Joshua Schlabach is a candidate for Wilmington City Council First Ward seat at Tuesday’s Republican primary election.

Please provide bio information/professional experience that qualifies you for this position.

I have been a resident of Wilmington for 20 years. My wife Terri and I have been married for 17 years and we have 4 children. I own Ellis Fence and Home Exteriors and I am currently serving on the City of Wilmington Planning Commission.

I have spent a year in Southeast Asia doing humanitarian aid work and am current chairman of Giving Hope, a non profit organization working with underprivileged youth.

Why did you decide to run for city council?

I want to help our city be a safe, clean, prosperous place to raise our family and for our residents to have a place to be proud to call home. When I moved here, Wilmington had just been named one of the best small cities in America. I want to help get us there again, and I believe my experiences in life and business will serve our city council well. I will provide a stable, measured voice with years of financial responsibility and a reputation of integrity, a strong work ethic, and care for community.

What are the biggest issues facing the city today?

The concerns I hear the most from our residents are crime, drug use, and our homeless population. I have personal friends who have had a mentally ill man break in through their front door. I want to provide resources for individuals who truly need and want help, and hold accountable those who are simply being enabled. I also want criminals and drug dealers to realize that the City of Wilmington is not a good place for them to do business. Stronger consequences for unlawful activity and a police department that has the resources and support they need will be a high priority for me.

At a deeper level, our society has become increasingly disconnected and accusatory and I want to help find common ground and work together for good despite having differences of opinion.

We need affordable housing and I will work hard to promote healthy residential growth that meets the parameters of the Clinton County Comprehensive Plan.

I will promote strong city schools as a critical component of community health and growth.

We need to maintain a balanced budget and spend and invest our money wisely.

Why should citizens vote for you to join the council?

In my 15 years of experience as a local business owner, I have built our company on listening to what our customers want, and then delivering a high quality product that fits their budget. My work on city council will follow those same principles. I will listen to what our residents need, research to find the best solution, and prioritize fiscal responsibility. I care for our city and will bring honesty, transparency, and a strong work ethic to city council. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe said “Let everyone sweep in front of his own door, and the whole world will be clean.” My wife and I have put that principle to work in our own lives and are taking action on cleaning up a vacant lot we purchased. I am not satisfied with just talking about issues, I will create action plans to resolve them.

I am committed to working together with our local churches, businesses, elected officials, and our police and service departments to help us have what we all want- a safe, clean, prosperous city we are proud to call home.