Village residents will have a number of names to consider this election as six candidates compete for three council seats.
Incumbents Frank Reed and James Sintz are seeking reelection while Tyler Harriman, Shane Hoffman, Aaron Lewis and Zach Robbins join the race for an additional seat that will be vacated by John Rucker, who chose not to seek reelection.
Reed was elected in 2019, while current Council President Sintz is completing a unique, two-year term. The shortened term emerged during the approval of the Plain City Charter in order to ensure regular, four-year terms are staggered from this point on.
The three candidates who receive the most votes will fill the open positions, all with four-year terms.
Tyler Harriman
Age: 42
Position sought: Plain City Council member
Current occupation: Chief Pilot for Corporate Flight Department
As a 10-year Plain City Resident with two school aged children, my wife and I have enjoyed being involved in several different aspects of the community.
Since 2021 I have been a member of Plain City’s Planning and Zoning Commission and currently serve as the Chairperson.
In February of this year, I was appointed by Plain City Council to become a commissioner as one of Plain City’s representatives on the newly formed Mid-Ohio Water and Sewer District.
For the past couple years my commitment to volunteer and serve our community has allowed me to develop relationships with Village staff, local businesses, schools, and residents.
I believe it is important for City Council to continue to keep Plain City a safe town that prides itself on its heritage and keep the small-town feel.
I believe Plain City’s biggest issue is the growth that is coming, and we need to prepare for it and be proactive in managing it.
Recently on P&Z we have worked to make the Zoning Code stronger for the Village by setting more stringent standards for developments as they come in.
With the increase in growth, I believe it is important to not forget about our existing and longtime residents. We need to ensure that they are still heard and looked after throughout this growth process.
My family and I enjoy being a part of the Village of Plain City and look forward to continuing to form strong bonds with the community and help keep it a wonderful, safe and family friendly place to live.
Shane Hoffman
Age: 49
Position sought: Plain City Council member
Current occupation: Librarian
As all the candidates will tell you, Plain City is at a critical point in development. We are rapidly growing, and this is our chance to manage the growth to maintain our identity while setting a stable future for our schools, parks, library, police, fire and families. We want a community with good jobs, walkable neighborhoods and a real sense of community.
We cannot grow well on the back of just residential development. We need that mixed use development to support the amenities above and to have destinations for walking in our communities. These neighborhoods also decrease traffic, generate property and income tax, and generally keep our community enjoyable.
The Village is currently doing a great job in many areas. The new water district is a great move that I support. The devotion to parks and making our town walkable are among the many things that are being done very well.
What we are lacking that really needs addressing are:
1. Business. We’re growing lots of expensive housing, but not bringing in jobs.
2. Incremental Development. All development is coming in full. There is nothing for the average person to acquire that is affordable now and can expand to meet their future needs as their family or business grows. This model worked for generations, and it can be worked back into our building and zoning codes.
3. Attainable Housing. I want to be sure my kids can move back to Plain City one day. I’m not sure that’s possible right now. I hope to be a grandpa in the not too distant future, and I want my kids close enough to swing by for dinner or drop the kids off while they run to the store.
I look forward to serving my community in whatever capacity, but hope to have your vote.
Thank you, and God bless!
Aaron Lewis
Age: 45
Position sought: Plain City Council member
Current occupation: Director of Legal and Compliance Operations for a global medical device company
It is an exciting time to be living in and raising two young kids in Plain City. Our Village is experiencing unprecedented growth and I want to be an advocate for our community, leading us through the challenging yet pivotal next four years. My goals for serving on Plain City Council center around making decisions that are focused on our current residents while also driving smart growth that will continue to support the identity that Plain City is known for and is attracting this growth. I want new residents to as excited for the Baseball Parade and Tractor parade as our long term residents are.
My introduction into local government was joining the Plain City Charter Commission in 2020. This committee worked to define the organizational structure, powers, functions and the essential procedures of our city government. This charter was passed by the citizens of Plain City in 2021.
My professional career started out in IT but I quickly found myself in Legal and Compliance, where I have spent the past 20 years building and managing high performing teams in the Healthcare industry. I am currently the Director of Legal and Compliance Operations for a global medical device company.
While I’m an IT guy by trade, I’m a people person first. I have a natural ability to build strong relationships which is an important role in public service. I’m excited for the opportunity to help shape the future of our community for my kids and their peers so they are proud to say where they grew up!
