2 running for city mayor position
Two candidates with experience in Butler government are planning to run for the city mayor's office.
Mayor Ben Smith said he is not running for reelection, but City Councilman Bob Dandoy and Fred Reese, chairman of the Butler Redevelopment Authority and a former councilman, said they are entering the election.
Reese, who was elected to a four-year term on council years ago and served a brief appointed term to replace former Councilman Corey Roche after he resigned in 2019, said he will run as a Republican. He said he has served on the authority for at least 18 years, but will resign if he is elected mayor.The co-owner of the Monroe Hotel, Reese said he is still gathering signatures for his nomination petition.Dandoy, who is in the middle of his four-year term on council, said he is running as a Democrat. He said he has the signatures needed for his petition and plans to submit it Friday. He is a retired teacher from the Karns City Area School District and a former instructor at Butler County Community College and Slippery Rock University. Dandoy is also a past president of Butler Downtown.The deadline is Monday to submit nomination petitions for the May 18 municipal primary to the county Bureau of Elections.“I'm going to give it one heck of a shot,” Reese said.If elected, he said he will try to get the city's authorities and commissions to work together.“I want to get all authorities and commissions on the same page to concentrate on projects or work in certain areas instead of each doing its own thing,” Reese said.He said he wants to increase the city's tax base. He said it will be a difficult task, but he wants to meet with business owners and others to come up with ideas.Mayors in third-class cities like Butler oversee their police departments.Reese said he is pleased with the department and believes Chief Bob O'Neill is doing “one heck of a job.” He said he would help the department look for grants.Reese also supports the council's current efforts to hire a grant writer.“I think that's a fantastic idea. The city needs that so bad to bring in extra revenue,” he said.Revenue from business taxes would improve if the state would reduce the COVID-19 operating restrictions imposed on businesses, he said.
Dandoy said he worked with council and had some influence on decisions it made when he was president of Butler Downtown. He said he ran for council to help make decisions and will continue having his say in them if he is elected mayor.“I was able to influence decisions, but not make decisions. That's why I wanted to be part of city government. I want to be in the room. I want to be part of the decision-making process,” he said.As director of public safety, Dandoy oversees the fire department, but also works with the police department.He said he is proud of both departments and is not planning any changes in the police department.“I really think they do a good job, and I'm pleased with the police and fire departments in the city,” Dandoy said.One thing he would do if elected mayor is keep residents informed about council's plans and initiatives.“One thing the mayor is able to do is articulate a vision of what the city should be. I think the mayor should put out in front of people: 'This is the direction we are going.' Getting residents involved and informing them moves initiatives forward with greater ease and with much more success. I think that's a big thing that's been missing from city government,” Dandoy said.He said he makes one promise when talking to residents: “I will work really hard for this community. I've always worked hard for Butler. I really do,” Dandoy said.He said he would resign from council if he is elected.
Smith said he is fulfilling a promise he made when he was elected in 2017 by not running for a second term.He said he believes that all elected offices should have short terms and be about community involvement, “not a substantive career path.”Smith said he appreciated that Reese and Dandoy asked him if he was running for another term. “I thought it was nice that they did that,” he said.With two council positions and the mayor's office open in the election, the city's next administration should prepare for the fallout from COVID-19, Smith said. The pandemic's impact on earned income taxes and business privilege taxes might not be fully realized for another year, but the city can be prepared, he said. Selling assets, like the sale of the tier garage and the parking lot adjacent to the City Building that council is currently negotiating, is a step in that direction, he added.Smith said the next council and mayor should listen to residents before making decisions, but be strong enough to make decisions that are best for the city, even if the decisions are not popular.The accomplishment Smith said he is most proud of is hiring O'Neill as police chief. He said the officers respect O'Neill and the department has become better situated since he became chief.
