The race for Marietta City Council’s 1st Ward pits two independent candidates with city experience against one another: incumbent Councilman Michael Scales, who cites stabilizing finances as his top achievement, and Jeff Schultheis, a city worker who says his campaign is driven by firsthand knowledge of community needs.

Michael Scales

Scales, 76, said stabilizing city finances has been his central project since a 2022 performance audit warned of a looming deficit.

“Instead of being bankrupt, we should enter the year with a rainy day fund,” Scales said.

He credited collaboration among council, administration and staff for changing course.

“It has been an ongoing project to get things stabilized,” Scales said.

He noted a new formula directs excess funds into capital improvements and preliminary engineering, giving the city leverage for grants and project matches.

Scales also said he supports continued investment in ward-level paving and remains cautious about environmental risks from injection wells. A lifelong Marietta resident and a Norwood resident of more than 40 years, he said his approach is straightforward.

“I want to be transparent with how the money is handled,” he said. “No nonsense – just the facts.”

Jeff Schultheis

Schultheis, 51, has worked nearly seven years in city departments, including Public Works and the water plant. He said his decision to run comes from seeing community needs up close.

“I see a lot of problems the city has from working for the city,” he said.

Traffic safety, particularly at busy intersections, is a priority for Schultheis.

“That’s a major intersection that needs to be addressed,” he said of one near a McDonald’s in town. “A simple thing is, put the strips down before the stop sign so people notice there’s actually a stop sign there, not just a traffic light.”

He said he intends to focus on listening to residents and addressing concerns directly.

“I’m going to work with the people and find out what their problems are so we can fix them,” he said.

Schultheis also stated that he opposes any cuts to police, fire or other essential services.