The candidates in the other two districts are running unopposed, and therefore are certain to be elected. They are incumbent Bob Scott (District 2, east/southeast Kettering) and newcomer Shane Sullivan (District 3, south/southwest Kettering), who will replace the outgoing Tony Klepacz.
All four candidates in competitive races answered a series of questions for the Dayton Daily News in their own words via our Voter Guide. The details below come from those answers. The full text they provided is available at www.daytondailynews.com/voter-guide.
DISTRICT 1
Lisa Duvall said the biggest issues facing Kettering are business development, land redevelopment and affordable housing. Drawing in new businesses and supporting existing businesses is a priority for her.
She said the rising cost of housing is forcing families out of Kettering, so she will work to bring more middle-income and workforce housing to the city. She said land use and zoning policies are crucial to that effort, calling on the city to be flexible and meet the needs of residents and developers.
Joe Overholser said his top three priorities would be public safety, fiscal responsibility, and community outreach. He cited concerns with Kettering’s crime rate, saying the city needs to recruit and retain the best police officers (including more school resource officers), then give them the proper resources.
But he said the city should cut costs too, adding, “If it doesn’t pertain to safety, parks or roads, we should consider the possibility of cutting it.” Overholser said residents should be better informed about upcoming projects, saying that didn’t happen before construction of new “restricted income apartments” behind Meijer.
Duvall is an EDI coordinator (Electronic Data Interchange) who said she volunteers extensively, including as the 2023-24 Kettering-Centerville Kiwanis president. She said listening to residents’ needs is important.
“Serving on City Council has strengthened my ability to appreciate all viewpoints and find common ground, which is rare right now,” Duvall said. “Local government is not about the big political issues - it’s about maintaining our roads and vital infrastructure, funding our public safety departments, while remaining financially responsible.”
Overholser is an information technology program manager at Wright-Patt, and said he’s both a Fairmont High School sports booster, and a high school sports official. He criticized the current Kettering City Council for not doing enough to lower crime or taxes.
“The Kettering Board of Community Relations (for which (Duvall) is the liaison … recently sponsored an exhibit called ‘Undesign the Redline’ at Fairmont HS,” Overholser said. ‘Undesign the Redline’ is a controversial and divisive concept that I don’t believe Kettering boards should be sponsoring, especially at our schools.”
DISTRICT 4
LaSue Juniel said her priorities for council are economic development, small business support (through mentoring programs, streamlined processes, and access to grants), and community engagement.
To promote economic growth, she said she would “establish business-friendly policies,” including investing in job creation. She thinks regular meetings, an online platform for feedback, and a visible presence in the community will help with community engagement.
Bryan Suddith said his top priorities would be ensuring that citizens have access to city council, continuing Kettering’s success with first-time homebuyer programs, and finding ways to add to the housing inventory of the city.
Rather than tout specific plans of his own on those fronts, he said he would “be the cheerleader and ambassador” for the great day-to-day work that Kettering’s city staff does. He said the city is fortunate to have “such a deep bench of talent managing our city.”
Juniel said she works with DFL Nutrition and has been a co-chair of the recent Kettering Steering Committee.
“I bring a unique combination of business experience, a commitment to community, and a focus on economic growth,” she said. “I’m dedicated to working to make Kettering an even better place to live, work, and prosper.”
Suddith is deputy director of the Montgomery County Veterans Service Commission and she he was a former board member of Kettering Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts.
He said he is running “to ensure that Kettering continues to be the best managed and most innovative community in the region. Also, I think it is important that modest neighborhoods and households are represented well on council,” Suddith added.