CANFIELD — Three mayoral candidates will appear on the ballot for Canfield voters, giving residents plenty of options to fill the soon-to-be-vacant seat.

Local businessman and previous city councilman and president Don Dragish, current councilman Bruce Neff, and park and recreation and cemetery board co-chair Kathryn Young are all running for the position. Incumbent Mayor Richard Duffet announced earlier this year that he would not be seeking re-election.

DON DRAGISH

Dragish, owner of Dragish Marketing, held a seat on city council from 2014 until 2017, but lost his seat when he ran for mayor in 2016 and lost to Duffet. Dragish said he has not seen much progress come from the administration since he left office in 2017 and the past four years have been a continuation of what he started.

Dragish’s campaign is centered around bringing new businesses to the city to expand the tax base. He envisions the Village Green as a hub for small businesses the city is lacking, such as a barber shop. He plans to look to cities with similar governments, such as Hudson, as a blueprint.

During his time on council, he collaborated with Canfield Township and established the first Joint Economic Development District in Mahoning County. The district made it possible to bring Windsor House, an assisted-living facility that brought more than 70 full-time jobs and $200,000 in tax revenue to the area.

“That’s proving to be doing very well for the township, the moneys are coming back to our school system, tax money is coming back, it’s showing to be a good, profitable thing for the city,” Dragish said.

Dragish is a father to two children in the Canfield school district. He hopes to push Canfield into an area of growth that makes the younger generation want to put down roots.

“I want to put my mark on the city of Canfield so that my kids can stay here and not leave like all the other generations have done,” Dragish said. “I think by improving the wi-fi and bringing that sort of stuff to our town, it will only make our town better.”

BRUCE NEFF

Neff has been on city council since 2016 and has decided to run due to his frustration by the lack of progress. Neff, president of Multimedia Farms, said he has deep roots in Canfield that make him attuned to the problems and changes Canfield has experienced throughout his lifetime.

He said he’s frustrated that the city is “sitting” on assets such as the 228-acre Redgate farm property that was purchased by the city in 2003. He said while there are good ideas being developed, progress has been slow. He hopes for it to be a residential community with a few businesses.

“I just want to see a really nice, well-planned community,” Neff said. “Just have a good community with sidewalks — a walkable, livable space.”

Neff hopes to install more sidewalks throughout the city to provide more walkability to some of the older streets and neighborhoods. He has plans to revitalize the Village Green and will apply for grants to remediate blighted properties in hopes to bring vitality to the old downtown by attracting new businesses.

Neff’s involvement in the Racial Equality and Diversity committee reflects his hope to make the city more welcoming to minorities. The committee was started after a photo of previous Canfield students in Ku Klux Klan attire circulated on social media. While there was a lack of context to the photo, it was enough to push the city to address some people’s view of the community.

“How can we attack some of the racial implications that have been made about our city, how can we make it more welcoming to minorities and have a more diverse population? I’d say we’re making progress,” Neff said.

KATHRYN YOUNG

Young is new to politics. An accountant, she hails from upstate New York but moved to Canfield and started a family after serving as an Army officer in the Middle East out of Fort Bragg in North Carolina in the late 80s. For the last 30 years, she has been an active member of her community and serves as the co-chair of the parks board. She regularly attends council meetings.

“I saw a room full of people with a voice, and that voice was not being heard,” Young said.

Young said she believes in people first, and it’s through people that city establishments came into being and it’s through the people that the city will succeed.

Young said she wants more transparency and communication between council and the public. She believes that the charter that is in place can be improved, and she doesn’t agree with the amount of power the city manager holds. She recommends two-year term limits because she believes four two-year terms is enough to achieve what needs to be done.

Young also stresses accountability for how city funds are spent and will push for a fixed asset and debt management review.

Young envisions a bright future for Canfield with more focus on what the people want with more activities on the Village Green, such as a village-wide karaoke night.

Young said her experience in the military and as a mother has prepared her to be elected as mayor. “I have a military background so I know how to lead, and I have a mother, grandmother and child background, so I know how to teach,” Young said.