ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Turnout was fairly light for a Meet the Candidates Night on Wednesday, with seven candidates on the Nov. 7 ballot appearing in Shannon Hall at Ohio University Eastern and several candidates — including two in St. Clairsville’s three-way mayoral race — absent from the event.

Between 20 and 30 people made up the audience, and the 5:30 p.m. event concluded a few minutes after 6 p.m. Candidates each spoke for five minutes, and audience members asked questions.

Councilwoman Linda Jordan, running for mayor of St. Clairsville, said her campaign and her vision for the city could be summed up as “restoration.”

“I plan to restore sensible spending. I plan to restore annual road paving. I plan to restore regular mayor’s court, holding that on a regular basis,” Jordan said, adding that in the past, mayor’s court has been a respectable source of revenue for the city.

Jordan also proposed restoring an annual auction for unused equipment and said she would look closely at city finances.

“The goal is to recoup as much of the taxpayer dollars as possible and cut down on spending,” she said, adding that she also plans to explore ways to reduce rising utility rates.

She also spoke about her time on the city’s recreation board, the park board, Civil Service commission and charter review committee. She is completing her second term as a councilwoman.

“I am the candidate with the most governmental experience and involvement with the city dating back some 30 years,” she said. “I have taken the time to research legalities of legislation and have voted accordingly. I’ve been vocal about those decisions.”

Members of the public questioned Jordan about several issues, including making Main Street more appealing for businesses. Jordan said she would look at options after closely scrutinizing city finances.

Another guest said people who do not live in St. Clairsville but who own property in the city pay taxes without representation. Jordan said she would welcome correspondence and could consider a committee.

Another member of the public asked if her full restoration plan could be found online. Jordan said it would be placed on her Facebook campaign page.

Mayor Kathryn Thalman was contacted afterward and said illness prevented her from attending.

“I’m extremely disappointed to have to miss that debate. I was really looking forward to it,” she said. “I enjoy being out with the constituents.”

She made several statements about her record after hearing about the Meet the Candidates Night from another source. Thalman said she has operated a regular mayor’s court for the past two years. She also disputed how much revenue mayor’s court has generated for the city in past years.

“Every single month on the third Wednesday,” she said of her court proceedings.

Thalman said her administration has been watchful of the budget and careful in spending. She pointed out reductions in costs in the water department after switching from chlorine tablets to liquid chlorine. She said money also has been saved by acquiring police vehicles secondhand through a broker.

“We are at almost 80%of the year gone, and we’re at 59% of our expenditures, so we’re doing very well with being good stewards of the city’s money,” she said. “It’s so easy and lazy for candidates to come out and say ‘curb spending.’ … It’s easy to say: ‘We’re going to cut costs.’ But nobody ever says how.”

Thalman also said paving many streets would not be practical during the ongoing project to replace the water distribution system.

“To pave something and then turn around and tear it up for waterlines? That doesn’t make sense,” she said.

Mayoral candidate Bill Brooks was unable to attend due to an illness in the family. He has sought office before in a mayoral and council race and said his love for the residents motivated his campaigns.

“I want to get in the office, and I want to do for the citizens more than I want to do for the city. I want to make sure our streets are paved and our sidewalks are welcoming before I put my time into extending the walking trail. I want to curb some of the excessive spending that I feel is going on, and I want to take a good look at those salaries that those (city officials) are getting,” he said. “I feel that I can stabilize these utility rates if we lower our spending.”

Brooks said, if elected, he also intends to hire a grant writer to explore funding for city projects. He said he will also seek input from the public.

“My priority is to get a group of citizens to go in and make a peaceful transition. Then we sit back and we discuss what the citizens need to make the city better,” he said. “My vision should not be the vision for everyone. It’s got to be a group thing. We want people to move in here and not run away.”

Brooks was also critical of the difficulties Frosty’s Frozen Frenzy ice cream stand has had in trying to transition to serving coffee during the winter months. The problem hinges on a lack of clarity in the city code about what constitutes a “temporary” business. Brooks said some allowances should have been made for the business until the ordinance could be clarified.

“That was a family-friendly business, and I loved seeing the people over there enjoying themselves,” Brooks said, comparing the issues to city leaders’ exploration of an outdoor drinking area. “I’m a stubborn Marine who wants to get the job done.”

Other candidates present at OUE included St. Clairsville Councilman Mike Smith, running unopposed. He introduced himself and spoke briefly about the role of council and the importance of the mayoral race.

Paul Elerick, candidate for Wheeling Township trustee, introduced himself. He said he has experience as an equipment manager that would prove valuable in obtaining needed equipment for the township. He also has been a supervisor and said he has skills in working with people and long-term planning. He sees the value of working with other townships.

He is running against Michael R. Androsko and Jeff Azallion, who did not attend.

Allen Marangoni, seeking a seat on the Martins Ferry Board of Education, said he brings experience with accreditation and improving student outcomes as a retired professor at the former Wheeling Jesuit University and would prioritize improving test results. He is a veteran of the U.S. Navy.

He is running against Chuck Probst, Jeremy Shrodes, Nick Stankovich and Bill Suto for two available seats, but they did not attend.

Mead Township Trustee Ed Good, seeking reelection, spoke about his accomplishments as a trustee for 27 years, including creating the OR&W Fire District and his advocacy for the township at state and federal levels. He sits on the Ohio Township Association Board of Directors.

He is running against Jason David Albright, who was not present.

St. Clairsville Board of Education member Michael Fador and challenger Floyd Marody both spoke.

Fador, who has been on the board for 32 years, said he has taught at every level of education. He also serves on the Belmont-Harrison Joint Vocational School board. He has been active in speaking with state elected officials about the needs of area schools. He pledged to maintain high standards.

Marody said he has management skills and has supported St. Clairsville student-athletes for 25-30 years while his children grew and graduated and said he would provide a “fresh look” at school activities. He said his strength is building relationships and that, if elected, he would work on strengthening bonds between students, faculty and the community. He added that although the district needs new school buildings, community bonds were strained during past efforts to build them.

David Stack and incumbent Francis W. Zanders also are in the running for the two available seats on the St. Clairsville board.