Pictured, is Tim Taft. As one of the youngest residents to run for Mayor, Taft will be hitting the streets to gain the signatures needed for a run in March. (Provided Photo)
Owego resident Tim Taft, who is studying history and political science at Muskingum University in Ohio, has recently announced he will be hitting the streets with a petition, and is looking for enough signatures to run for Mayor in the March election in the Village of Owego.
Running solely as “The People’s Voice”, Taft’s campaign platform focuses on “Representing the Voice of the Forgotten People of Owego.” He plans to begin his campaign immediately.
At 20 years of age and attending college, Taft is one of the youngest to vie for a Village seat in Owego; Patrick Gavin was also at a young age when he ran for mayor.
In fact, it was 1996, and Gavin was 17 years old when he ran under the “Youth Party”. Gavin was not a registered voter at that time, because he was 17, and was subsequently disqualified from ballot status.
However, the vacancy committee on Gavin’s petition appointed Dick Hoban to replace his name on the ballot. Hoban went on to defeat incumbent candidate Kelly Bollinger in what was called a major upset.
The Youth Party then went on to have three trustees win seats on the board in 1998, and Barb Fink in 2000 as mayor.
The following stories from that time can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsR2ODGzo4w and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35uzGtqNSdY.
For Taft, he believes that his age would be an asset, rather than a liability. “I’m young,” said Taft, “so I can definitely bring good ideas.”
Taft explained that he decided to run because he feels the entire village in not being heard. “I see problems that can be fixed,” said Taft.
Taft also spoke of the services offered in Owego, which includes fire, police and public works, and continued to explain that these areas are neglected.
He specifically mentioned the current budget and feels that while some services are being cut or overlooked, other services being funded are not needed.
As an example, Taft stated that the clerk treasurer is getting 15 percent of the budget, while the police are receiving 17 percent. Taft feels that the Owego Police Department needs to be stronger.
In college, Taft took a class on municipal governments and is currently interning with a Gubernatorial candidate in Ohio. And although he is a registered Republican, Taft does not believe that a local party affiliation is the same as it would be in a larger election.
“Political parties don’t matter in this,” exclaimed Taft, “all voices matter.”
Taft, who returned home on Saturday, began running his campaign. He also noted that when he returns home in March, he would campaign some more.
If elected, Taft noted, he will get sworn in and then he would be back for the summer. At most, Taft will miss five meetings, and said he could skype into the meetings if needed.
But for now, Taft will work on getting the signatures needed for a run in March.
Taft is also reaching out to others that might want to run with him under “The People’s Voice” party. If interested, you can contact Taft by calling (607) 972-3051. For more information on “The People’s Voice”, visit www.tpvowego.com.
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