5 candidates vie for 4 seats on Savannah council

SAVANNAH — Voters in the Village of Savannah will have choices for who represents them on council come Nov. 4. 

There are four seats available. Incumbents Erin Baughman, Casandra McAndrew and Doug Yoho are seeking new terms. Newcomers Amy Leidigh and Sarah McBride are also seeking votes.

Each seat’s term runs for four years and pays $60 per meeting. 

Early voting began Tuesday. Read below for more information on each candidate.

Below is how four of the five candidates answered the following questions posed to them via email. Their answers have been organized alphabetically by last name and edited lightly for clarity.

McAndrew did not respond to an email and a phone call.

Why are you seeking this particular office?

The village of Savannah is growing. New homes are being built and new residents are being welcomed into the village. There are several great events already happening in the village and local Savannah community that appeal to families with school age children. It is my intent to continue to support these events in a way that brings community members together.

What are the top 3 issues you will address if elected? How would you address them?

1. Continuation of summer fun gatherings for families in Academy Park. To address this, I would continue in my role of coordinating schedules for the Ashland Public Library, ACCADA, and the Savannah Lions Club to provide a free lunch, an activity, and access to the APL Bookmobile’s services twice a month during the summer. This is a popular event in the summertime and provides a great opportunity for families of school age children to spend time with their neighbors.

2. Completion of the pending Neighborhood Revitalization Grant project. To see through the fulfillment of this project, I plan to promote and attend any community meetings to allow residents to feel heard during the grant process.

To date, I have invested several hours into reaching out to neighbors to share information about the grant and gather necessary paperwork, in addition to attending community input meetings.

3. Foster and maintain collaboration between the local governing boards and community organizations. At present, I serve as a representative of the Village of Savannah on the board of the Clear Creek Fire District. Additionally, I have never hesitated to communicate with the Clear Creek Township Trustees as well as the Savannah Lions Club. Open communication and collaboration between local stakeholders will lead to a stronger local community.

List the top 3 things that differentiate you from your opponent.

Perspective: As a local educator and parent of young children, at times I am able to provide viewpoints from a different perspective than that of my peers. This is important when impactful decisions are being made.

Dedication: The majority of my life has been spent as a resident of Savannah and my family’s roots run deep within the local community.  I have a strong desire to see the village continue to be a place where families and residents choose to live and spend their time.

Other thoughts you would like to share

Baughman did not provide an answer to this.

Why are you seeking this particular office?

To help better our village.

What are the top 3 issues you will address if elected? How would you address them?

I just want to help continue to improve the progress and for families to feel safe

List the top 3 things that differentiate you from your opponent

I have lived un Savannah for 19 years, I have helped with the lunch program for almost 17 years, also volunteered and help run the Savannah ball field for years

Other thoughts you would like to share

All I want is to keep our village the way it is: kid friendly to where I don’t worry about my kids walking around the village.

Why are you seeking this particular office?

To serve the village residents because I care about the village. 

What are the top 3 issues you will address if elected? How would you address them?

1. I want to complete the installation of sidewalks in the village through the use of grant money. We’re trying for another grant to put sidewalks in the south side of town. 

2. Solve the village’s ongoing water drainage problems. How: when it rains really hard, there is water in basements. We have made residents get rid of downspouts that go into our sewer system. It’s a complicated issue, but I’m willing to hear from residents who still have that problem.

The problem is the pumps we have now can’t keep up with the rainwater. I’ll keep helping residents find another way to get rid of rain water. 

3. Update zoning issues. We had established zoning years ago and it needs some updates. There are many zoning issues. One of them: people having chickens in backyards. There is no specific zoning ordinance on that. If we had a zoning ordinance that addresses the issue, it would make it simpler to handle. 

List the top 3 things that differentiate you from your opponent.

1. I have much knowledge about the history of the village, due to the fact that I’m the oldest one. 

2. I’ve been a resident for over 50 years.

3. I care. I know the people … I’ve been here over 50 years. I’ve kept up with the issues. I’m very knowledgeable and I would like to continue to serve the people. 

Other thoughts you would like to share

I would like to see a basketball or pickle ball court put in on the south end of town. The young people and young adults, that would give them something to do. I would also like to update the park in the center of town.  

Why are you seeking this particular office?

To utilize my leadership abilities developed over the last 23 years 

What are the top 3 issues you will address if elected? How would you address them?

1. To complete getting the 10 commandments monument accepted for the people of the village.

I would address this by canvassing the villagers to see if they have any objections to receiving this free gift and where they would like to see this monument placed- either the park or cemetery.

2. To get the real estate development on the north end of town completed without the village paying for it.

This is the largest undertaking I have seen in my almost 50 years of living here. There are always glitches in projects this size which I believe that the developer is responsible for, not the village. 

3. To educate new villagers on how special our little village is.

Our village has an underground railroad home in it. There is a historical academy. There are many people with interesting stories. And we have a council that is invested in bringing people together. I’d like to see people bring ideas which make everyone feel welcome in Savannah.

List the top 3 things that differentiate you from your opponent.

I would say my experience is the biggest difference. I am not hesitant to share ideas that might not be aligned with council thinking. By sharing my perspective, I believe it will benefit the people I have been elected to serve. If I have doubts about what people think, I will canvas the entire village and then vote the answer that the majority give. It might take time, but the vote will reflect what people really want. Prayer and listening are very important to me. You cannot be effective without doing both.

Other thoughts you would like to share

Yoho did not provide an answer to this.