Both Democratic candidates vying for Athens City Council’s First Ward seat say litter is the name of the game.
Incumbent Kent Butler and challenger Andrea DeMott both said the major concern of First Ward residents they’ve spoken to on the campaign trail is trash.
The two will face off at a League of Women Voters candidate forum tonight at the Athens Public Library, 30 Home St., where they will address citizen concerns and answer questions about their plans if elected.
Athens’ First Ward includes most of the city’s western section, as well as the streets between West Union and West State streets and parts of Ohio University’s West Green and The Convo.
There are no registered Republican candidates for the First Ward seat, so the winner of the primary will be elected to council unless an independent candidate enters the general election.
“People in this area are really concerned with the deterioration of their neighborhoods,” DeMott said.
“There are houses falling into disrepair, bad sidewalks and streets as well as litter,” she said.
Butler, who was elected to represent the ward in 2007, said he too has heard citizens’ complaints about trash management in the area. He said he believes the recently hired litter control officer will help curb Athens’ litter problem.
“Individual accountability is huge,” Butler said. “I think the litter control officer will help all around town.”
Both candidates said the ward’s biggest asset is its diversity, because it houses both permanent residents and OU students.
“You have varying people at all developmental stages of their lives,” Butler said.
Tonight’s forum will be the first in a series hosted by the League of Women Voters before the May 3 primary election. And both of the candidates being featured tonight said they are excited to further interact with voters at the forum.
“I am going to be going in there with a complete open mind and open attitude,” DeMott said. “I don’t have any expectations for it.”
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