(Photo by Amber Phipps) Candidate Jeffrey Schultheis and incumbent Marietta City Councilman Mike Scales of the First Ward respond to questions from Living Democracy moderator Dawn Hewitt on Wednesday. Scales discusses his time on council.

Living Democracy: Engaging Citizens held a candidate forum and ballot issues discussion at the Marietta High School auditorium on Wednesday.

The forum was an opportunity for the public to get to know the candidates running for Marietta City Council for the Nov. 4 election as well as hear more about the three ballot issues that will appear on the upcoming ballot.

After the candidates were introduced, City Council President Susan Vessels provided QR codes that directed the audience to the moratorium Resolution 81. The resolution asks that the state government halt the permitting of new injection wells in Washington County.

“In that document you will learn all of Ohio’s Class II wells are in southeast Ohio and all of those wells are permitted and regulated under expired rules,” said Vessels.

rThe Ohio EPA says Class II wells are underground injection wells designed to dispose of fluids brought to the surface during oil and natural gas drilling, the most common being brine, or salt water.

(Photo by Amber Phipps) Living Democracy member Betsy Cook begins the forum which took place at the Marietta High School auditorium. The forum began with questions for the candidates and followed up with information on ballot issues.

The scannable QR codes provide access to the 17-page moratorium which Vessels said will be brought directly to the state.

Wards one, two, and four have competing candidates who were given timed question and response segments. Moderator Dawn Hewitt provided the candidates with two questions on various topics related to the city of Marietta.

Council member Mike Scales of the First Ward is running for re-election with Jeffrey Schultheis running against him. Scales has been serving the First Ward for nearly eight years.

“We don’t need to get rid of any police and fire like this councilman right here tried to do last year,” said Schultheis.

“We did not reduce the fire department or police department,” said Scales. “They have a hard time right now trying to find people for the police department because of the nature of the job.”

(Photo by Amber Phipps) Marietta City Councilwoman Erin O’Neill of the Fourth Ward speaks about her experience on council. Challenger Ron Wesel was absent for the candidate forum on Wednesday.

Schultheis said the council members should be going door-to-door and said nobody he talked to in the First Ward even knew who Scales was.

“You need to come to committee meetings and engage with the council,” said Scales. “I can work with you if you contact me and get your opinion to the rest of the council.”

Councilwoman Erin O’Neill is running for re-election for Ward Four with Ron Wesel running against her. Wesel was absent for the candidate forum and O’Neill responded to questions about how to make Marietta attractive for younger people and what can be done about homelessness during the winter.

“My approach is collaborative and pragmatic and I’m proud that I’ve been able to work effectively with leaders across the political spectrum to keep Marietta moving forward,” said O’Neill. “I am running to continue that work and to make sure that every neighborhood has a voice.”

O’Neill said she is working on bringing more theatre and film opportunities into the area as a way to encourage the arts and young adults interested in film. She is also a member of the HOT (Homeless Outreach Team) project which addresses homelessness in the county.

There are two replacement levies and one renewal for the November election. The first replacement benefits the operation of the Washington County Board of Developmental Disabilities and the second will provide and maintain senior services and facilities.

The renewal levy will benefit the Washington County Public Library and its current expenses.

Read more about the levy tax rates in Early voting: Replacement, renewal levies for Washington County on ballot for Tuesday | News, Sports, Jobs – Marietta Times

The public was given a total of 30 minutes to ask questions which were focused mostly on economic development, homelessness, and stalled projects like the development of Harmar.

Council members who responded to questions included Harley Noland, Jon Grimm, Bill Gossett, Vessels, O’Neill and Scales.

Go to www.boe.ohio.gov/washington/ for more information on voter registration and polling locations.