HASKINS – This small, family-friendly community has the enviable position of having 11 candidates running
for four open council seats, while larger towns are falling short of having enough citizens on their
ballots.
Ten of the candidates spoke to the Sentinel-Tribune. Candidate James McVeigh did not return phone calls
in an attempt to reach him.
Lisa Bundy, a 20-year resident of the village and a past employee, said she is concerned about
"accountability for spending. With the budget and stuff I want them to be accountable for spending
in their means, use the money appropriately, rules and ordinances are followed. I want council to work
as a team, everything to be open, and for the town to know what is happening and occurring and not
behind closed doors. … I want to be the voice of the community. If there are concerns or questions in
the community, to have them out in the open, and everybody work as a team."
Jeffery Coppler has lived in Haskins 10-plus years. "In this state of economy, I think we need to
put the money where it belongs," he said. "We all know our revenue will be down for the next
few years. I just think things need to be done. We’re not spending the money where it should be, street
repairs, maintenance, the town hall needs to be put on the agenda, to make the community more
enjoyable." He would like projects selected according to priority to sustain the village for the
next few years, including fixing Liberty Hi Road.
Incumbent Tim Enright, a lifelong resident, has served on council for eight years. "I’ve been very
involved in the village for eight years. We’re taken on some major projects; built a new wastewater
treatment plant. It is running so efficiently, we have lowered the sewer rates slightly over 20 percent.
We have some street projects to do," including Liberty Hi Road which "will be a very major
project." Enright noted several years ago the village’s electric system was totally rebuilt with
new transformers, poles and wiring.
"My interest in the community is making Haskins a great place to live. I hope I’ve done my part in
making that possible. … A few more major projects and Haskins will be in great shape."
Dustin Featzka’s residency is 15 years, living in or near the village. "I’ve been going to a lot of
council meetings," he said. "The sewer rates are out of control. Spending in the village is
off-handed. I want to get the budget in order, get things in the village for children to do."
Featzka would like to see a community events committee, including planning a Haskins Day festival in the
town.
"The main reason (I’m running) is the spending is out of control with the current council. I’d like
to see it more in check. I just think it’s time for new and fresh ideas in the village, get rid of the
old politicians. I want the village to follow through with the promises they made to repave streets,
specifically paving the rest of the streets paid for with the tax levy."
A resident since 2004, incumbent Paul Gies has served a little over four years on council. "I care
deeply about the community I live in," he said. "I want to continue to serve them in the best
way possible. I want to continue moving Haskins in a positive direction. I want to make it a safe
community," and noted the police department is important to the village. "I want to keep it a
family-friendly community and a place people may want to retire to."
He praised council for new roads, the new wastewater treatment plant, storm water improvements and
improved parks, and wants to see the community continue to make progress.
Incumbent Glenn Harding has been on council for eight of the 10 years he has lived in town. "I’m
always interested in volunteering and doing what I can for the community," he said. He is pleased
with what council has accomplished in eight years, mentioning redoing almost all the streets and putting
up a state-of-the-art, $3 million wastewater treatment plant which uses ultraviolet light and not
chemicals, and was featured on PBS. "It’s something I know I’m real proud of. It should last for a
long, long time, many decades."
Harding added, "It’s my hope whoever does get on council works hard and has the best interest of the
community" in mind.
Bradley Heft has been a resident since 1991 and served on council from 1991-2001. He said he is not
running for a personal agenda, but "I’m just running for the betterment of the village." Heft
added, "I don’t see the village going the way I’d like it to go. There’s a lot of things being
missed. Our infrastructure is very old." He would like to see something done with the zoning code
and sidewalks, and sewer rates adjusted for seasonal plants and the elderly. "It’s just the common
sense approach we lost. With the downturn in the economy, you have to go back to basics. Can they be
reduced even more? Go a little further with anything?"
He would like to see sewer rates lowered a little "so people can make payments. I would hate to see
people leave. The towns and the school board need to come together."
Edward Jacobs has lived in Haskins for five years and, among his various activities, has participated in
the Haskins Parent Association, local Boy Scout and Cub Scout troops and was chosen by council to serve
as the Haskins representative on the storm water committee.
"I’m running because I think I can make a difference on council," he said. "I’m very, very
active in the community. I want to see us stay watching over the budget. I want to make sure we’re
spending the money the best way, and getting the best bang for the dollar for the taxpayer and continue
to make this community family-oriented." Jacobs added he’d like to see more money put into the
parks in town.
Kevin Simpson has been a resident for six-and-a-half years. "My first priority, I want to serve the
community," he said. "Secondly, provide fiscally conservative and professional leadership as a
CPA. That is a big piece I bring to the community on the financial side. Thirdly, I really want to work
with the mayor and council members to consider new approaches to the tasks at hand. I don’t have a
particular agenda, bones to pick, a vendetta. … My desire, more than anything, is to get new council
members in who’ll consider new approaches to things, see actual discussion and debate and consideration
of new ideas."
Kimberly Wurst has been a resident for almost 18 years and wants to help Haskins keep the cost of living
down. "We need to keep road repairs up, keep the police with no extra tax burden. We need
candidates who sit on council and work with others and make decisions beneficial to residents."
Wurst was a police officer for 12 years and worked in the village as part of those years. "It
taught me to be able to work together with elected officials, residents of the village and people who
work for the village, harmoniously."
She is a candidate "really because of the love I have for the village. Haskins is the place I want
to grow old in. I’m also running because I don’t feel like I have a voice."
