LISBON — Village voters will decide Nov. 7 who they want to remain in village government as their mayor: Councilwoman Dawn Thomas, who also serves as council president, or incumbent Mayor Peter Wilson.
Thomas, 57, decided to forego seeking another term on council to instead run for mayor of her lifelong hometown. She’s been on council for two terms and will finish her eighth year at the end of December. She also volunteers at the schools and in the community.
Wilson, 69, decided to run for re-election for a second four-year term as mayor of the town where he was born and chose to live as a retired adult. He was appointed to the village’s Board of Zoning Appeals in 2017, elected to village council in 2017, serving two years, then elected mayor in 2019. He serves as vice president of the Lisbon Area Chamber of Commerce, board member of the Lisbon Landmark Foundation and Downtown Beautification Committee and elder of Lisbon Presbyterian Church.
“I believe I have a lot to give to Lisbon. I live here and have for many years and want to see Lisbon thrive. My experience has made me a good candidate and my life principles will ensure I can show Lisbon in a positive light,” Thomas wrote in her candidate questionnaire.
With two terms on council, she said she understands the business of the village.
“I have work experience in marketing, financial management, administration, Human Resources and business administration. Each of the experiences have groomed me for the responsibilities of the office I am seeking,” she wrote.
Thomas works full-time as surgical administrator for Lee Surgery Center in Boardman. A registered nurse for 25 years, she worked 16 years on the floor in surgery and the intensive care unit at Salem Regional Medical Center as a critical care nurse and has worked as an administrator the past nine years.
She earned a Bachelor of Nursing degree from Kent State University, initially with an associate degree from KSU East Liverpool. A 1984 graduate of Lisbon David Anderson High School, she first worked almost six years as a Lisbon police dispatcher.
Wilson worked 37 years as a journalist from 1979 to 2016, starting at the Canton Repository. In 1981, he said he went overseas and worked as a foreign correspondent with a number of news services, magazines and newspapers in Europe, the Middle East and South America. One of those outlets was Bloomberg News, where he held various managerial positions during 11 years on the job.
A 1972 graduate of North Canton Hoover High School, he earned a bachelor’s degree in history and English from Walsh University in 1976. He earned a master’s degree in political science in 1979 from the University of London, United Kingdom, School of Slavonic and East European Studies.
In explaining why he’s seeking re-election, Wilson wrote that there’s still a lot to do to make the village even better. He touted the achievements of the last four years, noting millions of dollars in grants for police body cameras, the Cedar Street Park exercise path, a new command truck and equipment for the fire department, the pending replacement of two bridges, the water tower and paving streets. The downtown square looks great with weekly events such as concerts, the farmers market, Scarecrows on the Square to draw people in. New businesses are opening. He said they’ve started tackling the crumbling infrastructure, using tax revenue more efficiently and using cost cutting measures such as reworking the terms for the village hall mortgage.
Like many communities, though, Wilson said Lisbon is losing residents, with the population decreasing.
“We need to turn that around by making the village more attractive to new residents and businesses or we face a slow but certain decline. To grow, we need to focus on our strengths — a historic downtown, being the county seat, and being on the Greenway Trail. We should be doing everything in our power to attract people to our downtown and the village by working with the county, the chamber and our neighbors,” he wrote. “Lisbon is unique, but we need to learn from others and learn from our own past mistakes. Lisbon has much potential, and I am committed to doing everything in my power to making it a reality.”
When asked what he meant by past mistakes, he pointed to the businesses on the hill that aren’t part of Lisbon, like Dunkin’, McDonald’s, Dollar Tree/Family Dollar, saying everything should have been done to make that area part of the village.
According to Wilson, mayors need a great many qualities or skills to be successful and he has them. He said he knows how to listen and learn. He’s a team player and views the county, other municipalities and the local chamber as partners, not adversaries. He’s open to new ideas, stressing a need to be creative in meeting challenges. He said he’s a problem solver and believes in being proactive and to “find ways to make a new approach work.”
Why me over opponent?
“I am an honest person who believes in transparency and will stand strong for this village. I have spent two terms on council and have been involved in decisions that have put Lisbon in an improved financial position. I am not afraid to go door to door to see what our residents are thinking on matters important to Lisbon,” Thomas wrote.
She added, “I have confidence in our council and department heads as well as the Board of Public Affairs and cemetery board. I will seek to bring good communication and repair strained relations to help Lisbon and our businesses, organizations and surrounding municipalities work better together for everyone’s success. I will also strive to show Lisbon in a positive light to others, not the negative light that has surrounded us lately.”
When asked what she meant, she said “the best advertising is by word of mouth. If our current businesses are not happy, that’s what’s being advertised to prospective businesses.”
To improve relations, she said she wants to form an advisory board to council of business owners and chamber representatives to give the business community a voice.
“We need to improve out reputation with the businesses,” Thomas said.
