As Portage County heads into its local election cycle, Kent and Streetsboro voters will decide in November who will fill open city council seats.
All three of Kent’s and Streetsboro’s city councils’ at-large seats are up for election, and a municipal court judge post is in play, as well.
The filing deadline for the May 6, 2025 primary election was Feb. 5.
Kent
Kent will have a new mayor and at least three new council members because long-time Mayor Jerry Fiala and at-large council members Roger Sidoti, Gwen Rosenberg and Mike DeLeone did not file for reelection.
Fiala has held his post since Jan. 1, 2010, having gained the seat by the flip of a coin. Seems the November 2009 election tally resulted in a tie between Fiala and contender Rick Hawksley, with both getting 2,052 votes even after an automatic recount. The coin was tossed and Fiala won, said Faith Lyon, director of Portage County Board of Elections.
Because Kent has a city manager, the mayoral post is largely ceremonial, but can break ties when council is at an impasse.
Ward 2 Councilman Jack Amrhein, a Democrat, was the only candidate to file for the mayoral post. If elected, council would have to appoint a person to fill the Ward 2 council seat for the remainder of his term, which expires Dec. 31, 2027.
Though he is currently running unopposed, Amrhein could face an independent candidate. Independent candidates don’t appear on the primary ballot; they have until May 5 to file for the Nov. 4, 2025 general election.
Currently, six candidates will vye for the city’s three at-large seats, one of them a former council member whose former Ward 6 seat is now held by Jeff Clapper.
The Democrat candidates are: former council member Tracy Wallach, Benjamin Tipton, Sarah Elizabeth Wesley, Derek Salustro and Michael L. Thrasher. The only Republican candidate is Cecil Anderson.
Streetsboro
Three at-large city council seats are open in Streetsboro, but the incumbents have filed for reelection for two of them.
Incumbents Jon Hannan and Steve Michniak have filed to retain their council seats. At-large council member Justin Ring decided not to file again, which leaves voters to decide in November amongst Hannan, Michniak, Chris Yonish and former council member Michael Lampa. The top three vote-getters will hold the at-large seats.
Portage County Municipal Court
Incumbent municipal court judge Melissa Roubic, a Democrat, has filed to retain her seat. She will face Republican candidate Wesley Buchanan.
Wendy DiAlesandro is a former Record Publishing Co. reporter and contributing writer for The Portager.