These 14 candidates and issues are on the ballot in Portage County. Here’s everything you need to know about them.
Portage County Judge: Vote for one
Portage County Judge Melissa Roubic is running for re-election. She was raised in Portage County and decided to return as an adult to raise her children. Before serving as judge, she handled criminal law and civil and domestic matters for 20 years.
She currently is a member of the Children’s Advocacy Center and volunteers in community initiatives.
“I served on a local school board for twenty years and several years on the Maplewood Career Center board before becoming a Judge. I currently serve on the board for the Children’s Advocacy Center” she said. “My husband and I also raised our family in Portage County and remain vested in the well-being of our community. I am keenly aware of the challenges in our county and the resources needed and/or available to assist individuals and families.
Kent City Mayor: Vote for one
Jack E. Amrhein, Democrat, is running for Kent City Mayor. He is the current acting mayor since he was previously appointed to finish the term of the late mayor Jerry Fiala.
Amrhein graduated from Kent State and then went on to pursue his Master’s from Marygrove College. After that, he taught social studies in Kent City Schools and was on the City Council and the Board of Health.
Kent City Council: Vote for no more than three
A longtime Kent resident, John Kuhar has deep roots in the community; his family has lived in Kent for more than 125 years. He previously served 17 years on the Kent City Council and says he’s running again to bring experience, stability and common sense to the table.
“Although we have some new, very talented council members that bring fresh new ideas to the table, we still need to have experience,” Kuhar said. “With my diversified ability, I can fill the gap.”
Financial management and affordable housing remain key concerns for Kent. He supports exploring a solar field to reduce the city’s electric costs and wants to create new income streams without raising taxes.
“We need to find ways to recruit affordable housing,” he said. “New job markets with higher-paying wages will always help.”
Benjamin Tipton is running for the city council to help guide what he calls an important moment of “thoughtful growth” for Kent.
“I want to help ensure residents have a strong voice in decisions that shape our neighborhoods and future,” Tipton said.
He identified responsible development, infrastructure, and transparency as top concerns among residents. If elected, Tipton says he’ll focus on increasing community input and improving communication between city leadership and residents.
“I’m committed to leading by listening — ensuring every resident feels heard and included in shaping Kent’s future,” he said.
Eric Dreger says he envisions Kent as a “model city” for the rest of Ohio, one known for responsive and effective local government. He believes Kent already has the talent and community spirit to make that vision possible.
“When I talked to people in the Kent community, the main issues of concern were affordable housing, sustainable land use and challenges facing small businesses,” Dreger said.
He plans to address those through long-term strategic planning and collaboration with city departments. If budget cuts arise, Dreger says he’d take a measured approach focused on protecting public health, safety and infrastructure.
Democrat Tracy Wallach, a former Kent city council member, is running on a platform focused on housing and sustainability. Her priorities include expanding affordable housing for seniors and young families and turning the Cuyahoga River into a “destination point” through recreation projects.
“With the current chaos in Washington, funding is now up in the air,” she said. “For these projects, green infrastructure could be localized, such as rain gardens, swales and permeable pavers to offset storm water runoff.”
Sarah Elizabeth Wesley, a Democratic longtime early education teacher and member of Kent’s Civil Service Commission, says she wants to ensure every resident feels heard and welcomed.
“I envision the future of Kent where every person in the community feels empowered to contribute,” Wesley said.
She hopes to strengthen community engagement by encouraging more residents and students to participate in city events and local initiatives.
Republican Cecil Anderson is running for an at-large seat on the Kent City Council. He owns Anderson Contracting and Renovations in Kent. His platform responses are not available.
Kent City School District: Vote for no more than three
John Avouris is running for the Kent City School District because he cares about community and safety. He has degrees and certifications relevant to education and has taught both fifth and sixth grade.
“Our schools face several challenges. One of the biggest is the failure of the state to fully fund public education in Ohio, and now the efforts by the Legislature to hamper the ability to raise funds locally,” he told the League of Women Voters. “To address this, I believe we need to do a better job of informing our community and engaging them in honest, proactive conversations about how we fund our schools and how they can help advocate.”
Colin P. Boyle is running for the Kent City School District. He graduated from Roosevelt and went on to pursue finance and economics at Seton Hall University.
“An effective school board member is a good listener. As a representative of the district, it is important to be open and available for concerns and comments of our community,” Boyle said. “Furthermore, a board member needs to be a strong steward for the students and keep them at the forefront of our minds in all decisions that may arise at the board. Being able to foster a positive education for all students is very important.”
P.J. Errera is also a Roosevelt graduate. He went to Kent State post-graduation and is a Kent resident with family in the schools.
He says that he has years of experience with youth engagement and believes in strong schools. “Kent deserves a strong voice at the table, and I would be proud to represent our community … while ensuring every decision I make on the board is transparent, collaborative and focused on what is best for our students,” he said.
David Myers says one of the district’s challenges is a decrease in overall funding caused by changes to the state’s funding. He believes creativity and collaboration will be key to maintaining the quality of education.
“The board and the district need to be creative, strategic, and effective in addressing shortfalls while not letting it impact the quality of the student learning experience,” he said.
If reelected, he said he will continue to work with teachers and administrators to promote transparency.
“Board members must be able to come together collaboratively — able to disagree, but still come to solutions,” he said.
Kent City Policy
Kent’s first issue on the ballot is a Renewal Tax Levy for fire protection. The tax levy intends to raise over $250,000 for fire safety improvement annually.
The second issue is to remove a phrase from the Kent City Charter preamble. If it passes, this issue will remove the phrase “to almighty God” from the text, which is meant to separate church and state.
The third issue, if passed, will enact a clause that allows a councilperson to continue their term if ward lines are redrawn to an extent that places that official outside of their elected ward.
Issue four removes the phrase “involving moral turpitude” in the Kent Charter to redefine the Ohio Revised Code definition of crimes of moral turpitude.
Ballot issue five, if passed, would add a period of ineligibility for city officials. For example, if an official were removed from office, they cannot be appointed again for at least another year.
Issue six will remove the word “disability” from the City Manager section of the Charter to reflect more modern views.
Issue seven will change the way the Charter is amended or reviewed. It will add in descriptions of how the process is completed and lower the commission member number from 15 to nine. If it passes, it will also make the review process occur every five years instead of the current 10.
Ari Collins is a beat reporter. Contact her at [email protected].
Savannah Carroll is a beat reporter. Contact her at [email protected].
