Fenton For Mayor

While we are disappointed in the results of the election we ran a good race. I want to express my appreciation for the support of my contributors and volunteers, in particular the Hardin County Democratic Party, the ONU College Democrats, and the great staff from the ONU Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA). We ran a substantive campaign setting out an agenda for change for the Village of Ada but came up short after the votes were counted. Thanks to everyone who supported me and who made this effort worthwhile.

It's time to vote!

I hope everyone had a fun and safe trick-or-treat night in Ada!

Hi again everyone, I have been sharing with you some of my ideas about why I want to be mayor, but I thought I would tell you a little bit more about myself. You already know I have lived in Ada for over 20 years and taught for 30 years at the ONU law school, but there is a lot more to my background and career than those two things. First of all, I am a father and grandfather with kids and grandkids spread far and wide so I appreciate the importance of family. It’s both the newcomers and the generations of families living in Ada that give the Village its vibrancy and strength and I am glad to be a part of it.

I have had a lot of professional administrative experience in my career, both with the
government in Washington before I started teaching, and at the law school at ONU. I
served as associate dean and interim dean and then as director of the international
master's program, working with people at the university and around the globe to bring young international lawyers to Ada.

I think equally relevant is the work I have been doing around the world for the past 30 years as a governance consultant for the US State Department. I have had the privilege to work in numerous countries studying their systems of government and making detailed recommendations on ways to improve their administration. This has been extremely gratifying and has given me insights and experience regarding how governments at all levels work. I believe this knowledge and experience will help me to be a better mayor of Ada.

Hi everyone, as you know by now one of the reasons I am running for mayor is to help address the shortage of good housing in Ada for families who would like to live in our Village. We know that having attractive, affordable housing is a key part of economic development. As you look around some of our neighboring towns there is an abundance of housing opportunities. I would like to begin the conversation about
bringing some of those opportunities to Ada with the people with the resources, the
demand, and the interest. The Village can’t build new houses, but it has a key role in
planning and infrastructure. As mayor I can start talking with landowners, developers, employers, contractors, and realtors about how to address the need for housing. The pictures here show interrupted and lost opportunities that we can build on to provide more people with the opportunity to live in our Village.

Hi everyone, I hope to see all my Ada friends at the Dicke Forum this Wednesday night. We will get together at the Cask Room afterwards to relax and talk about the evening!

We had a great time at the Harvest and Herb Festival parade! We got to meet new people, and with the help of neighbors and ONU students, we passed out information about my campaign to many local voters in the large crowd. We have lots of signs going up around town now as well, so get in touch with us if you would like one!

The Hardin County precinct returns for the Issue 1 vote came out this week and I took a look at the results in Ada North and South. While Hardin County voted overwhelmingly YES, Ada voted NO, 420 to 397. Ada North voted YES by 10 votes, 213-203, But Ada South Voted NO, 217-187. With so many races and issues on the ballot in November, this Issue 1 vote suggests that voters are already paying attention. I look forward to sharing my ideas for Ada this fall and convincing the voters to vote for me.

I will be at the Made in Ada Wilson Football Festival this Saturday, August 26 starting at 5:00. Stop by and say hello!

There's a good story in the Ada Herald (www.adaherald.com) this week about my campaign.

It's the start of campaign season, and here is my statement about why I want to serve as Mayor.