Two hotly contested races for Dayton City Council

DAYTON—Seth Bryan is running for Dayton City Council Position 6 against incumbent Byron Kaczmarski in the Nov. 5 General Election.

“This is my first time running for public office,” Bryan said. “I believe it is important to serve the community I live in, and I am grateful for this opportunity.”

Bryan said he likes the fact that Dayton doesn’t have big city amenities, big city attitudes, big city prices or big city taxes.

“There is a sense of pride here that can seldom be found in more populous areas,” he said.

“It’s obvious some people are trying to change Dayton. Some move here and think that Dayton should be more like “their town”. Others force growth by chasing after big government special interests, grants and self-promoting money grabs,” he said.

“The last thing Dayton needs is special interest money and grants from Olympia that inevitably cost every resident substantially more than they are prepared for. These special interests such as the proposed Dayton to Waitsburg Trail and the proposed Community Center will inevitably cost many of our residents, right out of their homes, especially senior citizens. Others are having their property rights trampled upon by self-promoting, greedy bullies, acting in a public capacity,” Bryan said.

He said resources would be much better spent focusing on the existing aging infrastructure and amenities already in place, rather than on projects “so somebody can get their name on a bronze plaque”.

“I look forward to representing you, the people of Dayton and making your voice heard. I bring no agenda of my own: I love Dayton for what it is,” he said.

Bryan said he is qualified for the position because of his success as a business owner, restauranteur and chef, and because he has over 20 years of experience in the construction trade.

While working in the construction trade he has worked closely with municipalities, design and engineering firms, inspectors, subcontractors and the people in the communities being served. He retired from the construction trade as a project supervisor, he said.

Bryan said he is a Christ-follower, and he is blessed to be married to Melissa, who is a former Dayton Chamber Director. The Bryans moved to Dayton in 2015 from Campton, Kentucky to be closer to his family, he said.

Byron Kaczmarski is a 35 year resident of Dayton, employed as an accountant by American Energy, Inc.

“My years of accounting and financial experience can be of help in serving on the Dayton City Council, he said.

Kaczmarski has served on the Dayton City Council for the past six years, and currently serves on the Finance, Planning, and Public Works committees, he said.

Kaczmarski said the biggest issues facing the City are replacing the City’s wastewater treatment plant, completing the review and replacement of any needed underground and sewer lines, and improving housing availability, including focusing on the City’s mandate to establish affordable housing.

“My goal is to help the people of Dayton have a better and safer place to live,” he said.

Kaczmarski, and his wife, Holly, have lived in Dayton since 1984, he said.

Dain Nysoe is the incumbent for City Council Position 4.

Nysoe said the City’s quality of life is being eroded, largely because of deteriorating infrastructure.

Nysoe said replacing the wastewater treatment plant, the swimming pool, and other infrastructure needs should be addressed in the short term, and those will all require financing, either through hikes in utility rates, increases in property taxes, or the issuance of a bond.

“The city needs to expand our tax base, in order to spread the tax burden among a greater number of tax payers,” Nysoe said.

He said expanding the tax base can be accomplished by attracting people through economic development and by providing them with affordable housing options.

“As a city council member I look forward to helping solve some of the problems facing Dayton,” Nysoe said. “Resolving these problems will not be easy, but can be accomplished by working together through a community effort.”

Nysoe, who has a B.A. in Political Science, and an M.A. in Public Administration, said his extensive experience in business, government, economic development and education are important qualifications for being on the city council.

He said has served on the city council for eight years and he is the current chairperson of the Public Safety committee. He has also served on the Finance, Parks and Recreation, and Public Works committees, and he has served as Mayor Pro tem, during his time on the city council.

Nysoe and his wife, Claudia, reside in Dayton.

Cara James is running for Dayton City Council Position 4 against incumbent Dain Nysoe.

James has been unavailable for an interview by staff at the Times, but she did speak at the AAUW Candidates Forum, last week in Dayton.

“The Dayton City Council should speak for all members of this community. I believe if I am elected I can bring a broader perspective to the table and better assist our entire community in respecting our differences, giving a voice to those out there to be heard,” James said.

James said she performs layout and graphic design for the Dayton Chronicle, serves on the Civil Commission and she is a mother of four grown children.