WARREN, Ohio (WKBN) — The two Democratic mayoral candidates spoke Monday about their plans for the city of Warren should they win the seat.
Incumbent Mayor Doug Franklin and current Councilman At-Large Ken MacPherson are both running for Warren’s mayor.
“I love the work that I’m doing. I will say that it’s one of the greatest blessings of my professional career, to be able to serve the community that I was raised in and the people that I love in this community,” Franklin said.
“I’m running because — as a councilman — there were so many things I wanted to get done, so many things we tried to get engaged with,” MacPherson said. “The problem was, I kept hearing excuses about why we couldn’t get things done.”
Franklin is currently in his 12th year as mayor. He said one of his biggest accomplishments so far is the demolition of the old St. Joseph Riverside Hospital.
“I made that a priority when I first came in the office, because it was such an eyesore, such a public health hazard and dangerous to our community,” Franklin said. “It destabilized property values in that neighborhood.”
MacPherson was first elected to council in 2017. Prior to that, he worked as a business consultant and entrepreneur.
“I believe in this city, I think it’s a wonderful city,” MacPherson said. “I make one promise — only one promise: I’ll work harder at this job to deliver results for the citizens of Warren than all those other jobs I’ve had where I’ve done remarkable, wonderful things.”
Macpherson said if he’s elected, his top priorities include tackling crime, blight and the city’s flooding issue.
“I think Warren deserves better, and I’m the kind of candidate with an engineering background, business background — results-oriented, capable,” MacPherson said. “I think the hard-working ethic that I bring to the table will really do well for Warren as mayor.”
Franklin said should he be elected to a fourth term, his priorities are to continue delivering core services, plus see both the master parks plan and major investments to the city like the downtown expansion project come to fruition.
“I’m proud of my record and I’m standing on it and I’m running on my record. It’s very different than my opponent’s,” Franklin said. “I think I’m the best candidate for the job.”
The winner of the primary election will face current 6th Ward Councilwoman Cheryl Saffold in the general election. Saffold filed Monday to run for mayor as an independent candidate