My passion, professional experience, personal values, and long-term vision will allow me to be a valuable and contributing member of Council for Plain City.
Thank you for your consideration on Nov. 7.
Frank Reed
Age: Asked not to have age listed
Position sought: Plain City Council member
Current occupation: Retired
As a 23-year resident of Plain City and current Member of Council, I seek reelection. The past 4 years have been the most productive for Council that I have experienced during my residency. Some of my accomplishments have been 1) instigating the rehabilitation of the Uptown streetscapes, which started with my simple request to fix the broken sidewalks, 2) providing advice on improving our budget and 3) helping manage the surge of new residents and attendant problems, including a major fix for the water and sewer systems.
My priorities are 1) attend to the health, safety, and welfare of residents, 2) provide needed services, 3) oversee budget and fiscal administration and 4) develop policies for personnel, maintenance of infrastructure and sensible development leading to prosperity for all.
GOAL: Become one of the Top 10 Best Small Towns in America.
About my qualifications. First, my community service includes 1) 10 years as volunteer producer and organizer of our Music In The Park events every Sunday during the summer, 2) five-years member of the Parks and Recreation Committee, 3) past Chairman of the Finance and Capital Improvements Committee, 4) volunteer at the Union County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) and 5) Vice-President of the (HUD) Pleasant Valley Colony low-income housing board.
Education has been provided by: 1) B.Sc. in Mathematics (OSU), 2) M.Sc. in Computer and Information Science (OSU), 3) Purdue University Global Law School, 4) Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service and 5) currently enrolled at OSU taking courses offered by the John Glenn School of Public Affairs.
Retired IT Consultant and small business owner. Married, with children.
I was privileged to serve my country in the U.S. Air Force and am a veteran of the Vietnam Era. I ask for your vote so I may continue serving you.
Zach Robbins
Age: 22
Position sought: Plain City Council member
Current occupation: Actuarial Specialist w/ Nationwide Insurance working on pricing our annuities
I’m a long time resident of PC – born and raised here. I went through Jonathan Alder for all of my schooling and graduated as the salutatorian of the class of 2019.
After high school, I went straight into college and graduated from Robert Morris University with my bachelors in actuarial science in 2022.
As someone starting off in their professional career, it’s important to me that Plain City becomes somewhere that young professionals and families want to live, work and play. To that end, I’d like to see downtown Plain City become a place where families can go to spend time together and young adults have things to do for fun.
Fortunately, PC is already working on this and I’d like to further leverage current council efforts on things like the downtown revitalization efforts or our plan for protecting the Big Darby as we add on to our water/sewage capacities.
Of course, as a long-time resident of PC, I understand and appreciate the need to maintain our rural character and protect our environmental assets with regards to growth. A key aspect of that growth is ensuring that the town brings in new families, businesses and amenities in a controlled manner that enhances the vibrant communities of Plain City and better the life style of those of us that call this village home.
In a sentence, I’m a young, educated, and passionate long-time resident of Plain City who sees a clear and present opportunity to guide the town through a period of historic growth. I know that my generation will be the one to inherit PC, so as a councilor, I feel that I have the greatest interest in ensuring that PC is somewhere that my generation will want to live, work and play in the future.
James Sintz
Age: 53
Position sought: Plain City Council member
Current occupation: IT Manager
I am an Ohio native (Columbus) and 16-year (May 2007) Plain City resident along with my wife and two adult children. My children attended JA schools and are grown and out of the house now. I hold a BA from Judson University and an MBA from Franklin University. I am currently an IT Manager at one of Ohio’s retirement systems where I manage technology, people and budgets. I have a passion for serving others and have served in different capacities over the years. These have included coaching youth sports to serving on various boards and committees. Most recently I have been serving a two-year term on Plain City Village Council and have been council President since January of this year.
I hope to continue making a positive impact on Plain City Council and our community. The common thread running through my work on council can be summarized in one phrase: community engagement, communication, and consensus building. I am dedicated to collaborating with residents and local businesses to understand and address their concerns. Starting conversations, sharing information, and gathering feedback via initiatives like “Coffee with Council and Friends,” town hall-style gatherings and the creation of the Communications and Marketing committee.
There are several challenges facing Plain City, and most are closely related to the exponential growth affecting the entire Central Ohio region. Over my tenure on council, we’ve put measures in place to help give us more control over this growth. These have included hiring experienced development and zoning staff and re-writing parts of our zoning code and ordinances all focused on ensuring we keep Plain City a great place to live, work and play.