By TIMOTHY COX
tcox@dailystandard.com
MENDON — The village has a new mayor who promises to continue
with improvements launched during the prior administration.
William Buffenbarger, 34, 202 Wayne St., won the office in November
in an uncontested race. Former Mayor Ron Griesdorn decided not
to seek re-election.
“When I heard Ron wasn’t going to run, I decided
to throw my name in the hat. As it turned out, it was the only
name in the hat,” said Buffenbarger, who works as a nursing
assistant at the Laurels of Shane Hill nursing home near Rockford.
A native of Wren, Buffenbarger, his wife and two kids moved
to Mendon a couple of years ago. Buffenbarger said they like
the town, which is comparable to the small town setting of his
hometown.
The political newcomer admits much about municipal government
is “Greek” to him, but he vowed to continue with
some major projects facing the town.
The top priority is bringing the Main Street reconstruction
project to fruition, he said. The town already has qualified
for a $300,000 grant aimed at economically distressed communities
and has other matching money to put with the grant award. The
town is separately pursuing Ohio Public Works Commission money
to further expand the project.
“We’ve got to keep the ball rolling on that. That
is something that is desperately needed,” Buffenbarger
said.
Even though he did not participate in the negotiations, Buffenbarger
said he is pleased with the town’s new law enforcement
contract with the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office. The
new structure of the deal gives local officials flexibility
to decide when they want coverage. The old contract provided
a set number of patrol hours each week.
“I think this new contract gives us better protection
than we had because we’re better able to manage those
hours,” Buffenbarger said.
As for new projects, Buffenbarger said he looks forward to working
with Mendon Village Council members on plotting the town’s
future direction.
One project Buffenbarger said he would like to see town officials
consider is a sidewalk program. Many of the village’s
secondary streets are unimproved, without curbs, gutters or
sidewalks.
“My family and I like to walk and there are a lot of places
in town where there are no sidewalks,” Buffenbarger said.
Not only are sidewalks convenient, they also give a neighborhood
a more attractive look, he said.
“I know there is a lot of work to be done and I’m
looking forward to getting started,” Buffenbarger said.
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