Preston Stapleton – City Council Candidate

What motivated you to run at this moment in Westerville’s development?
I have always had an interest in serving in the public sector since attending Otterbein. Still, it never materialized, as after college, I got married and we started our family. With my two oldest daughters in college and working in uptown Westerville, I started getting more involved with Westerville. This past year, I participated in the Leadership Westerville Program and then attended the Election Academy put on by the Westerville Chamber of Commerce. That, along with working in uptown and connecting with former council members and current council members, got me excited to pursue something that had always been a goal of mine.

What have you heard from residents that’s challenged or reshaped how you view the city’s priorities?
What I have heard is that people want transparency, and they don’t feel like they are getting that now. Just amongst neighbors in Spring Grove, they are concerned with the school levy, they want Uptown to continue to prosper, and they are concerned about the increase in traffic through Westerville, among many other areas of concern. But there really has not been anything to reshape or challenge my current views. I believe since I am a resident of Westerville and have been for a very long time, that I have the same concerns as my neighbors.

What do you believe Westerville needs to hold onto as it continues to grow?
Westerville has done a great job, in my opinion, in setting itself up for success. My goal and plan is to continue to help Westerville grow. As someone who works in banking, I have seen firsthand the desire of businesses to come into Westerville. This is a great place to establish a business. Sound and developed community base. Strong academic institutions, such as Otterbein, to pull young talent from. And many other attractions that lure businesses here. I have worked in the business world for nearly 3 decades and have helped foster long-term relationships that benefit the community.

How do you approach decisions that create winners and losers, like development projects that benefit one part of the city over another?
Developments should be impactful for the whole city. Just because you put a project on Africa Road does not mean that the other parts of the city will not benefit. The Africa Road project will generate growth and revenue for the city of Westerville as a whole.

What does a balanced approach to growth look like to you?
Balanced growth has a lot to do with perspective. Balanced growth to me includes building and creating new homes and businesses that are sustainable for a long period of time, and it generates continued revenue for Westerville residents. Balance is not something you find; it is something you create.

When you think about the East of Africa project, what’s your biggest hope—and your biggest concern?
My biggest hope is that the project brings in newer and diverse businesses and new homes. This will be a great opportunity for Westerville to continue to grow and bring new ventures to our community. You asked earlier about balance growth, and this is a great example in my opinion.

How do you respond to residents who feel that older neighborhoods are being left behind?
First, I would ask them to define what they mean by older. Is it the age of the homes or the age of the homeowners? What do they feel is being left behind? Are there issues with infrastructure not being kept up? Are our first responders not patrolling the neighborhood? Are there street lights out? What is being left behind? I want to sit down with those who feel their neighborhoods are being left behind and find out why they feel that way, and then let’s work together to make sure that all our neighborhoods are being attended to. Have any of these issues been brought to City Council? Have there been reports and suggestions filed that were never implemented? I have a lot of questions that I would like to discuss with the neighbors so we can get them addressed. Let’s sit down together and come up with a plan.

What’s one way you would bring more public insight or influence into large-scale planning decisions?
I have a robust background in banking and sales, and I can work a situation from front to back and back to front to come up with multiple options to provide solutions. I can work with business owners, city employees, brokers, agents, etc., to get to an agreement that checks all of the boxes.

How do you see the city’s current zoning code affecting the range of housing types available, including for first-time buyers and renters?
I believe the zoning code will continue to be adjusted and refined as we develop new areas for housing. We need to focus on housing for our aging residents to ensure they have housing, and we need to make sure that we create housing for young families and new working families that move into the area with all the growth in central Ohio. Just saying we need “affordable housing” really doesn’t help anyone. What I mean by that is, who is to say what affordable is? What is affordable to one might not be affordable to another. But what we cannot do is just put up housing for the sake of creating housing. Westerville has established itself as a clean, well-diverse community, and we need to make sure that we continue to keep Westerville as a destination.

How should city leaders weigh resident identity and neighborhood character against financial returns?
Every resident and every neighborhood should have the same opportunity. As a member of City Council, it is my responsibility to make sure there is no redlining of residents or neighborhoods.

What kind of partnership should exist between council and residents, not just legally, but in spirit?
City Council is made up of 7 people from our community, and we are neighbors. We should all be working together to collaborate on ideas to make our neighborhoods safer and our community more engaging. City Council is doing a disservice to the community if it is not engaged with the public.

What would success look like for you as a council member, in both policy and relationships?
I will let the community decide if I was successful or not. If the community deems my time a success, then that is all the validation that I need.

What do you want future residents to thank this council for?
I think they will be remembered for their commitment and dedication to keeping Westerville a beautiful and prosperous community. Just look at all the business development, preservation of our history, and beautification of Uptown; there is a lot to be thankful for.