GANO

SALEM — TruCut president and chief operating officer Jake Gano can add Salem city councilman to his resume after being selected to fill the unexpired term vacated by Roy Paparodis.

“I’m thrilled. I’m really excited to work with the council members, the mayor and all the other city officials. I’m excited to represent the city of Salem,” the 33-year-old born and bred city resident said.

Gano was among three candidates who stepped forward. The others were Sara Baer, who serves on the Downtown Salem Partnership and Burchfield Homestead Society, and former journalist Jeff Schoch, senior pastor at Abundant Life Fellowship and known for the city’s annual Thanksgiving dinner.

Members of the Salem City Republican Central Committee met Wednesday night at the Salem Golf Club to hear from the candidates and ask them questions.

After some deliberation among the members, they unanimously voted for Gano to serve in the at large position, including Paparodis. Other members of the committee who cast votes included county Republican Party chairman David Johnson, councilman Sal Salvino, former councilman Greg Oesch, Salem Utilities Commission chairman Bob Hodgson, Bruce Johnson and Salem City Council president Tom Baker. Committee member Susan Johnston didn’t attend. Two of the possible 10 precinct committee positions are vacant. Both the Democrats and Republicans have representation in each precinct in Salem.

In this case, the Republicans by law had the responsibility of selecting the new council member since the one being replaced ran as a Republican in his last council election. Paparodis resigned effective Dec. 5 since he will become a county commissioner in January, elected to the seat held by longtime Commissioner Jim Hoppel, who opted not to run again. The party had to make the appointment within a window of five to 45 days after the council seat became vacant.

During his presentation, Gano said he’s a big proponent of commerce and wants to see the city grow and prosper and he will serve with excitement and vigor. During the deliberation, many of the committee members expressed a need to get young blood into city government and noted Gano’s broad business experience and the fact that he’s already made tough decisions in business. In dealing with financial matters and the fallout from COVID-19, that could be valuable experience in 2021.

During questioning, Baker talked about tough decisions and asked the candidates about tax increases or cuts, with all three noting the idea of working within means. Gano said he’s almost never in favor of raising taxes, saying that’s not a good way to get people pumped up to move here. He wants to see government work on laws to support investment in the community.

The committee members touched on a variety of topics in their questioning, including how the candidates felt about the Regional Income Tax Agency, which will take over city tax collections in January, about a single hauler trash program, blight and how to address problem buildings in downtown, they thoughts on the purchase of an ambulance for the fire department and what they see as the big obstacle facing the city next year.

All three felt a desire to give back and all three spoke about their strengths. They all supported the streets program and the need to bring attention to the good in downtown.

Baer has worked extensively on promoting the downtown through DSP and Second Saturday events to draw people into the downtown. She talked about her concerns with the dire condition of the Endres Gross building, how she likes to listen to people and considers communication a strength. She didn’t have a firm opinion on RITA, and said the city has a lot of tools in place to address the problems in the downtown, with the fire code and IPMC. She noted that even with the pandemic, several new businesses have opened in the downtown with more to come.

Schoch’s journalism career included time at the Salem News, Morning Journal and Youngstown Vindicator. He covered the Salem beat, writing about all aspects of Salem, including city government. He then left journalism to become a pastor and said now seems like a good time to get involved. He and his wife and another couple have already served the community nearly 30 years with the Thanksgiving dinner.

He said dealing with the continued effects of COVID-19 will be a major obstacle and said he’s not a big fan of curbing services such as police and fire but there may be places where cuts can be made. He likes to look at the big picture, listen to input and make decisions based on that. He’s not adverse to offering an opposing point of view, saying he’s not a yes man. He’s not a fan of RITA due to in-person services being taken away and likes choosing his own trash hauler.

Gano said council needs to create conditions that encourage people to invest in the downtown. He favors the additional tax that voters passed for the streets, saying the condition of the streets is another plus to attracting people here. With the single hauler idea, he said he likes to see competition, but he also said trash haulers must follow the rules, suggesting weight limits or requiring the trucks to be cleaned up or inspected.

A 2006 graduate of Salem High School, Gano earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration on operations management from Ohio State University in 2010. He spent about 10 years away from Salem, earning his commercial pilot ratings in Florida and working as assistant director of new aircraft production for a manufacturer in Yakima, Wash.

He returned home to Salem in 2015 to join his dad’s company, TruCut Incorporated, which was founded by his grandfather. As the current president and COO, he oversees day-to-day operations at plants in Salem, Alliance and Sebring. Gano’s parents are Dave and Kathy. Kathy currently serves on the city’s planning commission and formerly served on the school board.

Gano said he’s currently renovating a 112-year-old home on East Third Street, and he and his father purchased the 123-year-old Ohio Mutual Insurance Company building in downtown Salem with plans for an extensive restoration.

He’s looking forward to his first meeting on Jan. 5.

mgreier@salemnews.net