Who is running for City Council at large seats this 2023 election?

CHILLICOTHE — City Council has several seats up for a vote in November, including council members and council president. Before you finalize whose bubble to fill in on your ballot learn a little more about each prospective member of council here.

Six people are running for three council at-large seats. Half of those running are current members of City Council. A council at-large members do not represent a specific ward, instead, they represent the entire city.

The candidates are Anthony Phillips (R), Dustin Proehl (D), Allison Henderson (R), Gunner Barnes (D), Jeff Creed (R) and David Tatman (D).

Dr. Phillips is a local chiropractor who has been in the community for over 20 years. He is currently serving his first term on council and enjoys motivational speaking and spreading his faith by empowering others.

He is running for reelection in hopes that he can continue being a strong conservative leader in the community He supports smart fiscal management as well as stopping crime. Talking with the community he has found that crime and homelessness are the top concerns of the people, so they have also become his top concerns as a representative.

"We represent the true power of this country which is the people," said Phillips.

If reelected Phillips hopes to work to better the morale and the confidence of city employees. He believes city employees are not currently thriving under the current administration and that much could be done to improve the situation.

When voting Phillips wants citizens to remember that he is a passionate representative who takes his position seriously and does what he can to ease the concerns of the city.

Councilman Dustin Proehl has served on council for over 15 years now. The schoolteacher 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.

If reelected Proehl hopes to continue building up the city's safety and see the finish of large projects like the wastewater treatment plant. He also hopes to continue helping council by helping teach new members some of the rules and processes of council.

"I'm here to make the city run as smooth and easy as possible," said Proehl.

When voting Proehl hopes citizens remember that he is a persistent member of council who will listen to constituents and work hard to get things done, no matter how long it takes.

Dr. Henderson is the 5th Ward representative on council serving in her first term. She is attempting to make the change to the 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. If elected she will continue to support these efforts to make the city safer for those living in and visiting it.

Henderson said she is not afraid to stand up for what she believes but she also knows that having different opinions voiced is important. This is why she often listens to her constituents who use solid reasoning who visit during council and call her to voice their concern or support on different issues.

"At the end of the day we are all members of the same community," said Henderson

When voting Henderson hopes voters remember that she will stand up for what she, and those she represents, believe in as well as what is best for the city. She also hopes to help the city fiscally by helping grow the rainy day fund and be more fiscally smart.

Barnes is a local artist who has freelanced in the community and all over the nation and is also currently the social media manager at Old Capitol Brewing downtown. He is running after the idea was brought up to him and he looked into the current council and how meetings go.

If elected he plans on helping bring better communication techniques to the table. both between council members and departments. His biggest issue, however, is transparency. Barnes said his goal is to be as open as he can in council and committee meetings so that citizens know what is going on in the town.

"I just want everyone to know what I am doing," said Barnes.

As a younger candidate and a new face, he also hopes to bring in new ideas and inspire other younger people to get involved in politics. He believes if you have great ideas you shouldn't have to wait till you are older to have them implemented.

When voting Barnes hopes people remember that he is a creative thinker who will work to help everyone.

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.

If elected this long-term planning is something Creed hopes to bring to the city so that all of the departments can have a clear plan for their budgets for the future. He said the process takes a lot of discussions and prioritizing, something he doesn't mind, he enjoys being able to talk with others and throw around ideas for solutions.

While he plans on focusing on safety service departments, Creed said he wants to help the entire city by first organizing and prioritizing essentials and then using what is left to better other aspects of Chillicothe for both new businesses and citizens.

"I want to look at the broader picture of bettering our city," said Creed.

Creed recently pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor vehicular homicide charge.

Tatman grew up in Chillicothe and is a former store manager and business owner. He previously served on council for 10 years until he was beaten in the 2021 election. Tatman said he misses finding solutions and talking to community members about what they need.

If elected Tatman's goal is to work with all members of council to find solutions that work for everyone in the city, no matter the political party. He said this willingness to work with others and his common sense help him find solutions to problems citizens face.

"We don't serve just one group," said Tatman. "We serve the people."

If elected Tatman said he plans to support the community and the "flourishing downtown" as well as the law enforcement and safety personnel who keep the area safe. While he doesn't have a solution at the moment for major issues like homelessness and rising rent he plans to work with others in the community to learn more and try to ease the problem however he can.

Early voting for the Nov. 7 election started on Oct. 11 at the Ross County Board of Elections. On election day polling locations will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. For more information about the election or to find your polling location visit the Ross County Board of Elections website.

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: Learn more about those running for city council at large seats