Incumbent Huber Heights councilman wins race

Glenn Otto, Huber Heights council candidate 2015

Credit: HANDOUT

Credit: HANDOUT

Glenn Otto, Huber Heights council candidate 2015

UPDATE, 10 p.m.:

With all 22 precincts reporting, incumbent Glenn Otto has unofficially won the Huber Heights City Council at Large seat.

Otto has about 54% of the vote, according to unofficial results from the Montgomery County Board of Elections.

Shannon Weldon and Robert Mullins had the most votes in the Huber Heights Board of Education race.

With 28 out of 28 precincts reporting, Weldon had about 37% of the vote and Mullins had 28%.

LIVE ELECTION RESULTS

UPDATE, 9:15 p.m.: 

Incumbent Glenn Otto is winning the race for Huber Heights City Council at Large.

With 19 of 22 precincts reporting, Otto has about 54% of the vote.

Shannon Weldon and Robert Mullins are still leading the race for two open seats on the Huber Heights Board of Education.

UPDATE, 8:25 p.m.:

Early results show that incumbent Glenn Otto is in the lead for the Huber Heights City Council at Large seat with about 51% of the vote.

Danna Lynn Plewe has roughly 49% of the vote, according to unofficial results that include absentee voters only.

In the Huber Heights Board of Education race, Shannon Weldon and Robert Mullins are in the lead, according to unofficial results.

Weldon has about 29% of the vote and Mullins has about 20%.

Tony Cochren has 16% of the vote and G. Michael Miller has about 15% of the vote.

The four school board canidates are running for two seats.

ORIGINAL STORY:

Danna Lynn Plewe is running against incumbent Glenn Otto for Huber Heights City Council in Tuesday’s election.

Otto has held the At-Large seat since 2016. Otto is an insurance agent with Otto and Associates. Plewe works as an Air Force Employee Assistance Program Manager.

We asked both candidates about their plans, if elected:

VOTER GUIDE: Read candidates’ answers to more questions here

Q: What will you do to improve the city’s economy?

Otto: I would like to see Huber Heights capitalize on our proximity to the I-70 and I-75 interchanges and our diverse workforce and housing options to actively seek out and attract light manufacturing, office and transportation companies to develop within our city. We should focus on developing our geographic center as a pedestrian friendly, multi-use district. Our economy is changing and we need to recognize the manner in which our modern population chooses to live, recreate and shop by modernizing our roadways, passing legislation to create and develop multi-use areas around our community and adapting to the modern needs and desires of our general population.

Plewe: Leverage location and recognition of Huber Heights as a military/business-centric community that supports developing industry, a growing Wright-Patterson Air Force Base footprint and neighborhoods that welcome military families. Given our easy access to transportation hubs like the airport and I-70 and I-75 highways, we are the prime location for new developments, revitalization of small businesses and have the resources and opportunities through collaboration with Miami Valley partners across the business and local agencies to create awareness and initiatives supporting growth, inclusion, and community. We can foster interest through site-ready areas for development, city incentive programs, and demonstrating an infrastructure capacity that supports current and future development needs.

Q: What are the biggest challenges facing Huber Heights, and how would you solve them?

Otto: I believe the primary challenges Huber Heights faces today revolve around the topic of communication between the city, city council and our private and commercial residents. I do not believe that the city does enough to stay in contact with our population, and that is one of the reasons that I introduced a cellphone application that will allow increased communication between the city and its population. Additionally, I believe that council needs to consider reversing and correcting recent actions of a majority of council through recent legislation to revise our Public Records Policy, which in my opinion, limited and curtailed the ability of residents to easily obtain public information without already knowing much of the information desired. We should also strive to keep information sources, such as the the city's website, social media, checkbook portal and meeting documentation, properly updated.

Plewe: The biggest challenge facing Huber Heights is simple: inclusiveness and trust. While we celebrate developments like the Rose Music Center, and the current condominium project on SR-201, the challenge to adapt to the increase in traffic, the strain on infrastructure, and the impact on the current residents is something that will need to be monitored and addressed by the city with transparency. And, as we continue to build on those successes, we also must continue to seek opportunities in the southern part of our city as well, driving new business and creating a city center that brings people together rather than creating a dividing line within our community.

Q: What if anything do you think the city needs to do to attract military families tied to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base?

Otto: As a veteran, married to a veteran, with military children, I know that this is an important topic not only for Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, but also to the City of Huber Heights. I believe transitioning to a more active community with more walk-ability, bike-ability and pedestrian friendly areas, along with an increased focus on public services that are more interactive, such as Parks and Recreation, would be a great draw to military families coming to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. With an additional focus on revitalization of older areas of our community, we can attract families regardless of what level of housing option is desired. As a member of the Miami Valley Military Affairs Association, I will continue to be actively involved with the association to convey the benefits that Huber Heights has to offer.

Plewe: I was a military spouse for 20 years; as we moved around the world, the one constant that meant success for our family was the incredible support we received from our "new" communities and having the things we needed nearby such a college on-base, like Sinclair at the YMCA in Huber Heights, which allowed me to continue my education through my husband's multiple deployments. Having recreational teams for basketball and cheer leading gave my kids friends and a sense of place when every face around them was new. Our city has a lot to offer, but none of these things matter if we can't communicate to new families that we are the place to be, that we are military-friendly, and that we understand the challenges of our service families. A welcoming program that engages with Wright-Patterson and our local reserve bases will create awareness of what Huber Heights has to offer, and why we should be at the top of the list of favored locations not only for military families, but all families.

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