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CELINA - The composition of Celina City Council is poised for a major shakeup as three councilors, all Republicans, opted not to file for reelection this year, and four of five council races are contested in the Nov. 4 general election.
Ward 1 councilor Myron Buxton, Ward 2 councilor Eric Baltzell and Ward 3 councilor Mark Fleck each declined to seek another four-year term on city council. Others, however, are waiting in the wings to claim the seats.
Democrat Bill Sell, a former city council president, and Republican Steve Schulte are vying for the Ward 1 seat, Democrat Erica Lusk is in a showdown with Republican Chris Doseck for the Ward 3 seat, and Kyle Bruce is running as an independent against incumbent councilor Eric Clausen, a Republican, for theWard 4 seat.
Republican Jeremy Uhlenhake is running uncontested for the Ward 2 seat.
Celina Council President Jason King, a Republican, is facing Democratic challenger Sophia Rodriguez, who served as council president for two years a little short of two decades ago.
The council president and Ward 1 races were previewed in Friday's edition of The Daily Standard. The article can be read at dailystandard.com.
Doseck
Doseck, 42, is an electrical controls engineer at Nidec Press & Automation in Minster. He earned an associate degree in industrial electronics from Edison Community College.
He and his wife, Jo, have two children. Doseck has not held public office before, but noted he's been heavily involved with the Mercer County Republican Party since about 2022.
"I've been a central committee representative, so that's got me involved working with candidates, talking a lot with some of our local representatives, kind of getting involved with the community that way," he said. "I became the secretary for the party, so I'm pretty involved."
Doseck also said his work experience on big projects for local and international customers alike, concocting unique solutions to problems arising in custom orders, has afforded him a broad set of skills that can be applied to the city.
"I'm running because I just think that it's important to be involved," he said. "Mark Fleck did a great job, and I heard he was retiring and I thought, 'I'm at a place in life where I can kind of step up,' and I feel I've got a lot to give the community."
Asked about any initiatives or policies he may pursue if elected, Doseck said he doesn't have any major changes in mind but feels strongly that his problem-solving skills will come in handy.
"When we have things come up, whether it's projects, ordinances, etc., I really want to get in here and weigh out the benefits to the community versus the cost," he said. "I feel strongly about building our community up, but also watching the costs as we do it because that's important as well. I do feel very strongly about trying to do our best to attract more businesses to the area."
As far as the most important issues facing city council, Doseck mentioned the extensive overhaul of the city's wastewater treatment plant, a project estimated at about $32 million.
"It's such a big project. I think we really have to focus on handling that well so that we get the most bang for our buck, keep the cost down as much as possible, but also keep in mind while we're doing it, we want to do a good job and set ourselves up for success moving forward, so we don't have to come back and readdress anything anytime soon."
Additionally, he spoke to the importance of growing the city's economy.
"It's kind of heartbreaking to see we recently lost Wendy's and Burger King. We still have the old Schwieterman's (Pharmacy)," Doseck said. "(We need to do) what we can as a community to bring businesses in to replace those."
Lusk
Lusk, 38, is a teacher at Mercer County Head Start. She earned a bachelor's degree in early childhood education from Wright State University and a master's degree in special education from Ball State University.
She hasn't held public office before, but is active in the Mercer County Democratic Party, currently serving on the executive committee.
"I've been part of the community, I've lived here my entire life," she said about her run for city council. "I've seen Celina come together in times of need, and I've seen us set aside our differences, political and otherwise, to support one another, and that unity is what makes our town strong."
For instance, when a tornado ravaged parts of the city a few years back, community members banded together in the aftermath to clean up properties and get people back into their homes, Lusk pointed out.
"I believe that that's what makes Celina Celina," she said. "Sometimes we just need some fresh ideas and new perspectives and that's vital to continuing the growth and ensuring Celina remains a great place to work and raise a family."
Asked about any specific polices or initiatives she would champion if elected, Lusk said she's committed to bridging communication between residents and local government and fostering transparency and accessibility.
"I would prioritize open and honest communication between the community and city council," she said. "Residents deserve to be heard and confident that their concerns are being thoughtfully addressed and not ignored."
