Candidate field for Athens mayor growing

An Ohio University student also has taken out petitions to run for mayor, and if those are filed it will set up a Democratic primary challenge to first-term incumbent Mayor Paul Wiehl, who is seeking re-election.

Randy Morris, 58, of South May Avenue, is the Republican who has taken out petitions to run for mayor. He said Wednesday that he’s about 95 percent sure that he is going to file for the seat. He is currently gathering signatures, he said.

“I don’t think that’s much of an election,” he said of a situation where candidates run uncontested. “It’s a job I think I could do well, and I’d like to give the people of Athens a choice.”

He said that he has differing views on economic development than the current city administration.

“(The people of Athens) don’t want a lot of growth. They don’t want a lot of building going on. There are a lot of people in town who don’t want things to change very much,” he said. “In keeping with that, there’s still economic development that could be done. And we could be more attractive to potential businesses that could create jobs and create revenue in the city than we are.”

Morris said the city of Athens has an anti-business reputation, whether deserved or not.

“I think, with some effort, we could turn that around and do some more economic development than we’re doing and not go against what the people of Athens want,” he said. “I think we’ve basically shut down economic development as a town because of the reputation the town has. I’d like to turn that around.”

A veteran of the U.S. Air Force, Morris moved to Athens in 1994, serving as a professor of aerospace studies at Ohio University. He serves as the treasurer of the Athens County Republican Party and ran for elected office only once before, narrowly losing to Christine Fahl for Athens’ Fourth Ward City Council seat in 2009. He is currently the director of membership for the National Business Incubation Association, and he serves on the city’s commission on disabilities.

Meanwhile, OU political science senior James R. Drake, 22, took out petitions Sept. 1, 2010 to run as a Democrat for mayor. If he files those petitions by the Feb. 2 deadline, it will set up a Democratic primary between him and current incumbent Mayor Paul Wiehl. Drake could not be reached for comment on Wednesday.

As for City Council, a sixth Democrat has taken out petitions to run for one of three available at-large seats. Steve Patterson took out petitions on Jan. 18. Patterson also could not be reached for comment by press time. He joins fellow Democrats Cycle Path owner Maxine Rantane, OU students Nate Hall and Ibriham Alassaf, and Democratic at-large City Council incumbents Elahu Gosney and Christine Fahl in seeking the party’s nomination to run in the general election.

The top three vote-getters will run in the Nov. 8 general election along with whatever Republicans choose to run for an at-large seat. So far, no Republicans have taken out petitions for at City Council, whether at-large or ward.

As of Wednesday, Morris was the only Republican to take out petitions for a city position.

Also on the ballot this year are City Auditor Kathy Hecht and Law Director Pat Lang, both seeking re-election. No candidates have yet filed to challenge either of them.

Current at-large City Council member Jim Sands is running for council president. Current President Bill Bias, who also serves as Athens County Democratic Party chair, has said he will not seek re-election because he plans to ask his party to nominate him to the Athens County Board of Elections. Members of the board are not allowed to hold elected office.

Several other new faces will also be seeking City Council seats, due to Second Ward member Sherry Coon and Third Ward member Nancy Bain declining to seek re-election. Running in Athens Second Ward is Democrat Jeff Risner. So far, he has no Republican or independent challengers.

In Athens’ Third Ward, Bain introduced Michele Papai as her preferred successor during a party meeting last week. Papai also faces no Republican or independent challengers at this point. First Ward member Kent Butler and Fourth Ward member Christine Fahl are also seeking re-election; so far both remaining unchallenged.