Grand Rapids Mayoral and Council Candidates Address Voters

Nationally, the big story is the 2024 presidential election, but locally the story is what’s about to unfold in the Village of Grand Rapids.

It’s not uncommon for council seats or the mayor’s seat to go uncontested, but 2023 is different. Two Grand Rapids residents are looking to earn their way onto council for the first time, while another is looking to do the same with the mayor’s seat.

In late summer, Towpath Radio (NWO Community Media) reached out to all parties on the ballot to give them an opportunity to address voters responsible for electing leaders in Grand Rapids.

Towpath Radio is happy to provide constituents in Grand Rapids each candidate’s written address as posted below. NWO Community Media has offered no editorial assistance. These are their statements as they wanted them presented. We will start with the mayoral candidates, followed by the council candidates. Each address is posted alphabetical by the candidate’s last name, separated by the office for which they’re running.

2023 Grand Rapids Mayoral Candidates

Candidate for Mayor, John Berry (Incumbent)

Good Evening Josh / Towpath Radio listeners,

I would like to first off thank you all for supporting me in the past two elections.  Those 7 plus years had been quite challenging with floods, projects in the town, and the onset of  Covid, and other things that stemmed from that particular pandemic.   It seems like it’s still surfacing here & there again. (hopefully we won’t go back to masks) . 

I know in my heart that what has been done in and for our village during the terms that I have served has been only for the betterment & security for our Village. 

Our village is in very good shape financially and our infrastructure is one of the better ones for the smaller communities around the area.  Mainly because of great prior supervision and forethought into the future. As our forefathers platted out the town they had a vision of what it could be  and as a Mayor it’s an obligation to be a supervisor of what they planned back in the late 1800s. It’s a responsibility to which I take to heart on things that are detrimental to the community. I only want what is best to keep our community a place that is what some say  ( It takes a Village to raise a child )

It has been a great place for so many kids to grow up, almost knowing everyone in the town and being a safe place to grow up.  Hopefully that can continue on and I will do what is in my power to keep our community intact as it is financially stable  and looking into the future for developments .

Thank you!        

Mayor John Berry

Candidate for Mayor, David Fowler

Hello Neighbors,

In July of 2018 my wife Christine and our three children moved to Grand Rapids. We fell in love with the village and the people and immediately started to get involved. I founded and ran the Grand Rapids Family Movie Night, joined the Grand Rapids Arts Council as an auxiliary member, became a Grand Rapids Area Swimming Pool Board Member, and created the community sharing box.

As Mayor, my vision will be to solicit the opinions of Village residents by sending out a needs assessment and having quarterly public meetings to receive community feedback. Together, we will create a vision and goals for the Village and begin working towards making our shared vision become a reality. Council meetings will then have a defined focus and the Council Committees will have a reason to be meeting once a quarter, at a minimum, to work towards accomplishing these goals. I will attend all of the other community organization meetings in an effort to work with them for the betterment of our Village. We will also work to become more responsible spenders of your money by getting multiple quotations for work and items that are needed. You will be kept up to date and have access to everything with the utilization of more up to date methods of communication throughout the whole process (i.e. Social Media, live streamed and video recordings of meetings).

I take pride in our Village appearance, as many of you do, and will work to perform the much needed maintenance and rehabilitation to restore the Town Hall and make it a focal point in our Village once again. The Village meetings will be moved to the Town Hall so that we are not spending your money on utilizing the building next door. We must work towards, supporting our current businesses, drawing in more quality businesses and making our Village a place people will want to visit. I believe Grand Rapids is at a critical juncture and we need community servants who are willing to put in the time for the betterment of the community.

I believe my time in the United States Marine Corp coupled with my career as an inside sales supervisor / procurement specialist will allow me to help our Village to accomplish many things. I will spend the time required to make a difference while maintaining our current small town appeal. I would love the opportunity to serve you as Mayor and I am asking that you vote for me on November 7, 2023. Together I know we can accomplish great things!

Kind Regards,
David Fowler

(Help keep Towpath Radio going! Learn how you can donate (we are now a listener and business supported 501(c)(3) nonprofit). Click here for details on how to help!)