Lusk vowed to respond to any resident's concern or question within 48 hours, even if the reply is "I'm not sure, but I will find out," she said.
"Transparent, two-way communication builds trust, and trust builds a stronger Celina," Lusk stressed.
In fact, Lusk believes communication is the most important issue facing city council at the moment.
"When I've talked to a lot of people, it's just a lot of times they feel like they don't know who to talk to," she pointed out. "So getting out there and being visible to the people so they know who is representing them and they know who to come and talk to, making them aware of who can help them fix the streets, who to go to, what the proper chain of operation is."
Clausen
Clausen, 60, has represented Celina Ward 4 for 12 years. He earned his bachelor's degree in agricultural engineering from the Ohio State University, and is the owner of Clausen Engineering Partners, a Celina-based firm that represents leading suppliers of precision engineered components.
He and his wife, Kelli, have three children.
Clausen said he wants to continue serving on city council to put the finishing touches to unfinished business.
"I'd like to keep going on some these infrastructure and street projects. I'd like to see those continue," he said. "I think it's important that we get a new fire hall for the city. So that's my main goals for running for four more years."
Built in 1890, city hall houses Celina Municipal Court, the fire department and the police dispatch center. Fire personnel who perform 24-hour shifts have had to make do with confined spaces and inadequate living accommodations.
City councilors last year authorized city safety service director Tom Hitchcock to enter into an agreement with Mull & Weithman Architects Inc. of Columbus for a city hall/fire department feasibility study.
The study will outline ways to modernize and expand the space-strapped fire department, as well as identify potential sites for a new facility.
"I think the city's pretty well run, so it's just how do we manage it, finance-wise," he continued about his motivations for mounting a reelection bid.
Asked about the most important issue facing council right now, Clausen said the elected representatives must continue to apprise the public about infrastructure priorities and expenditures.
"I think we're doing pretty good with keeping everything transparent, and I think that we've got to continue to do that so people see where we're spending the taxpayers' money and how we're spending it," he said. "I think as long as we continue to do that … that's going to help with a lot of the public's perception that we're doing a good job."
Bruce
Bruce, 25, operates The Bay Restaurant in Celina. He graduated from Celina High School.
"I have not held a public office before, but I am the part-owner and operator of The Bay Restaurant here in Celina, and I am the president of Small Town Pride, the local nonprofit," Bruce said. "I've also worked with several organizations, including Mercer County LEAD, which is Leaders for Equity, Access and Diversity."
Elections that feature more active participants result in a stronger and fairer democracy, Bruce said when asked why he's running for city council.
"Ward 4 has not had the choice on their ballot for more than one candidate since before I was born," he said. "Angie King held this same seat from 2001 to 2013 and then Eric Clausen from 2013 to 2025. Not a single one of their elections during that time period were contested. So it was clear to me that nobody else was going to put their name in the ring and I'm no stranger to the public eye, so I decided to run."
Bruce said he's pushing for more transparency in city government, referencing city council's Oct. 28, 2024, rejection of an ordinance to rezone a 1-acre property from manufacturing to community shopping, preventing Cincinnati-based Bon Secours Mercy Health from building an urgent care center at 1800 Industrial Drive.
"I know that a lot of people were upset about the city not allowing another urgent care to come in, and I think that was in due part because of Mercer Health," he said. "I think a lot of people are also concerned about the lack of transparency on the front of our safety services."
Bruce cited a lack of transparency as the most important issue facing city council presently.
"It's going to be our safety services. I think that's what you hear the most from the community - them being upset about their lack of leadership in this moment where people are wanting to know what's going on in our city administration and why are we are losing these safety service employees to other neighboring cities," he said.
He also clarified why he decided to launch a bid for council as an independent candidate.
"In April of 2024, I had officially sent my resignation letter to the Mercer County Democratic Parry as a member of the Mercer County Democratic Executive Committee. I am still extremely grateful for all the friendship and support I have made through the work that I did with the local Democratic Party," Bruce said.
However, Bruce said he doesn't consider himself a Democrat at this point in time.
"That's not because I don't wish for progress here in my community, but because I want to break free from the party lines that blind so many of us," he said.
