Community driving force behind both Hastings and Levo

The two candidates for Hillsboro mayor both say that community, and putting Hillsboro back on track to be a city that is prosperous, are the reasons they are seeking election on Nov. 8, and that strong leadership is needed in order to achieve the city's goals.

Candidates Drew Hastings, a Republican, and John Levo, an Independent, were the featured speakers of the Hillsboro Area Chapter of the American Association of University Women's annual candidates forum, held Monday at Southern State Community College in Hillsboro. The event was sponsored by the AAUW, in conjunction with WVNU-FM and The Highland County Press, and was broadcast live on WVNU Radio. The moderator was Pat Hays, general manager of WVNU, and questions were asked by panelists Sue Hillger, of the AAUW, journalist Cindi Pearce and Highland County Press publisher Rory Ryan. 

Hastings and Levo both agreed that capital improvements needed to be made to city streets, that the area's sense of community and its people are among Hillsboro's strongest assets, and that people who consider themselves Hillsboro residents extend far beyond the city corporation limits. 

In his time traveling across the United States, Hastings said that he has seen small towns thrive and small towns fail, and through his experience, he thinks he knows what it takes to help push Hillsboro to become a community that thrives. 

"I have seen the demise and failures of small towns all across the Midwest," Hastings said. "You start to see something after a while. You start to see why those towns failed. You see why some of those towns succeed. The ones that succeed, succeed because there is a sustained, organized effort by city administration, by business leaders, and people that come together that think outside the box, and the citizenry, and they make it happen. That is what Hillsboro needs. I think I bring that to Hillsboro, and that's part of the reason why I decided to run. The other truth of the matter is, I never, until I moved here seven years ago, had a sense of community. I spent a long time on the road. I never had a sense of community until I moved here. This was the first time where I ever felt, 'This a chance where I can give back, this is a chance where I can take some of my talents and put them in an area where maybe I can make a difference. This is my home." 

Levo said that the bottom-line reason why he is running for the office is his love of the town. 

"Why do I wish to be the mayor of Hillsboro? Three simple words: I love Hillsboro," Levo said. "I love its people. I have been in this community since 1965. During that time, I have gotten to know the people. I have seen families grow up. I have seen their wants, I have heard their wishes, I have seen their successes, I have seen their failures. It is a sense of community. I have wanted to remain in Hillsboro. I have given up opportunities to further my banking career and move into positions of presidencies of banks, as bank examiners, and things along those lines, but I chose the quality of life that we find here in Hillsboro. It has been good to my family. It has been good to me, and I want to repay the citizens. I do not have an agenda to make myself money, to become involved in various incidences and various occupations that will further me. I want to repay to this community that I love. The opportunity to serve the citizens by being mayor. We have challenges. I think my background, knowledge in finances, can help me be an effective mayor in the city."

Hastings said that while Hillsboro needs leadership and a direction, he doesn't think "radical" change is needed.

"I don't believe the wheel is broken," Hastings said. "I don't think we need to reinvent the wheel in Hillsboro, I think we have some bent spokes that need fixed. I think we need to get some more air back in the tire to get it rolling. I don't think anything radical is needed. I think some common sense, and I think leadership, is what we need. I think there's been a lot of reacting over the years. I think Hillsboro, to a large degree, has been run a certain way for a number of years. I think it's time for a fresh look at it. What I bring is leadership and vision. I have spent the last two years preparing for this and trying to get momentum in Hillsboro. We've tried to do real estate development. I think our uptown is already showing noticeable signs of our improvement."

Hastings said that he has attended numerous small-town revitalization conferences and regularly attends events in Wilmington, "to make sure that we're included in the pipeline for whatever goes on in Wilmington and happens up at DHL most certainly includes Hillsboro."

Levo outlined his history in the community and his education and work background in his opening statements. He also said that that he wanted voters to know "John Levo the person" and said he would submit to drug testing and a background check. 