2023 Village Council Candidates

Candidate for Village Council, Peggy Seab

Hello Grand Rapids Villagers,

My name is Peggy Seab. I was born in Napoleon, obtained my Pharmacy license and a business MBA degree in Ohio. My husband, John, and I bought property in Grand Rapids in 2018, part of the Weaver land and duck farm. We built our retirement home here to provide us, our kids, and grandkids a GRAND place to grow while learning to work together to restore the land to a more natural state benefiting wildlife and the environment. Our first plantings include a chestnut orchard, fruit trees, and elderberries.

I am excited to run for a seat on our Village Council and look forward to using my lifetime of management and financial skills to help our Village prosper now and into the future.

I have 3 major GOALS:

Create a Vision: Invigorate and enable our residents, businesses, and leadership to grow into a cohesive force focused on defining and advancing the goals of our Village.
Transform Council: Promote a positive and proactive administration that fully supports the needs of our community and the shared values of our natural and historic resources.
Reimagine Website: Craft an up-to-date internet portal with reliable information for our community and visitors as well as highlighting all that is fun and great to-do in our Village.

I believe a major element of the path to achieving these goals is Transparency.
This is one of the most powerful tools we as residents and local businesses have to ensure that our government is performing up to our expectations.

Critical to our success is publishing village financial and administrative information on our Grand Rapids website so that it is easily accessible for everyone to review.

My overall objective is to enable the engagement of our community for the benefit of all. A strongly embraced vision and transparency of government will lead us on that path.

I am committed to service to our community. I have attended the Council meetings throughout the past year and have initiated or participated in the following:

⦁ Strong Vision Statement
⦁ Support for a Needs Assessment
⦁ Mosquito monitoring and toxicity of currently used compounds
⦁ Low pressure sewer system utility and costs
⦁ Utility Rate study
⦁ Lighting assessment on our property tax
⦁ Village wide trash and recycle pickup for an aggregate discount
⦁ Abandoned or poorly maintained Village property
⦁ Aerial crop dusting and drift within our Village
⦁ Vehicular noise levels relative to safety, hearing loss, and speed

We have a plan for a proactive new team in government. It is time for a CHANGE! Please give us an opportunity with your vote. We will succeed together.

VOTE: David Fowler (Mayor), Angela Studer (Council), and myself Peggy Seab (Council) this November 7th.

We will work for you!

pegseab@gmail.com Member of Town Hall revitalization and Grand Rapids Arts Council.

Candidate for Village Council, Rachel Smith (Incumbent)

Greetings!

My name is Rachel Smith, and I will be running for an additional term on the Village Council in November. I have lived in the Village of Grand Rapids for over 33 years. Before moving into the Village, I lived just north of the river, so Grand Rapids has always been home for me. My husband Alex and I could never imagine a better place to raise our two daughters, Adeline and Riley, than this beautiful river town. The sense of community was always evident and something we wanted to be a part of. That same sense of community was never more present than when we tragically lost Alex last June. The Village that we called home rallied behind our daughters and me. The support we received from our residents and business owners was, to say the least, unexpected and overwhelming. I have never been more thankful to be part of such an incredible community.

Eight years ago, I was encouraged to run for Village Council to bring fresh ideas and insight to our community. After being elected, I took the first several months to listen and observe the sitting Council members and the residents who attended our meetings. I used that time to learn the process and determine where my focus should be. Early in my career, I had the opportunity to work on the Lincoln Street beautification and Entenman dedication project. It was a valuable lesson on the history of this town and how, with collaboration and effort, it can be rejuvenated.

I have seen this Village through a pandemic and tried to implement creative ways to help local establishments thrive despite social distancing. During that time, we began the initial discussion about a D.O.R.A. We were looking for ways to provide alternatives for our local eateries to have a substitute for plexiglass panels and wait times. We have encountered a few obstacles in our implementation, but this project is still alive and in the works.

Recently, there has been a lot of talk about a “vision” for Grand Rapids. The vision for any small community like ours should be simple. Grand Rapids should be a thriving community where people of all generations can live, work, play, visit, and worship. Through collaboration and support, we can provide a healthy, sustainable community that reflects our values and preserves its historical charm. However, this needs to be done at the correct rate and on a clear path, not through risky projects that may come at a cost to the Village residents through significant tax increases. We have utilized grants that have improved our parks and streets, new events on the towpath, and Front Street, which continue to grow yearly. None of these things can be accomplished quickly, but they are happening because of the Village officials I have worked with for the past eight years. We want nothing more than to see this Village thrive. The sidewalk replacement project is the perfect example of that. The sidewalks were a heated debate and had been long before I was elected for my first term. At a time when it was in the best interest of the Village, the Council chose to sell our natural gas line infrastructure to Suburban Gas. The Council opted to put the proceeds from that sale into a fund solely dedicated to replacing sidewalks that had been deemed unsafe by an outside party. It has taken three years of due diligence by Jody Donsbach, Rick Tolles, Mayor Berry, our Village Administrator, and me to implement that plan to replace them. We have been very mindful in our planning, addressing the most traveled areas with significant areas of disrepair. The first phase of the project began last year. We will continue to move forward with the remaining stages of the project this fall and for the next few years.

