Q&A with Canton mayoral candidate Thomas West
Editor's note: The Canton Repository is profiling the five Democrats facing off in the May 2 primary for Canton mayor. The Repository asked the candidates to complete a questionnaire and their answers will appear at CantonRep.com this week. Candidate profiles also will appear at CantonRep.com and in the newspaper. Republican Roy Scott DePew is unopposed in the Republican primary.
Here is the schedule:
Monday: Kimberly D. Bell
Tuesday: Willis Gordon
Wednesday: William V. Sherer II
Thursday: Bill Smuckler
Friday: Thomas West
Thomas E. West
Age: 58
What neighborhood do you live in: McKinley Fork Neighborhood Association
Family: Married to Lisa D. West for 22 years she is a social worker for Area Agency on Aging. My daughter Telia Love West is in her final year at Cleveland State University for nursing and my son Thomas West II is in his second year at University of Akron and working for Edward Jones Financial Advisors.
Education: I graduated from the University of Akron with a master's degree and bachelor's degree in social work administration. I also attended the University of Mount Union for four years working toward a degree in business administration. I also am a proud graduate of Leadership Stark County.
Political party: Democrat
Political Experience: As an experienced public servant, I have a proven track record of leadership and commitment to the community. For the past six years, I had the privilege to serve as the state representative for the 49th district, where I held a term as the assistant minority leader of the Ohio House of Representatives Democratic Caucus and served as the president of the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus, the oldest Black caucus in the nation.
Before that, I dedicated 13 years to serve as a Canton City councilman for the downtown Ward 2 district. Additionally, I served as an elected precinct committeeman for the past 18 years, where I contributed to the Stark County Democratic Executive Committee and the State of Ohio Democratic Executive Committee.
Throughout my career, I passionately campaigned for six candidates for president of the United States and other candidates. My experience and dedication to public service have equipped me with a comprehensive understanding of the political landscape and a deep commitment to representing the people and communities I serve.
Community involvement: I am privileged to have had the opportunity to contribute to over 51 boards, committees, and commissions at both the local and state levels. Currently, I am actively involved in several notable organizations including The Greater Stark County Martin Luther King Jr Commission, Men of Canton, Jefferson Jackson Club, NAACP, Ohio Commission on Fatherhood where I serve as the vice president, and the Governor's Office of Workforce Transformation Board. In addition to these roles, I have recently completed my tenure as vice chair for the Joint Legislative Service Commission, Joint Medicaid Oversight Committee, Ohio Council on Aging, Attorney General Human Trafficking Commission, and Law Enforcement Training Funding Study Commissio
Why are you running for mayor?
I am running for mayor because, as a social worker for over two decades, I have always been committed to making a positive impact in the lives of individuals, families, neighborhoods, and communities.
After completing my master's in social work administration, I knew I could contribute to building a better community. Canton has always been a place that I have seen as affordable, accessible, and transformational, and I have invested in it by living, raising my family, and doing business here.
As a city councilman, I was disappointed to see three mayors come to Canton with the intention of "saving" the city, only to leave when they lost the job. This experience motivated me to run for office, as I believe that I have the qualifications to lead Canton towards a brighter future. I have worked with multiple governors and speakers of the House of Representatives, which has given me valuable skills, knowledge, and resources at the local, state, and federal levels.
I have seen the strengths and weaknesses of our past administrators and believe that I can do better.
I believe in prioritizing individuals and families, especially during the pandemic, which has created isolation and division. As mayor, I would focus on building up and cleaning up our citizens as a way to promote public safety and improve our infrastructure. I also believe in changing the culture of our departments to empower our directors to support and build up their constituents rather than tearing them down. My leadership would create a city that people want to move to, rather than leave.
What relevant experience qualifies you for the position? Please list three strengths, along with their weaknesses that you will have to overcome.
I believe my experience as a nonprofit business owner and a food and restaurant business owner, as well as my ownership of a real estate investment company, make me a qualified candidate for this position.
Through these ventures, I have gained valuable experience in governmental and for-profit policies. Furthermore, my previous roles as the assistant minority leader of the House of Representatives and president of the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus have given me a strong understanding of leading teams and working with government policies.
Additionally, my experience in reviewing grants for the Center for Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration has given me insight into the grant application process.