"I've lived in Hillsboro for almost 50 years," Levo said. "But people may not know John Levo the person. I was born in Highland County 65 years ago. I am a graduate of what is now East Clinton High School. I am a graduate of Southern Ohio College, where I majored in accounting and business administration. I am a retired banker. I spent 40 years serving the citizens of the Hillsboro area. I am married to Kathy, a retired Hillsboro school teacher, and we have two adult children."

Levo said that he has taught economics and banking at Southern State, worked at WSRW, served on the Hillsboro City Council for 13 years and served on the Hillsboro Planning Commission and Civil Service Commission, and helped establish the YMCA as part of a team initiative, was an organizer and first chairman of the Festival of the Bells, was nominated by the Jaycees as "one of America's 10 Most Outstanding Young Men" and attends the Methodist church in Hillsboro. He said that he worked his way through college by attending night school and that "a commitment to education was there." He is a graduate of the Ohio School of Banking at Ohio University and banking programs at the University of Wisconsin and numerous continuing education conferences. 

"I am in good health. I have never smoked, nor have I used drugs. I am willing to take a drug test at any time," Levo said. "I will allow the police to do a background check on me ... I believe that service to humanity is the best work of life. My education, financial knowledge, past service and a commitment to the citizens of this community will make me an effective leader. I served under three mayors. Each one of those mayors had various ways of conducting the affairs of the city."   

The panel questioned Hastings on his educational background. He said that he attended high school in Kettering, Ohio.

"I've always grown up within 50 miles of Hillsboro," Hastings said. "I went to the University of Cincinnati back in the '70s. I've done a lot of continuing education type of classes. I did not get a degree from the University of Cincinnati, I left school in my third year of college to run a business, which I had started in college, which was becoming more and more successful and taking more and more of my time. I'm an economic development guy. I believe in jobs, I believe in growth, I believe in controlled growth. I believe that, more than ever, we need jobs here, and my economic development background plays to that."

Hastings said that his experience as a businessman should not be discredited because the bulk of that experience comes from the entertainment industry. 

"There are people that think that me having, for the last 18-20 years or so, a show business background, somehow does not mean I'm in business. I can assure you that at my level in show business, it is a business. I am a brand. I deal with assistants, managers, PR people, media, I very definitely have budgets and accountants to deal with. Make no mistake, it's a business. And a rather sophisticated one at that."   

Hastings was questioned on how long he had considered himself a Republican, and Levo was questioned on why he chose to run as an Independent candidate, even though he was a Democrat while serving on the Hillsboro City Council. 

"I've always been a Republican, probably since I was about 19," Hastings said. "Fiscal restraint, I believe that for the most part I believe that less government is better government. I do not believe that the city exists to employ people, I believe that the city exists to provide services for the taxpayer, for the citizens that pay those taxes. I believe that they should get the maximum benefit of monies that the city receives."

Levo said that he was raised as a Democrat and picked up the politics from his parents, but that he wants to be a representative to all people of Hillsboro, 60 percent of which Levo said are Independents. 

"I did run and serve on Hillsboro City Council as a Democrat. However, during the process I became disillusioned with the political process as it relates to political parties, particularly on the national and state level. And even flowing, in some cases, here to the local level. I feel that as a citizen of Hillsboro, you have an individual that should listen to you, regardless of whether you are a Democrat, a Republican, a Libertarian, a member of the Green Party, regardless. Therefore, as an Independent, I feel I have an open door for people regardless of their political persuasions. I want to serve all of Hillsboro. Sixty percent of individuals in Hillsboro are not affiliated with any political party. I want to serve those people and will do it effectively, I believe, by not having a political party affiliation."

Both Levo and Hastings declined to give their opinions on State Issue 2, saying that it was a matter that is now in the hands of the voters. 

During the forum, two people were invited to the forum to speak on State Issue 2, the referendum on legislations relative to government union contracts and other government employment contracts and policies, and would repeal Ohio Senate Bill 5. Marc Bayless, representing the local chapter of the International Federation of Firefighters, encouraged a "no" vote on the issue to repeal Senate Bill 5. A representative for the other side of the issue, encouraging a "yes" vote to keep SB 5, was invited but did not attend. 

For more on the forum, check back to highlandcountypress.com.