I have learned a great deal through my tenure serving on the Village Council. I have learned that this town is growing and can flourish. However, I have also discovered that some residents have moved here because of the quiet and relaxing setting. We can have both! This is why I have tried to make all my decisions based on what is best for ALL our residents. Those decisions haven’t always made me popular, but I know that I made my professional decisions with integrity, respect, and the best interests of our beautiful Village in mind.

I would appreciate your vote on November 7^th. My work here is not finished. I have so much more that I would like to see accomplished, and I would love nothing more than to spend the next four years trying my best to give back to a community that has always been here for me and my family.

Candidate for Village Council, Angie Studer

Hello fellow Grand Rapids residents. 

My name is Angie Studer and I’m one of your candidates running for the open village council seats. My family has lived in this beautiful village for over four generations. I visited often for family reunions and trips to Mary Jane, and knew someday I would call this village my forever home. Three years ago I made that dream a reality and have truly never felt happier. Prior to making the move, I had not seen myself in a council seat, but since I’ve been here and had the opportunity to be involved in some of the committees/organizations, and I’ve attended the village council meetings, I have felt the need to take a more prominent role to better give to the village and its residents. My contributions so far include: 

• Co-founded Grand Growers Garden Group
• Historical Society Board Member
• 3rd year as Applebutter Production Chair
• Arts Council Board Member 
• Chamber of Commerce Member
• Rally by the River Days Chair 
• Chamber of Commerce Marketing Team 

I have volunteered for The Harvest Moon Gala, Jazz Fest, Christmas Decorating and several other events. Outside of my village time, I have twenty years in retail management, ten years of accounting and 2 years working in a law firm as a Senior Legal Office Manager. I have also volunteered with Women’s Build and Habitat for Humanity for several years. 

There are several things I would like to strive for if given the opportunity to serve this community as a council member. 

• Transparency – while the meetings are open to the public, many residents are not able to attend. I’d like to see them made available as a video link on the website 
• Finances – review what your money as a taxpayer is being spent on, if it is necessary and beneficial to the village/residents/businesses and what we can do to better serve the community. 
• Follow-thru in a timely manner on concerns of residents and businesses. 
• Village up-keep – we are a destination location and need to look the part, our small businesses depend upon it and our residents deserve it. 

I love our village. Given the opportunity to serve as your council member, I’m confident my experience, drive, and ability to listen and communicate positively and effectively will be a benefit to our community. Thank you for your consideration. 

Candidate for Village Council, Rick Tolles (Incumbent)

Hello, I’m Rick Tolles and I am running for a second term on the Grand Rapids Village Council.

I have been a resident in Grand Rapids for 45 years and love our village.

I have been in landscaping since 1996 and love to garden. I am a member of the Chamber of Commerce, the Townhall committee, and the Grand Growers Group. I do volunteer with the Arts Council and for the Applebutter festival.

I have enjoyed being on the Village Council and working with the other village council members for the betterment of our village. I have been chair of the sidewalk and streets committee and am proud of where our committee is with the second year of sidewalk replacements. I do hope that we can continue with sidewalks and other projects with another 4 years.

I ask for your vote on November 7th.

Thank you,

Rick Tolles

Thank you to all of our candidates for taking the time to submit their addresses to Towpath Radio.

Election day is Tuesday, November 7. Voters in Grand Rapids will now vote at Otsego Elementary. Polls are open from 6:30am until 7:30pm.

Towpath Radio is operated by NWO Community Media Inc, a nonprofit located in Grand Rapids, Ohio. Our goal is to serve Grand Rapids and the surrounding rural communities with news, information, and entertainment. We are a registered 501(c)(3) organization. Please consider a small gift to help us with operational fees, which will help keep this service going. You can donate by clicking or tapping here.