All candidates cited a sustainable source of city funding as their top issue, as well as keeping Beavercreek affordable. The city has the highest residential property tax rate in Greene County (although lower than several Montgomery County communities), but is the rare city with no city income tax. Each candidate has different ideas of how to keep the city affordable, while paying for Beavercreek’s increasing number of infrastructure projects, and addressing police staffing.
Don Adams
Don Adams currently serves on Beavercreek City Council, serves as a board member of Violence Free Futures and is president of the Wright B. Flyer Association.
Adams’ top three issues are finding a sustainable source of funding for Beavercreek, training and maintaining a professional police force, and growing the city’s sense of community by opening up more opportunities for dialogue with citizens.
“I enjoy being out in the community and talking to people,” Adams said. “I’ve made this my home for over 40 years.”
U.S. Census data shows that more than 20,000 people come to work in Beavercreek who live in other cities. About 12,000 people live in Beavercreek but work elsewhere, and about 2,300 both live and work in the city.
Beavercreek residents have voted five times, three of them in the past five years, against a city income tax. Beavercreek is the largest of only three cities in the state of Ohio that doesn’t have a city income tax.
Adams said if Beavercreek residents should consider an income tax again in the future, it should only be done if the city simultaneously slashes residents’ property tax burden.
“If I’m mayor, I’m not going to bring (the income tax) up until I come up with an equitable way of doing this where we can lower property taxes for people.”
Adams said the reason that he ran for office was after seeing Beavercreek’s recovery in the wake of the 2019 Memorial Day tornadoes.
Seeing how all the people came together and helped each other, regardless of who they worked with, all those other differences went away,” he said. “I really believe that if you get through some of the divisive issues that separate us all today, we’re all looking for the same thing.”
Josh Ison
Josh Ison is the CEO of Align Home Health, and CEO of both Wee Care Academy daycare and Enginuit Design engineering consulting firm, all three of which are based in Beavercreek. Ison has served on the Board of Directors for the Beavercreek Soccer Assocation and nonprofit MONCO Industries. His children attend Beavercreek schools.
Ison’s top three priorities are keeping Beavercreek affordable, lowering “frivolous” spending, and increasing the city’s public outreach, he said. While a city income tax isn’t off the table, if considered, Ison said the measure would require a ”sober look” at Beavercreek’s current tax structure, and potentially an overhaul.
“I am not a fan of any government having more levers to tax citizens,” he said. “If we have to change tax plans for a more equitable and sustainable future, then we have to replace our current tax.”
Ison said he has increasingly heard from seniors in Beavercreek in particular who are being priced out of living in the city.
“I think we can do an income tax that is equitable, that has protections for seniors built in.”
On spending issues, Ison cited the city-owned Beavercreek golf course. The city took out non-refinanceable bonds to build the course in 1997, and the bonds are scheduled to be retired this year.
“If you look at the numbers, it is not a profit-generating installation for the city, which was how it was touted when it was voted on and passed,” Ison said.
Ison and Adams had a brief public spat on Facebook over Adams’ listing of his city email on his campaign Facebook page. Candidates are not allowed to use city resources, including email, for campaign purposes by law. Ison claimed Adams was using public resources to further his campaign. Adams subsequently removed the email from the page, and said the Facebook page was one that had previously been used in relation to his city council position, and had been left unchanged in error.
Pete Bales
Pete Bales has worked in local government for 28 years, including as a parks and recreation director, public works director, assistant city manager, and township administrator. He is completing his first term on city council, and said exploring alternative funding sources, keeping Beavercreek affordable, maintaining the city’s infrastructure and police force are his top priorities.
If residents were to again consider a city income tax, Bales said, property taxes should be slashed so that the impact to the average Beavercreek resident is a net zero, without a reduction in quality of city services.
“I mean it. I’m talking about a serious cut in property tax to to try and offset the impact of an income tax,” Bales said. “Beavercreek is losing out on literally millions of dollars a year from non-residents who work in Beavercreek and use our services,” he said, in citing the lack of an income tax.
Beavercreek’s infrastructure is also aging, particularly roads and stormwater, which must be maintained “to keep our city vibrant,” Bales said.
The city is currently working to hire police officers, not only to fill the five new positions as part of a police levy Beavercreek voters approved in May, but also to fill positions of officers who are retiring.
“Recruitment is challenging like probably no other time in history. Our standards are high and we will not waver on those standards for hiring of officers,” Bales said.
