The candidates running in local elections directly influence your day-to-day living. From policies and budgets to education and public safety, the people whose names are written on the upcoming Nov. 4 general election ballot have been deeply involved in the city’s business.
Your vote has weight. In local elections, your vote gives direction to our community’s needs, and whether you’re a student at Ohio University or a resident of Athens County, your voice deeply affects each area of the county’s needs, and the person whose name you bubble in matters.
Voters can use a sample ballot to prepare for the election by observing the running candidates under each category. Located to the left of the page are the names of each candidate running in this general election for Athens County.
Within this ballot, candidates are individuals running for positions in our local government who shape services and rules in our community.
City council members work as the legislative body for the city by creating ordinances, setting policy, approving the budget and hiring city officials.
The candidate running for president of the Athens City Council is Micah McCarey. In last year’s general election for the Ohio House of Representatives District 95, he ran for the Democratic Party position and lost the race to Don Jones, the Republican Party candidate. McCarey had bolstered 16,020 votes.
Since June 2021, McCarey has held the role of councilmember, At-large, meaning he represents the entire city when making decisions rather than representing a geographical district or ward. He earned a bachelor’s degree, a graduate degree and a Ph.D. in philosophy from Ohio University in 2007, 2008 and 2022.
In McCarey’s role with Council, he was the chair of the City & Safety Services committee. With other councilmembers, the committee covers services from fire and police to water, garbage and recycling. McCarey’s background and knowledge of vital city resources speak toward initiatives he is passionate about as the president of the council.
The candidate running for the role of Treasurer for Council below McCarey on the ballot is Joshua Thomas. In 2023, Thomas ran as a write-in for Athens City Treasurer, winning with 331 votes after he was appointed treasurer two years previously and has since been in the role.
He said the treasurer is responsible for overseeing the reconciliations of all city accounts, according to a previous Post report. Thomas also owns Brenen’s Cafe, located at 38 S. Court St, with his wife.
At the bottom of the sample ballot is the category for school district officials, including candidates running for school board member positions. The three running officials are Paul Grippa, Jason Heinrich and Charity Wilhelm. Each candidate is running for the Athens City School District at large.
Those running for school board member positions would be setting educational goals, establishing district policies and approving budgets, as well as ensuring the district operates within legal obligations.
Grippa, one of the running candidates, is a former principal of Athens Middle School and was involved in an investigation that began in 2018 to determine whether he mishandled a reported 2010 sexual assault of a 13-year-old student. The student, Emmalyn Brown, later started an online petition to remove Grippa from the Board of Education position he held at the time of the investigation.
Brown said Grippa didn’t notify police and instead told her she owed her perpetrator an apology. At a school board meeting that occurred after the investigation was announced, Grippa read a statement, “Let me stress that I welcome the investigation – the sooner the better. I look forward to responding. But, given the constraints on my ability to respond publicly, I am left in a very difficult position.”
After the investigation concluded, the Athens school district found no action was needed against Grippa and the findings of the investigation will remain confidential.
When voting in local elections, it’s pertinent to do thorough research on the candidates running for these positions or their accomplishments in the position previously held.
The second candidate, Heinrich, is the managing attorney of the Legal Aid of Southeast and Central Ohio in the Athens office. He spent two years as an AmeriCorps volunteer in Southeast Ohio, serving people living under the poverty line. Heinrich has also represented clients before the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals involving child custody, child abuse and neglect.
The third candidate, Wilhelm, is an alumna, a previous substitute teacher and student success adviser at OU and has held the role of an Athens Board of Education member since 2022.
The entirety of the candidates running in this general election for Athens County have not all been listed within this column; however, I wanted to include the range of history and roles of individuals who are running for such influential roles.
When you vote in this upcoming election, make informed decisions about the candidates and hold these people accountable. They are responsible for enabling positive change in Athens.
Daphne Graeter is a senior studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnist do not reflect those of The Post. What are your thoughts? Let Daphne know by emailing her at dg422421@ohio.edu.
