Photos by Shawn Nowlin
Salem City Council candidates make their case for May 1 election at Salem Kiwanis Club Public Forum
Josh Kier: “To me, I think that Salem is well poised to experience a positive change over the coming years. We have not been strategic enough in the decisions we’re making. I am running because I want to change our strategic vision. I want to generate community support. At this moment, there exists no public record to judge a Salem City Council member on how well they are doing their jobs. If someone is upset with the way the City of Salem is running, there is currently no way for them to point the finger at what or who is doing something incorrectly. I am here to change that.”
Mayor Randy Foley: “I am running for council again because I really enjoy it. Despite what others may perceive, I actually think that we’ve done quite well. This community came out of the Great Recession about as strong as any community in our region. Granted, getting there required tough decisions. Over the past 18 months, we have arguably achieved the greatest influx of private investment in this community in two decades. Some of the most well-known local developers have seen what the City of Salem is doing. We’ve done a good job, but we can certainly do better.”
Todd Hester: “My family and I have lived in Salem for the last 12 years. I am running for Salem City Council because I have a heart for Salem. I think Salem is a stupendous community in a lot of different ways. I think our revenues are poised to be up 3.3 percent moving into the next fiscal year. I’ve run a small business. I’ve done financial planning. I’ve been a pastor at a lot of different churches. I think that Salem is in a great position, but there is no doubt that there are some challenges ahead of us. I want everyone to know that I love good challenges.”
Renee Turk: “I’ve held a variety of positions over the years. I am currently the President of a Homeowners Association which has 86 members. We have had to make a lot of decisions in the past five years that has put that association back on its feet. I also worked as a teacher at Salem High School and was one of the lead organizers of the Annual Lebanese Festival. People have asked me why I am running? I am not running to replace anybody. There is an open seat, and I feel that I have a lot to contribute to the City of Salem. Having been a city employee, I feel like I can come from that perspective. I feel very confident that I can truly make a difference.”
John Saunders: “After 33 years, I retired from the City of Salem in 2017. 30 of those years was as the assistant to Carey Harveycutter, and the last three as the Director of the Salem Civic Center. Our facilities are suffering. If we are going to truly see economic growth, we are going to have to put money back into our facilities. I remember when we had the flood of ’85. It was tough, but our city survived 72 million dollars-worth of damage. We used to be a top-tier city. We are not that anymore. I am very positive about this city though. I love this city. I’ve worked here, raised my children here and hopefully I will be elected to serve as a Salem City Council member.”
Tim Sutphin was unable to attend so Lisa Bain, SERVPRO Business Development Coordinator, spoke on his behalf: “It seems like just a few months ago, I was running to become the next Salem Sheriff. Much like then, I want people to know who exactly Tim Sutphin is. A Christian, a husband and a father. My wife and I have worked in Salem for over 35 years, and we are raising our family here. If elected to represent you on council, I promise I will hold those accountable who are currently not being held accountable. We have to start thinking differently, and I will bring leadership with a new perspective.”
