Two individuals are running for mayor of the village of Ostrander next week.
The candidates are Armon H. Chrismer II and Joseph Proemm.
Several attempts were made to contact Chrismer for comments, but The Gazette had yet to hear from him by press time.
Joseph Proemm
“My wife and I built our house and moved to Ostrander in 2013,” Proemm said. “We loved the area and knew it would be an amazing place to raise our kids. I have a degree from The Ohio State University in Political Science which has helped me step back and view things from many angles. I have been chairman on Ostrander’s Planning and Zoning Committee for roughly 10 years. I’ve helped guide different developments through zoning while also solving issues residents have raised. I’ve been on Village Council for nine years. We’ve purchased a new plow truck and police cruiser while doing road projects around the village to improve our roads.”
Proemm said he is running for mayor to help “shape the future while trying to maintain the past.”
“When we moved to Ostrander, I knew this was an outstanding community,” Proemm said. “We have four kids, and plan on being here a very long time. I knew that getting involved was important to help keep the village the same outstanding community and help find ways to make it even better.”
Proemm said there are “many challenges which are not all negative” facing the village.
“We have Maugans Community Park,” Proemm said. “We just acquired this property and have an exciting challenge of making it a great space for everyone. We have added a playground and look forward to future improvements.”
Proemm said the village is “always thinking about our roads and how best to maintain them and how best to find funding to replace them.”
“We challenge ourselves on finding grants or working with other municipalities to complete these tasks,” Proemm said.
One of the biggest challenges facing the village is growth, he added.
“It will eventually make its way to us, and we need to look at how best to manage it,” Proemm said. “There are lots of positivies of growth but also many negatives. Weighing these out and balancing them is a huge challenge that we have been working on for years and continue to do so.”
Proemm said the challenges rely on “many people communicating and participating.”
“In our Zoning Committee we have been working with Delaware County on updating our master plan,” Proemm said. “Using this as a guide moving forward will help us in planning growth and development. I would also use input and suggestions from residents and our various committees to help address these challenges that come up.”
Glenn Battishill can be reached at 740-413-0903.
