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ST. MARYS - Candidates Ashley R. Randolph and Joseph E. Hurlburt Jr. shared their visions for the city during a mayoral debate hosted by the St. Marys Rotary Club on Wednesday afternoon.
The two are vying to become the next mayor of St. Marys in the Nov. 7 general election. Mayor Patrick McGowan is in his final months heading up the city after deciding not to seek another term.
Coin toss winner Hurlburt introduced himself as the Republican mayoral candidate and a lifelong St. Marys resident. He said he and his wife, Bev, have six daughters, all of whom have graduated from Memorial High School. They also have five sons-in-laws and nine grandchildren.
"St. Marys has always been my home," he said. "This community has always been very good to me and my family. I made my living here for 31 years as the lab technician at the wastewater department."
Hurlburt graduated from the University of Toledo in 1978 with a bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism.
"For 31 years, I participated in broadcasting local sporting events," he said. "For 27 years, I was with Big Ralph Guarnieri of WKKI, and for the last four years I've been the play-by-play voice of Roughrider basketball and football for Rider Nation Station."
He added that his faith is a vital part of who he is today.
"It has given me a servants' heart, and is also why I struggle to put the needs of others before myself," he said.
Hurlburt's wife, Bev, is the pastor at Grace Church of St. Marys, where he has served as worship leader for the last nine years.
About four years ago, Hurlburt founded The Resource & Opportunity Center (ROC). The ROC is a faith-based center guiding individuals and families to resources for enhancing life skills and partnerships with God to lead successful lives, according to the ROC website.
Randolph is the St. Marys City Council 2nd Ward representative whose term expires at the end of this year. She is a full-time Realtor with Cisco Realty and a 2009 Memorial High School graduate.
Randolph graduated with a bachelor's degree in communications from Wright State University-Lake Campus in 2014. She received her real estate license from Hondros College of Business in 2019. She is engaged to Ryan Miller and she has four children.
Randolph said she's running as a nonpartisan candidate for mayor because she's an issue-based individual.
"In 2016, when I began my local career in politics, I felt an immense amount of pressure to declare a party," she said. "I found that to be increasingly difficult to do so when I feel the two-party system is just not enough for America. In my eyes, we're only seeing extremist rise in both parties, and I hope to see a third-party rise some time within my life time."
Randolph said it didn't feel right to declare a party just to ensure straight-ticket votes from the area.
"I stand true to myself with this election," she said. "I also believe that local politics aren't always about which party you belong to, but moreover, who's the right person for the job."
Randolph added that she often feels her capabilities are immediately judged based on her age or gender.
"I stand before you all today in hopes to inspire the community to not only bridge the generational gap within our community and our elected officials, but also the gender gap," she said.
Asked what are the three most important duties of mayor, Randolph said all of the duties revolve around communication and engagement.
"The third most important duty of the mayor I see is successfully communicating with each department head to make sure the needs of those departments are being met," she said. "I think there should be a basic understanding of all of these department heads. That way if anyone has a question, it can be answered."
Another important duty of the mayor is speaking about the residents and promoting St. Marys, she said.
"I think how the mayor speaks about the city is going to influence new or current business retention," she said. "I think the communication requirements for this department should go above and beyond, 'Hey the people are great.'"
For example, when showing a home to people who want to move to St. Marys, Randolph said she likes to focus on the schools and businesses and their impact on the community.
She ended by reiterating the importance of effectively communicating with citizens.
"These lines of communication need to be clear and open," she said. "If citizens feel comfortable talking to the mayor, I think that is how new ideas are formed or any lingering question from the public can be cleared up."
Hurlburt laid out what he believes are the most important duties of the mayor, among them being a visionary.
"(I believe the mayor) has to be able to have a vision and foresight and to implement programs that we can utilize, while maybe not immediately, but five, 10, 15 years down the road," he said. "I think secondly, the mayor needs to be an informational pipeline."
If elected, Hurlburt said he plans to attend various civic and operational community meetings such as those held by Friends of the St. Marys Theater and Grand Opera House and SummerFest.
"By gathering information, I will be able to have your back," he said. "Out on the street, if I hear someone say, 'Do you know what the Rotary Club is doing?' I could honestly say, 'I have been to the Rotary meetings, and the information you are sharing is not true. This is what they are doing.' So in a sense, I've got your back."
Lastly, Hurlburt added that the incoming St. Marys mayor should be an ambassador of sorts.
If elected mayor, Randolph said she'd like to earn a reputation for showing up rain or shine.
"I want my legacy to be that I was truly a mayor for the people," she said. "I show up, I love talking to people and I love listening to their thoughts and ideas. I won't come into this situation thinking I've got all of the answers, because the reality of the situation is that I don't. However, I'm willing to do what needs to be done to get those answers for the people."
Hurlburt said he would want a legacy defined not by what he's done but rather by what he was able to do working alongside the people of St. Marys.
"This would include working alongside with city council, various civic organizations, plant managers and even pastors within our community," he said. "I want to be a person that encourages, that supports and do what I can to help those mentioned above make their vision a reality."
All questions were read as submitted by the St. Marys Rotary Club. The debate was broadcast live by the St. Marys Memorial High School government classes. It can be watched at www.facebook.com/Telserco.
