Opening Statements and a Shocking Declaration Mark First Days of Hilliard Election Cycle
Three Term Norwich Incumbent Tim Roberts Cites 'Toxic' Political Environment as Key Reason for Dropping Re-Election Bid
Two new Norwich Township trustees, a new Norwich Township fiscal officer, and at least one new Hilliard City Council member will be sworn-in at the start of next year.
Unlike many elections in the recent past, voters in Hilliard on Nov. 7 will see contested races for Hilliard City Council, Hilliard Board of Education, and Norwich Township Trustee and fiscal officer.
Norwich Township
Two current members of Hilliard City Council- Les Carrier and Council President Omar Tarazi- are seeking Norwich Township offices.
Carrier and Greg Young, a retired Norwich Township assistant fire chief, are vying to succeed Jerry O’Shaughnessy.
O’Shaughnessy was appointed to the seat last year upon the death of Larry Earman.
Because the appointment occurred in the first half of the term, a special election is necessary.
Whoever is elected must stand election in 2025 at the completion of the four-year term.
Tarazi and James Thomas Friel are vying for Norwich Township fiscal officer.
Paul Lambert, a former Hilliard board of education member, is not seeking election after he was appointed fiscal officer last year to succeed Jamie Miles, who resigned.
In a separate election for a full four-year term, Rick Tidd is to be unopposed after incumbent Norwich Township Trustee Tim Roberts announced he is to withdraw from the campaign.
Carrier is in the middle of his four-year term on City Council and would retain his council seat if he is not elected Norwich Township trustee but if elected would resign from City Council.
The remainder of City Council would make an appointment to fill Carrier’s unexpired term.
Carrier was elected to City Council in 2013 and re-elected in 2017 and 2021.
A Republican on City Council, Carrier is in the middle of his third term.
Carrier said he is seeking election as a Norwich Township trustee- nonpartisan on the ballot- to “remain involved in important decisions on making sure we continue to have the best safety services possible,” including efforts to ensure the department’s ratings allow for the best rates for house insurance.
Young is a graduate of Hilliard High School and joined the Norwich Township Fire Department in 1990. He retired in 2021 as an assistant fire chief.
“Thanks to keen judgment and strong foresight, I always stayed below our allocated budget, making sound administrative and management decisions,” Young said.
Young said he has “an outstanding relationship” with past and present trustees and fiscal officers in Brown and Norwich townships, firefighters, and Hilliard officials.
“As a lifelong resident it would be my pleasure to continue to serve this community as your elected officials,” said Young.
Roberts, a retired Norwich firefighter, was elected in 2011 as a Norwich trustee and re-elected in 2015 and 2019.
Roberts is completing his third term as a Norwich trustee and served two four-year terms on Hilliard City Council prior to serving as a Norwich Township trustee.
However, after filing a petition for election to a fourth term, Roberts said he reconsidered his decision and now says he no longer wants to be a part of today’s political environment.
“I take my responsibility as an elected official seriously but it does not define me. I am a public servant… too many elected officials lose sight that we work for the citizens of a community, not the pleasure of one’s self. Enough is enough and at the advice of family and close friends, I have chosen to remove myself from the toxic environment of Hilliard politics… and move on to enjoying life as a citizen, Roberts said.
Rick Tidd, a lifelong resident of Hilliard and founder of Tidd Funeral Home, said he is seeking election to work with other trustees concerning the township’s growth.
“There is going to be major financial decisions regarding maintaining our excellent fire department,” as well as decisions concerning road maintenance and Wesley Chapel Cemetery, Tidd said.
“I believe with my business background, I can make the right decisions and will work well with city government and the Hilliard school district,” Tidd said.
Norwich Trustee Chairman Chuck Buck is midterm.
Hilliard City Council
The field of six candidates for Hilliard City Council was determined earlier this year.
The six are vying for three open seats; the other four council members are midterm.
After Republican candidate Greg St. Clair withdrew in April, a primary election became unnecessary and three Republican candidates and three Democrat candidates advanced to the Nov. 7 general election.
Six candidates are to vie for three seats.
They are Democrat incumbent Cynthia Vermillion and Democrat challengers Greg Betts and Emily Cole, and Republican incumbent Pete Marsh and Republican challengers Mike Carney and J.T. Ysseldyke.
Tarazi, a Republican incumbent, is not seeking re-election in lieu of his bid for Norwich Township Trustee, thus guaranteeing at least one new member will join Hilliard City Council.
Hilliard Board of Education
Four candidates are seeking two seats.
Incumbent board members Nadia Long and Brian Perry and challengers Kate LeMaster and Kelley Arnold are on the ballot.
The other three board members are midterm.
Brown Township
Fiscal officer Rebecca Kent is running unopposed.
Incumbent trustee Pamela Sayre and challenger Michael Helderman are on the ballot for the single open seat.
Current trustees Gary Dever and Joe Martin are mid-term.
Omar Tarazi has no relevant experience that would suggest he could perform the duties of fiscal officer. His law degree is from Franklin University, a school that doesn’t register on any “best of” rankings. His major accomplishment as a member of city council was attempting to force students to recite the pledge of allegiance.
Tim Roberts is right. The games playing instead of taking care of the communities is getting tiring. For years it was the mayor was the problem. Now there’s no mayor, so it looks like it wasn’t the mayor after all.