Stark County communities will choose their mayors this November
Residents throughout Stark County soon will vote on the people to lead their communities for the next four years.
In addition to Canton and Massillon, six communities have contested mayoral races on the Nov. 7 ballot. Incumbents will face challengers in Canal Fulton, Beach City, East Canton, East Sparta and Hartville.
Two candidates are seeking to succeed the longtime mayor of Navarre, Robert Benson, who did not run for another term.
All of the village races are nonpartisan. Canal Fulton's city charter also designates elected offices as nonpartisan.
Canal Fulton
Mayor Joe Schultz is facing a challenge from Joseph Powers.
Schultz, who took office in 2016, has been a teacher at Northwest Local Schools since 1984. The 63-year-old said he feels blessed to have a fulfilling career and voter support for the past eight years.
"When I came into office, one of the things that I was told was never going to be a possibility was for us to have income tax reform in the city of Canal Fulton," Schultz said.
Under his leadership, residents voted to increase the city's income tax rate from 1.5% to 2% in 2019. The change also gave residents full credit for income taxes paid to other municipalities instead of the previous 50%.
Schultz said it resulted in tax savings for 70% of the city's population and a "windfall" that allowed the city to improve downtown street elements, such as lights and crosswalks. He wants to continue positioning Canal Fulton for growth ― providing city water to more residents with a new water tower and ensuring that there are enough housing options.
"I really appreciate the opportunity to serve the citizens of Canal Fulton," Schultz said. "I feel truly blessed."
Powers, who will turn 21 on Nov. 4, wants to bring a new perspective to the mayor's office. He's lived in Canal Fulton his entire life and is attending Stark State College for mechanical engineering technology.
“Being younger, I think I can do a lot of good in the community," he said.
Powers previously worked at Dairy Queen and operated a lawn-mowing business, during which he became familiar with people in the community. He purchased campaign signs in late September and planned to go door to door to talk with voters about his first political campaign.
If elected, Powers said he would keep residents informed of his actions as mayor through newsletters or social media.
“The biggest thing that I want people to see with me is full transparency,” he said.
Beach City
Mayor John Hartman, who took office in 2020, is facing Mary Beth Yoder, president of the Village Council, for the next mayoral term.
Hartman did not return The Canton Repository's messages for this article.
Yoder, 40, works in real estate and dentistry. She grew up in Beach City and now raises her family there.
"I'm very connected directly to the community and definitely want to see it continue to grow," she said.
As a councilwoman, Yoder has worked to improve the village's utility infrastructure and encourage business. The village recently created a historical district, "opening it back up for businesses" and promoting historical preservation.
"As far as the utility infrastructure, our sewer plant and our water meter reading system are in need of repair," she said.
Yoder previously owned a restaurant and said that gave her experience managing employees and finances that would be helpful as mayor. She also said the village police and fire departments would have her support.
East Canton
Mayor David Spencer is facing a challenge from Eddie J. Budinski.
David Spencer was on Village Council for two years before he was appointed mayor in February 2022 after Kathleen Almasy resigned.
Spencer, 43, said the village is at a turning point after a significant population decline over the past three decades. He thinks the solution is "controlled growth" and a focus on improving infrastructure.
"The fact that I have a strong relationship with council and the village department managers and staff, I think it puts me in the best position to help facilitate some of those improvements that are needed," he said.
Spencer's time as mayor has involved rebuilding the Police Department after the chief and sergeant resigned, replacing storm sewers, and making improvements that allowed the village to receive a non-conditional EPA permit for the water system. He grew up in East Canton and is the vice president at Ambaflex Manufacturing in Canton.
"I have worked with youth in various sports programs and I'm just committed to the village," he said. "I'm committed to residents, and they can count on me to look out for their best interests."
Budinski has lived in East Canton most of his life and previously ran for mayor in 2019. He's dealt with a longstanding illness and decided to run again while staying in the hospital for kidney cancer treatment.
"I just know we could do better," he said.
Budinski, 49, has worked as a big book dealer and subcontractor in the security field. He wants to increase collaboration with Osnaburg Township and organize a recurring downtown event similar to First Fridays to make the village "economically viable."
Budinski sees opportunities to attract tourists by establishing an African American Hall of Fame at the Clearview Golf Club because of its history as the first golf course in the United States built and owned by an African American. He also supports the legalization of cannabis to give more access to people who use it medically and to reap the economic benefits.
"We're a farming community," he said. "I'd love to see our farmers taking part in that gold rush."
East Sparta
Incumbent Mayor David Stropki will face Sacha Stashak in the general election.
Stropki took office in 2016. He did not respond to The Canton Repository's messages for this article.
Stashak could not be reached for comment.
Hartville
Incumbent Cynthia Billings is being challenged by Theresa Muncy.
"I just feel like there's still a lot of stuff I need to get done, and I want to continue toward that," Billings said.
She was elected mayor in 2015 and had previously served as a councilwoman since 2005. During her time as mayor, the village sold all the lots in its industrial park and started moving the Police Department to a new facility.
Billings, 60, said she works closely with the Lake Township Chamber of Commerce and volunteers at community events. Making the village more business-friendly would be among her priorities, if reelected.
"I'd like to get some better zoning for the businesses we have and just make things a little easier for them," she said.
Muncy did not return The Canton Repository's messages for this article.
Navarre
Mayor Robert Benson is stepping down after 28 years of leading the village, leaving an open seat that will go to Justin G. Cline or Chauntelle Skirtich.
Cline, who recently turned 39, works with students who have disabilities at Fairless High School. He has been on the Village Council for five years and described himself as a "team player."
"I've got a working relationship with pretty much everybody involved in the village right now," he said.
Cline said he's proud of the joint park he's involved with as chairman of the Navarre Parks Department and member of the Navarre-Bethlehem Park Board. He'd like to prioritize street repairs and improvements to Rochester Square and the nearby Towpath Trail to attract visitors.
"If you're halfway between Massillon and Bolivar, we need to give people a reason to come into town," he said.
Skirtich, 59, retired from working for Stark County and now works part time as the fiscal officer for the Navarre-Bethlehem Joint Fire District. She's lived in the area for 28 years and was a candidate for a vacated council position in 2014.
"Over the last several years, I've seen a decline in the way that the town looks and the pride in the town, and I'd just like to see things get back to the way they were," she said.
Skirtich said, as a retiree, she has time to devote to the village. Her top priorities would be improving the downtown and ensuring transparency and accountability among village officials and staff.
"I have a finance background, and so I think fiscally I can keep things watched, keep things going in a positive direction or get things going," she said.
Uncontested mayoral races
The incumbent mayors in North Canton, Brewster, Hills and Dales, Magnolia, Meyers Lake and Minerva are running unopposed.
They are Stephan B. Wilder in North Canton, Charles Hawk in Brewster, Mark J. Samolczyk in Hills and Dales, Travis M. Boyd in Magnolia, Michael M. Labriola Jr. in Meyers Lake, and Timothy N. Tarbet in Minerva.
Reach Kelly at 330-580-8323 or kelly.byer@cantonrep.comOn X, formerly known as Twitter: @kbyerREP
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Stark County communities choose their mayors Nov. 7
