Vacant Fremont City Council seat to be filled by Seth Frasure
FREMONT – A vacant Fremont City Council seat, previously held by Justin Smith, is being filled by Seth Frasure.
The choice of Frasure was made on Tuesday by the three-member Sandusky County Republican Central Committee.
“We had three strong candidates apply, and the party chose Seth because of his involvement in the community, working with youth and being involved in different community events,” Smith said. “He will start immediately. I feel he will do a fantastic job.”
Smith explained that each precinct in the county has a representative on the central committee, with four precincts in Fremont’s Ward 1. He represents precinct Fremont 1-D. Also voting were representatives from precinct Fremont 1-A and Fremont 1-B. The seat for 1-C is currently vacant.
Smith stepped down from his Ward 1 council seat, effective on Nov. 3. The vote was 2-1.
“It had nothing to do with it having been my council seat, but because of my precinct representation on the central committee,” Smith added.
Justin Smith appointed to board of elections
Smith had stepped down from his Ward 1 city council seat after being appointed to a seat on the Sandusky County Board of Elections that had been vacant following the Sept. 20 death of Peg Rettig. Her last meeting was Aug. 25.
Holding both positions was determined to be a possible conflict of interest and Smith was advised by Sandusky County Prosecutor Beth Tischler to step down from council.
Smith stepped down before taking part in any actions in his new role.
Smith is also chairman of the Sandusky County Republican Central Committee.
This is Frasure’s first time in an elected office role. He works for Midwest Terminals in shipping logistics, a career that he has been in for 12 years.
Frasure and his wife Kylee are both graduates of Fremont Ross High School, where they met.
“We were high school sweethearts, and now we have three wonderful boys,” Seth said.
He stressed his community involvement, especially working in youth sports, and the Sandusky County Republican Party.
Worked as football, basketball referee
Frasure worked as a local referee for five years in both football and basketball. He said he also worked with Fremont Ross basketball teams under head coach John Cahill for three years.
Out of the gate, Frasure has city budget goals on his agenda.
“I’m very excited. I think the biggest thing for our community is understanding what the taxes are really for. I think the school taxes and the street levies, I don’t think we do a very good job of completely giving that information to the public, for that to disseminate down and for them to vote yes, or no on,” Frasure said.
A proposed Fremont City municipal income tax dedicated to road improvement was rejected by voters Nov. 7, the third time such a proposal was defeated.
Frasure has been complimentary, and a supporter, of Mayor Danny Sanchez’s push for increases in tax money for road improvement.
“Fremont is still on a budget from 1988, without a tax increase,” Frasure said. “There are things that we are responsible for and if we want things to look good, we’ve got to fork up the money. I’m walking into a bit of craziness, not having these levies pass is putting us in a predicament. … Everybody wants those rainbows and sunshine, but nobody knows what it takes to give us those.”
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This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: Fremont city council seat to be filled by newcomer Seth Frasure
