Three seats on Powell City Council will be available when voters hit the polls for the November election, and one city resident has announced his candidacy.
Seth Camick, who is an enlisted member of the Ohio Army National Guard, has been a resident of Powell since 2020 and currently serves on the city’s Operations Committee, which oversees all the services provided by the city. In addition to serving on the Operations Committee, Camick is a recent graduate of the Patrick J. Tiberi Leadership Institute and the founder and president of the Powell Liberty Club.
“Over the years that I’ve lived in Powell, I have seen many changes as the city grows,” Camick said in a press release. “I’ve come to love what Powell has become, and I look forward to sharing my perspective to shape that growth. For the next several months, I look forward to talking with voters across Powell and will work to earn their support.”
Asked what led to his decision to run for a council seat, Camick told The Gazette, “I want to run for City Council because I love Powell, and I want to contribute to the lives of young families. And I want to make sure that Powell is always a place that residents are proud to call home.”
Camick has identified three primary areas on which he plans to run his campaign, including fully funding the city’s law enforcement, improving the city’s infrastructure, and reestablishing the cooperation for services between the city and Liberty Township. Camick said he’s “seen a lot of things” while being on the Operations Committee that will heavily influence how he approaches a seat on council if elected, and although those experiences would be beneficial, a council seat is necessary to go about acting on those goals.
“It’s one thing to be the citizens’ representative on the Operations Committee, and I am a voting member, but really, the decisions are made by council,” he said. “We’re kind of a rubber stamp on that committee. I would definitely be able to have a lot more influence on council. And also, on the Operations Committee, we have no control over the budget. So when I say I want to increase the funding to hire more officers or allocate resources to build new roads or improve existing ones, I can’t really do that without being on council.”
Speaking on the need for additional police officers in the city, as well as the needed infrastructure improvements, Camick cited the recent income tax restructuring Powell underwent and said the funds are there to make such improvements.
“I think now that the city has completed the income tax restructuring, we have a lot more funding for this,” he said. “I’m not looking to impose new taxes when I say we need to hire more police officers, and I’m not looking to take away any services. We have additional funding right now that we can allocate to hire new officers or to dig ourselves out of this hole with the infrastructure problem we have.”
Camick went on to say, “I could highlight my professional qualifications ranging from my military service to my membership in the Pat Tiberi Leadership Institute, but what I think is more important is who will put in the work. I will continually talk with the residents of Powell, and if elected, I will be their strongest advocate in local government.”
For more information on his campaign, visit www.sethcamick.com.
Reach Dillon Davis at 740-413-0904. Follow him on Twitter @DillonDavis56.