One of my key strengths is my access to resources on both the state and federal level. This would allow me to leverage relationships and obtain necessary resources for the organization. Another strength of mine is my ability to engage with people from diverse backgrounds and find solutions even in challenging situations.
However, I must acknowledge my weaknesses as well. Firstly, I do not belong to the dominant culture or "boys club," which could make it challenging to navigate certain situations. Additionally, I tend to take on challenges at the risk of my own well-being. Finally, I often struggle with accepting the status quo and may challenge the "this is the way we do it" mentality, which could create conflict in some situations.
Nonetheless, I am actively working on overcoming these weaknesses and believe that my strengths and experience make me an ideal candidate for the position.
Is the city headed in the right direction or wrong direction?
The current direction of the city is aligned with the comprehensive plan, but it appears to be disregarding the impact on our citizens and other neighborhoods.
As such, it is crucial to exercise astute judgment in the timing and cause-and-effect of the city's actions while taking the necessary steps to propel our city forward in any direction. To build a better city, we must build on our successes and learn from our past mistakes.
Unfortunately, the city seems to rely on a set of tools to solve problems without evaluating the outcomes of their actions. It is time to change our methods and adopt new approaches to overcome our shortcomings. I believe the city has the resources and capabilities to achieve its goals, but it needs to adjust its plan and build our city in a dynamic manner, assessing the impact on all neighborhoods and providing assistance to those in need.
By doing so, we can create a more inclusive and vibrant city that benefits all its residents.
What would be your top three priorities in your first year in office.
My top priority as mayor would be to put families first by providing a safe and healthy community.
To achieve this, I will prioritize public safety and empower our safety director to enhance community policing initiatives. We will increase the use of surveillance technology and implement programs that give individuals an opportunity to clean up and re-enter the workforce, while providing them with job training and education. We will partner with community leaders and agencies to tackle the root causes of crime and mitigate crime in our neighborhoods. As a mayor with social justice experience, I am committed to creating a safe community for all of our citizens.
Improve infrastructure for better quality of life: Improving infrastructure is paramount to enhancing the quality of life for residents, increasing property values, and attracting new businesses to the area. I would prioritize the replacement of lead sewer lines and the paving of side streets and main alleys. Additionally, I would implement new signage that mimics the NFL team's namesake and colors to our street signs, as well as the NFL walk of fame. I will also finalize streetscape projects that have been dormant for years. We will utilize federal funding and state capital funding to prioritize projects.
Foster economic growth and development: Thirdly, I would create an economic pipeline from small businesses to larger businesses like Hall of Fame Village, Amazon, Intel, and Sherwin Williams. We will assess our opportunity space and fulfill any and all buildings in our downtown and surrounding areas. By building out our need to enhance small and medium-sized businesses, we will fulfill the larger entities' ecosystem and foster economic growth and development. This will be key to Canton's future success and prosperity.
The city has focused its attention on downtown, including Centennial Plaza, and the Hall of Fame Village in recent years. What are you plans, if any, to improve city neighborhoods?
My vision for Canton is a city that is thriving, with vibrant neighborhoods that are safe, clean, and welcoming plan for improving city neighborhoods is to shift the city's focus from just downtown and the Hall of Fame Village to our neighborhoods.
I believe in building up our citizens and the places they call home. Instead of tearing down structures and displacing individuals, I plan to partner with local investors to clean up properties and increase propertyvalues.
We will provide incentives for neighbors to help each other clean up their properties and will implement DIY programs and neighborhood cleanup initiatives. Additionally, we will introduce furniture bags for sanitation to dispose of furniture left on the curb.
We will also work to change the culture of our building department to be more customer-friendly and responsive to neighborhood concerns.
I will hold quarterly meetings with neighborhood associations to ensure their voices are heard and their concerns addressed. By investing in our neighborhoods, we can build a better Canton for all of our citizens.
What is your crime prevention plan?
Our strategy for preventing crime involves prioritizing our people by providing them with opportunities for success. To achieve this goal, we plan to establish partnerships that will enable us to educate both young people and individuals who have committed felonies, helping them to start legitimate businesses and providing a pathway towards expunging their records.
Additionally, we will collaborate with organizations that offer hands-on workforce development and crime prevention initiatives. To further enhance our efforts, our safety team will meet with the ODJ and Attorney General to stay up-to-date on the latest crime prevention techniques and resources.