Bales said he is running for reelection to city council because of his passion for public service.
Sunder Bhatla
Sunder Bhatla has a background in engineering, real estate, and infrastructure, having worked 30 years as a civilian at Wright Patterson Air Force Base. Bhatla has also served on Beavercreek’s Board of Zoning Appeals and on the boards of the Beavercreek Chamber of Commerce and Habitat for Humanity.
Beavercreek’s property taxes have become unmanageably high, Bhatla said, adding that his priorities are to lower property taxes, diversify the city’s revenue streams, and provide for new police facilities. Bhatla said he is in favor of switching to an income tax, in part to shift the burden away from Beavercreek property owners to non-residents who use city services.
“Levies are not the answer to raise revenue, because this is not a very reliable way to pay for city expenses,” Bhatla said. “We need a more reliable and less painful way to raise revenue, and income tax is the way to go.”
Addressing city infrastructure is another priority for Bhatla, who said the antiquated police building and city hall “do not represent the image of the city of Beavercreek.”
“(The police building) is just not functional. Their storage, connectivity, interaction, all of it is very obsolete,” Bhatla said.
Bhatla said his only interest in running for City Council is to serve the community.
“With my background as an engineer, (being) very experienced in infrastructure, and knowing what city needs, I thought my experience will help the city, and that is the reason I’m running,” Bhatla said.
Ed Maloof
A Boston transplant by way of Florida, political newcomer Ed Maloof has worked in IT and been a pastor for more than 30 years.
Maloof’s top three priorities are working with state legislators to diversify Beavercreek’s revenue, maintaining the highest quality of public services, and doing so without increasing the tax burden on residents.
He said city leaders must to do their due diligence when it comes to searching for alternative funding sources, rather than continuing to go to the voters for additional levies — or an income tax.
“I am not in any way, shape, or form in favor of the city tax, because I don’t believe it’s going to do what they claim,” Maloof said. “There’s no accountability. At least with a levy, they have to use the money for what the levy is for. With the city income tax, (voters) have no control.”
Maloof said senior citizens with fixed incomes and Beavercreek residents who work at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base would be negatively affected by an income tax. The most recent Beavercreek city income tax proposal would not have taxed retirement income.
“The people said no five times. There’s a reason why they said no five times, so we need to look at other alternatives,” Maloof said.
Maloof said he is running to be a good steward of the public’s money.
Charles Curran
One of two incumbents on the ballot this year, Charles Curran has been a city councilman for five years, and previously served as a Montgomery County commissioner and state senator.
Curran’s top priorities are finding alternative revenue sources for the city, addressing the city’s aging infrastructure, and broadening citizen participation.
“General property tax just simply cannot keep up with inflation, and I think we have to look at alternative revenues,” Curran said. “The last time we put the income tax, voters said no. And we have abided by that.”
Particular areas of infrastructure that need to be addressed are the aging police department headquarters, a replacement for which is “badly needed,” Curran said, stormwater infrastructure, and safe bike paths incorporated into future road projects.
“Stormwater is a tremendous problem,” Curran said. “And we don’t have the capability right now to address the multitude of stormwater projects.”
Curran said his wealth of experience and sense of public service are reasons he’s running again.
“I bring a lot of understanding of local government issues and how the state government operates, and I’m accessible,” Curran said.
David Litteral
David Litteral retired from the Greene County Sheriff’s Office two years ago, having worked in multiple capacities, including in the Greene County Jail, in accreditation, and community relations.
A political newcomer, his top three issues are addressing the city’s aging infrastructure, finding sustainable funding for the city, and finding ways to alleviate the impacts of inflation on city residents.
“Once your city starts falling apart, once you get behind on that stuff, it’s almost impossible to catch up,” he said.
The job of the city is to evaluate all options for city funding allowed by law, Litteral said, adding that increasing property taxes “doesn’t seem to be changing course.” Some residents he’s spoken to are being priced out of the city.
If elected, Litteral said his job as a representative for the city would be to press state leaders and federal representatives to rein in inflation.
“It’s not a Beavercreek-specific issue, but if we can’t get inflation under control, that’s going to continue to be an issue everywhere,” he said.
Litteral said discovering his love for working with people while doing community relations for the Sheriff’s Department sparked his interest in running for office.
“I’m honest. I have high integrity. I’m not afraid to tell people what they don’t want to hear,” he said. “I’ve been living here for 26 years. I love people, and I care about what happens in Beavercreek.”
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