The last time the city of Athens had a Republican mayor, the Athens Bulldogs football team recorded an undefeated regular season.
Last week, the Bulldogs returned to regular season perfection; next week, Republican challenger Randy Morris will try to complete his own historic run.
It has been 49 years since Republican Raymond Shepard began his nine-year run as Athens’ mayor, a number that has city officials wary about the potential outcomes of an affiliation split between Athens City Council and the mayor’s office.
Party affiliation “matters a lot” because a Republican could have trouble leading seven Democrats on Council, Council President Bill Bias said.
“There could be lots of vetoes, and that could cause a gridlock in Athens like the one in Washington, D.C.,” Bias said. “I hope that doesn’t happen.”
Morris supports Senate Bill 5, a law that limits collective-bargaining rights for public employees. Bias said that ideology could influence Morris’s decisions as mayor.
“Electing him means electing somebody who can veto anything that supports collective-bargaining rights,” Bias said.
Though the mayor does have the power to veto resolutions passed by Council, party affiliation does not matter much on the local level, Morris said.
“If I’m elected, I will work with anybody who is willing to work with me,” he said. “Party affiliation just doesn’t matter as much.”
Republicans seemingly hope that citizens will look past party affiliation and vote for a change in mayoral power in Athens.
The bipartisan support among voters shows that Athens is ready for a Republican mayor, said Pete Couladis, chairman of the Athens County Republican Party.
“I think Randy’s ideas are needed in the city. Things have deteriorated here, and we need a change of direction,” Couladis said. “Morris has bipartisan support. Even Democrats are not happy with the current mayor.”
Beyond party affiliation, local government focuses more on infrastructure and land-development regulation, 3rd Ward Councilwoman Nancy Bain said.
“It doesn’t come down to Republicans and Democrats,” Bain said. “I would be much more interested on his understanding of city budgeting.”
As the debate roars about whether a partisan split between the mayor and City Council could affect the city’s ability to govern, voters will ultimately make their decision next Tuesday.
“The people are going to vote for the best person,” Morris said. “People don’t vote for somebody because of the ‘D’ by their name.”
jj360410@ohiou.edu
