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ELKTON -- A county sheriff's detective who will retire on Oct. 31 and a business owner are among the four running for seats on the Elkrun Township board of trustees on Nov. 7.
Anthony "Andy" Sweeney, 67, has worked as a detective and lieutenant for the Columbiana County Sheriff's Office for more than 31 years.
Sweeney is a 1969 David Anderson High School graduate and U.S. Army Vietnam veteran. He received an honorable discharge in 1971.
Before working for the sheriff's office, Sweeney was employed at Crane Demings and American Standard.
He said he is running for a seat on the board because he believes his experience at the county level could be an attribute for the township and an asset to its residents.
"I've traveled extensively over the years in my job and know the roads and many of the people. I feel that I could take their complaints, concerns and suggestions and come up with satisfactory results," he said.
He also said that while he feels that the township's current employees are doing well in their positions, there is always room for improvement whenever possible.
"I believe that if we work together as a team we can always improve," he said.
If elected, he said he will stay abreast of residents' complaints and concerns and act upon them when the budget allows.
"I will be very involved in the everyday operation of Elkrun Township," he said.
This is his first time running for an elected office. He and his wife Joyce have two daughters and five grandchildren.
Another candidate who has never before run for elected office is Jerry Faulk, 56, a self-employed asphalt seal coating contractor for more than 20 years.
Faulk said he believes he can contribute to the township through his experience and knowledge of road maintenance and equipment.
"I am willing and able to give back to the community where I live," he said.
He added that if elected he would be able to contribute in the decision making and spending of taxpayer dollars in a responsible manner.
He went on to say that he is not unhappy with the current decisions of the board, but believes that sometimes a "new set of eyes can see things differently and bring ideas to the table that may benefit the township and the taxpayers."
If elected he would also like to explore fiber optics for the township for a better Internet TV service, possibly with other townships in the area.
He and his wife Sandra have a son and four grandchildren.
Also seeking a seat on the board is Kurt Seachrist, who is currently chairman of the board and seeking re-election for a second term.
Seachrist, 38, said that if re-elected his first project is to continue improving the roads.
"I am hoping we utilize the road reclaimer more and plan on using it again next summer," he said of Columbiana County's road reclaim program.
He said his three main accomplishments during his time on the board were encouraging the rest of the trustees to buy into the road reclaim program, replacing the road signs throughout the township, and working with trustees to extend the county waterline to Elkton.
Specifically, he said the road reclaim program was used on Greenwood Road, which he said was a complaint by many who used that road to cut from the southern area of the township into the Lisbon area.
As for the road signs, he said he worked to procure a grant from the state that was worth $23,000 to replace signs.
"This is the first time in recent memory the road signs such as stop signs, curves and yield signs will be replaced or even implemented," he said.
He also said that beyond those projects he has worked with Center Township and the village of Lisbon.
"Our goal is to develop a good relationship with the firefighters so that our residents have the fire protection they need and the firefighters have the supplies they need to do that," he said.
Seachrist is currently employed by the city of Columbiana as a road foreman. He has worked for Columbiana for 19 years in the park, cemetery and street departments.
He and his wife Kristy have one son and a second baby due in December.
Candidate Bill Cox did not respond to a questionnaire.