The Stark County NAACP has released numerous recommendations related to police reform following the fatal shooting of James Williams by a city police officer last year. Is police reform need in Canton? If so please offer some specific changes that you would advocate for.
The need for police reform in Canton, Ohio, is undeniable, particularly in the aftermath of incidents like the tragic shooting of James Williams. As a candidate, I stand behind the recommendations made by the Stark County NAACP and advocate for specific changes to increase transparency and accountability in police practices.
One of these changes would involve the creation of an enhanced citizen review board to oversee police practices and investigate allegations of misconduct. In addition, I would call for the implementation of community-based policing strategies and the use of body-worn cameras by police officers to provide greater transparency and accountability in their interactions with the public.
It is also crucial to have an enhanced crisis stabilization team with more social workers and a long-term residential crisis stabilization facility for individuals with mental illness.
Furthermore, I believe that re-evaluating police training practices is vital, including ensuring that officers receive comprehensive training on issues such as implicit bias and de-escalation tactics.
As someone who served on the funding for law enforcement training commission at the state, I understand the importance of this type of training and would work with community organizations and experts in the field to develop more effective programs.
Overall, it is evident that significant changes are necessary in police practices to create a more just and equitable criminal justice system for all members of our community. As a candidate, I am fully committed to working towards achieving this goal.
The city has provided million of dollars to support the Hall of Fame Village development. Where do you stand on providing funding and/or financial incentives for this project?
As a candidate, I fully support the development of the Hall of Fame Village and believe that it has the potential to be a significant asset to our city.
I am committed to being an active participant in ensuring its success and exploring various options to provide funding and financial incentives for this project.
One of these options could involve creating grant incentives for the project and exploring other local and state opportunities that may not have been considered before. As mayor, I will work closely with stakeholders involved in the project to identify opportunities to support its growth and development.
Overall, I am confident that the Hall of Fame Village will bring numerous benefits to our community, and I am committed to exploring all avenues to ensure its success.
How do you intend to encourage and grown economic development?
This coalition will work together to identify opportunities for growth and development in our city, as well as develop strategies to attract new businesses and investment. We will also work to support existing businesses and industries to ensure that they continue to thrive and contribute to the economic well-being of our community.
In addition to this, I believe that it is important to create a welcoming and supportive environment for entrepreneurs and small businesses. This could involve providing access to resources such as business incubators, training programs, and financing options to help these businesses get off the ground and succeed.
Overall, I am committed to working collaboratively with stakeholders across the community to encourage and grow economic development in our city, and I believe that by working together, we can create a more prosperous future for all.
How important is the arts community to the future of Canton and what can the city do to support the arts?
The arts community plays a crucial role in the future of Canton, and it is important that the city takes steps to support it.
As mayor, I believe that the arts are essential to creating a vibrant and thriving community, and I am committed to working with local artists, arts organizations, and the state and federal government to expand and grow our arts district.
This could involve exploring funding opportunities and working to create partnerships with local businesses to support the arts. Additionally, I would work to create more public art installations and events that showcase the talents of our local artists, and I would seek to promote Canton as a destination for the arts including our local Palace Theatre and the Canton Memorial Civic Center.
The city owns the Canton Memorial Civic Center, which opened in 1951. What do you see as the future of this facility, and should the city invest in upgrading the venue or building a new one.
As a candidate for mayor, I recognize the importance of the Canton Memorial Civic Center to our community. While it opened in 1951, I believe that with strategic investments, we can modernize and upgrade the facility to meet the needs of our community.
I would work to identify funding sources to support these upgrades and ensure that the Civic Center remains a vibrant and relevant venue for years to come. I believe that investing in this facility is a wise use of our resources and will benefit the community as a whole.
The perception is that talented, bright young people are leaving Canton. Do you have a plan to attract and keep bright young people in Canton.
As a candidate for mayor, I believe that retaining bright and talented young people is critical for the future of Canton.
Many young people feel there are limited opportunities in our city, which leads them to leave. To change this, I will work to create an environment that is conducive to growth, starting with creating job opportunities and summer employment programs that are accessible to young people.
Additionally, I will work to improve our city services and encourage more employees to live within city limits, which will help to build a sense of community and engagement. By collaborating with our local colleges and institutions, we can create a plan to make Canton a destination for talented and motivated young people.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Q&A with Canton mayoral candidate Thomas West
