Lorain mayor candidate Bill Bobel enters race

Bill Bobel, 64, owner of Bobel Electric Inc. of Lorain, has announced his 10-point plan should he be elected.

An independent contender has joined the race for Lorain mayor.

Bill Bobel, 64, owner of Bobel Electric Inc. of Lorain, has announced his 10-point plan should he be elected into the position in November.

Born and raised in Lorain, Bobel said some of those points include establishing a five-year budget and 10-year plan, finding a solution to the lack of manpower at the Lorain Fire Department, housing stock and improving the city’s bond ratings and regaining local control of Lorain City Schools.

“We have a reputation in other communities; the question comes up, ‘Why Lorain?’” he said of business development in the city. “My question is ‘Why not?’

“So, those are things that certainly we need to improve on is our image.”

Economic development

As a businessman, Bobel said he finds one of the primary issues plaguing Lorain is the city’s bond rating, which he believes has been keeping Fortune 500 companies from pursuing the city for business expansion.

“I’m passionate about that,” he said. “I cannot emphasize that more than anything else.”

Bobel said the city’s Moody’s rating of Baa2, which was last reported June 21, pales in comparison to other large Ohio cities in terms of corporate business opportunities.

In order to address the issue, Bobel said he would bring in a private sector contractor to fully assess Lorain’s financial status via an internal audit.

“When you have the bond rating that we have, we’re basically one major lawsuit away from bankruptcy,” he said.

Bobel said he believes once the bond rating is improved and economic development takes off alongside community development, improvements around the city will take off.

He also said the small businesses opening up around Broadway have sparked the right idea on entrepreneurship.

“This is a great entrepreneurial spirit that is happening right now,” he said. “We certainly cannot chase it away, but we want to allow other people to come in and experience a really productive business environment, one that is probusiness.”

Taking back control

In regards to House Bill 70, Bobel said he is behind giving local power back to Lorain Schools.

House Bill 70 governs school districts in academic distress, such as Lorain, Youngstown and East Cleveland led by a CEO.

“I’m gonna lead the charge to get that changed,” he said. “There are people in place in Columbus that are willing to help with that charge and to rewrite this thing.”

Taking that power back would include dissolving the academic distress commission and CEO, with the Board of Education and superintendent given the means to improve the district.

Departmental hiring

As for the search for a new police chief, Bobel said the search should start internally, then proceed to external departments.

“It’s hard for me to believe that we don’t have senior officers that have been on the force for any length of time, that would not either want or can handle the job in the same professional way as (current chief) Cel Rivera has,” he said.

Additionally, he said the Lorain Fire Department’s lack of manpower needs to be further assessed by the city.

“One of the first things I would review is how they are handling it from within,” Bobel said.

Bobel is running against Democrat Jack Bradley and Republican Jesse Tower.

Bobel