The human resources committee looked at a list of 11 possible criteria that can be used as proof of residency. Some of those include driver's license, tax information, military discharge papers, and mailing address. The committee discussed if there would be a set number of criteria, like four or five, out of the 11 possible that would have to be met for the Allen County Board of Election to declare a candidate a resident of Lima, if it was called into question.
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With the elections just hours away, one Lima mayoral candidate continues to promote her vision of change in the city moving forward.
Elizabeth Hardesty held a gathering to speak to supporters about her run to be the next Lima mayor. With the election two weeks away, she has been taking her message of change to the voters, which includes hiring a safety service director to address the crime and drug issues in the city. Also, she would like to focus on boosting economic development in the city.
A Lima mayoral candidate has opened their headquarters downtown.
Held at the St. Luke's Church, the Lima/Allen County Neighborhoods in Partnership organized the final debate between both candidates. A variety of topics were asked to both candidates, ranging from economic growth, COVID-19, as well as what their overall vision is to lead Lima into its next chapter. Both Hardesty and Smith started by talking about growing Lima's economy.
The appellate judges upheld the decision by the Allen County Board of Elections that Hardesty is a Lima resident according to the city charter. Alice Donahue and Bart Mills say she should not be eligible to run for mayor because she was living in Texas until October of 2020 for work. The appeals court says Hardesty was a resident of Lima for at least six months before the last date the nominating petition could be filed and she didn't lose her Lima residence when she left the state for work.
There was a full audience in attendance to witness the second of three debates between the two women. The atmosphere was a bit different from last week's debate wit more tension between the candidates, and more reactions from the crowd. There were a variety of topics like diversity and inclusion for city workers, how they will handle crime in the city, and the local school systems. It was a chance for each of them to show how their administration would help improve the city.
The Lima/Allen County Chamber of Commerce and the League of Women Voters teamed up to put on the first of 3 mayoral debates for Lima mayoral candidates Elizabeth Hardesty and Sharetta Smith that will be on the ballot on November 2nd. The candidates fielded several questions including how they would address the housing issues in Lima.
Before the primary election, Alice Donahue and Bart Mills filed a civil lawsuit against mayoral candidate Elizabeth Hardesty and the Allen County Board of Elections saying the board abused their power when they voted to uphold her residency, in turn allowing her to run for mayor. Donahue and Mills contend that Hardesty was living in Texas until October of 2020. But Hardesty has always said that Lima was her home and just worked outside of Ohio.
Wednesday afternoon, visiting Judge James Brogan ruled in favor of Hardesty saying the complainants didn't prove she was not a resident according to the Lima City Charter. The judge’s ruling could be appealed to a higher court if the complainants wish to do so. Before the primary election, Alice Donahue and Bart Mills filed a civil lawsuit against Hardesty and the Allen County Board of Elections saying the board abused their power when they voted to uphold her residency, in turn allowing her to run for mayor.