, and it doesn't seem like anybody's interested in getting the problems fixed," he said. "They're just interested in pointing fingers at each other. This is something that's got to stop. I know most of the people that are on council from both sides of the (political) aisle. I've always gotten along with them.

"I've always been one of those people who can cross the aisle and make a compromise, get things fixed, and move forward. And I'm hoping that will help the city in the long run," Pollock added. "We can't be divisive. We can't worry about what people in the party are going to think. We have to worry about what's best for the city, what's best for our citizens. It seems like (the citizens) are the last thing anyone's considering right now and they ought to be the first."

Pollock was the Marion County Republican Party chairman in 2000 and 2001, and was the youngest person ever to serve in that role in Marion County. He also served as a member of the GOP central committee and the executive committee for six years. Pollock is a member of the local Masonic lodge and is an Eagle Scout and is a former Scoutmaster, he said.

Pollock and fellow Republicans Mike Neff and Aaron Rollins will be on the Nov. 7 general election ballot for the three at-large seats on Marion City Council. Neff and Rollins are both members of City Council. Neff is the 6th Ward representative but is running for the at-large seat due to redistricting that moved his home address out of the 6th Ward.

Pollock attended his first council meeting Monday evening after taking the oath of office.

Fisher named GOP's 2nd Ward candidate

Stiverson said the GOP Central Committee chose Patrick Fisher of Marion to fill a candidate vacancy in the race for the 2nd Ward seat. Pamela Larkin had filed a petition to run as a Republican in the general election against longtime incumbent Ayers Ratliff, a Democrat. However, Larkin recently informed the GOP that she was withdrawing from the race due to health issues.

Fisher, 53, is a native of Memphis, Tennessee. He said he met his wife, a Marion native, when they were both truck drivers for the same company. They've lived in Marion on two occasions. They've lived in the city for the past 13 years, he said.

Fisher said he decided to apply for the candidate vacancy because he believes "that (the 2nd Ward) can be a lot better than what it is" and that "Marion, in general, can be a lot better than what it is."

"I want to be the one to try and help the community grow," Fisher said. "I have seen a lot of good things happen here in Marion recently, but (the development) just kind of seems to leave (the 2nd Ward) out of it. We need to clean up some of the blight around this town. We need to get people more engaged with the community itself, especially businesses, and try to grow Marion back to what it was before.

"We have some hurdles to overcome, but I live here. I love the people here. I enjoy living here. We can get to the point where we can be better than we were before."

While he appreciates all of the development he's witnessed in downtown Marion, Fisher said he wants to see that success duplicated in every ward in the city.

"I haven't really seen any action toward growth (outside of downtown Marion). I just kind of feel like we're kind of stagnant," Fisher said. "I want to come in and be a fresh new face and bring in some opportunities, not only to grow our community, but to beautify our community, to reduce crime, and try to get Marion back on its feet and be a player in the state of Ohio again, and have people want to live here again."

Fisher said he works as a truck driver for a construction company. Previously, he and his wife owned a small trucking company and they've also been independent owner-operators.

Smith still in running for 5th Ward

Stiverson also said that Thaddeaus Smith is still the Republican Party candidate for the 5th Ward seat. Previously, Stiverson said that Smith had withdrawn from the election, but then reconsidered and decided to stay in the race.

Smith is facing Cory Brown, a Democrat, in the Nov. 7 general election.

Election information

For information about elections in Marion County, go to the Board of Elections website www.boe.ohio.gov/marion.

For information about statewide elections in Ohio, go to the Secretary of State's website VoteOhio.gov.

Email: ecarter@gannett.com | Twitter: @AndrewACCarter

This article originally appeared on Marion Star: Marion County GOP fills vacancies for upcoming general election