Some of her plans include working with the schools to promote interest in local government among students by building programs that are hands-on for students, such as a community vegetable garden they could grow to learn about nutrition or have students taking on the roles of village officials for a night.
For businesses, she suggested creating a package that includes all the information they need regarding permits and necessary paperwork. Resource names and numbers could be provided and vice versa, giving the business information to the resources for a transparent and easy start for the new business.
For new homeowners, she said a welcome packet could be provided to promote a sense of community, with important phone numbers, resources, information of businesses and community activities.
Wilson said he has a proven track record of getting things done.
“Lisbonites face a clear choice this November: to continue the momentum that has been building these past four years or return ‘to the old way of doing business.’ It is no accident that my opponent has been endorsed by my predecessors. I would ask voters to compare my record with that of my opponent and look at what we each have accomplished or achieved, and how we have voted on key issues,” he said.
Under his accomplishments as mayor, Wilson said he’s made the office open and accessible to the public, with regular office hours to answer questions, listen to complaints, resolve problems and promote Lisbon.
Wilson said he entered public service because he felt more transparency was needed in village hall. To that end, he posts regularly on social media about what’s happening in the village and puts out a newsletter that’s included with the water bills. He suggested broadcasting council sessions live, but said it wasn’t supported by his opponent. Thomas is one of six council members.
Since 2020, he said the village has been awarded more than $5.6 million in grants and principal forgiveness on loans, with that number higher than the number of grants received in 20 years.
“For too long, we weren’t applying for grants to our own detriment. Lisbonites pay federal and state taxes and we have a right to our share of the grant money. I am making sure that happens. Given our limited tax base, we can’t undertake large projects such as bridges, roads and water and sewer lines without assistance. I know some people question why we apply for grants. I would ask them in turn, why shouldn’t we?” he wrote.
Biggest challenge for Lisbon
During interviews, both Wilson and Thomas were asked about the biggest challenge facing Lisbon, along with what’s lacking and what the advantages are for Lisbon.
Wilson again pointed to the village’s decline in population, saying if the number of residents decreases, then so will income tax receipts. When that happens, a community has two choices: either cut back on public services or increase taxes. For Wilson, both are unacceptable. He said he’s done everything possible to promote the village to new residents and new businesses, adding it’s essential to make the village attractive to graduates so they’ll return.
“I want people to move here. I want people to invest here,” Wilson said.
Thomas said the biggest challenge is the “lack of tax revenue due to a lack of businesses and a vibrant downtown. That’s where we get our money and there’s not a lot there.”
“We have to come up with legislation that’s more business friendly, but yet supports our vision for the downtown,” she said.
She suggested a tax break for both new businesses and established businesses for employing local residents. She also said perhaps a business co-op, where more than one business is located in a building, making the cost of rent less for each of the businesses.
She said what’s lacking is incentive to come here. There’s a good school system, Lisbon is the county seat, mental health services are here, family services are here, there are activities on the square, but what about programs for kids, transportation, or senior resources for older folks?”
“We need to have services to bring people into town,” Thomas said.
Wilson said what’s lacking is infrastructure, it’s crumbling and the roads and water and sewer all need massive investments.
“If we can’t offer basic services, it will be difficult to attract new residents and keep the ones we have,” he said.
That’s why he said grants are so important.
As for the advantages, both said they love the small town feel, the safety of living in a small community and knowing the people and businesses.
Wilson talked about wanting to get rid of the parking meters downtown, saying it’s like an indirect tax on people visiting the village businesses.
Last comments
Wilson has criticized his opponent for not agreeing to a debate, saying he’s disappointed. Both Wilson and Thomas have been using social media to get the word out about their views, along with going door-to-door.
Wilson said with him, residents get a full-time mayor who’s there to listen or help. If they call him, they’ll get a speedy resolution, which is what they deserve.
Thomas said she’ll be accessible and accountable for her actions. She’ll have office hours that will include daylight, night and weekends if necessary. She’ll also be available by phone or by appointment if someone wants to talk. She won’t serve on any other boards, which she said she considers to be a conflict, but will work with other organizations, the churches and other city officials. She said she’s not someone who micromanages.
Wilson’s parents lived in Lisbon when he was born, then they moved to Salem when he was young and then North Canton. He’s single and when he decided where he wanted to live after retirement, he chose Lisbon because it felt like home.
Thomas has lived in Lisbon her entire life and is married to husband Richard, a village firefighter who works in maintenance at Ultium Cells. They have one son, Alec, a former U.S. Air Force veteran.
Other Lisbon candidates
Also in Lisbon, voters will elect two to council and two to the board of public affairs. Incumbent Councilwoman Linda Donnalley is running for re-election unopposed as an Independent and newcomer Independent Zachary Smith is also running unopposed.
For the board of public affairs, incumbents William Hoover and Barbara Bailey are running for re-election, also as Independents.
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