Haydee Sadler says Findlay is going wrong way

In a debate held Wednesday, Findlay Mayor Christina Muryn said she's the right candidate to lead the city for the next four years, but challenger Haydee Sadler the city is moving in the wrong direction and she's willing to grab the reins. Both candidates are vying for the Republican nomination for mayor in the May 2 primary. Early in-person voting begins Tuesday. The winner will most likely be unchallenged in the November general election. There is no Democratic candidate, however, independent and write-in candidates could still enter the Nov. 7 general election and vie for a city office. The filing deadline for independent candidates is May 1, and the filing deadline for write-in candidates is Aug. 28. The hour-long candidate forum was hosted Wednesday by WFIN radio at the Marathon Center for the Performing Arts, 200 W. Main Cross St. Muryn was appointed as Findlay's mayor in 2019, and was then elected to the position. She is serving her first full, four-year term. The mayor's salary is $90,156 this year, and the term is four years. Sadler, 47, of 220 Defiance Ave., is a financial administrator. She ran in August 2022 for the Republican woman's seat on the State Central Committee for the 1st Senatorial District. She finished third in the three-way race, with the seat going to Gina R. Campbell. Sadler said she made the decision to run out of disappointment with the outcome of Findlay's strategic planning process. Earlier this month, Findlay City Council's Strategic Planning Committee voted to begin finalizing the draft plan. Planning NEXT, the Columbus-based consulting firm hired by the city to help develop the plan, has been asked to prepare the final document. The firm was paid $124,315 for the work, with an additional $8,000 requested this month. The overall goals for Findlay's government were developed by Planning NEXT through a canvas of nearly 1,000 people in the fall, asking where Findlay's government should put its focus. Eventually, the process will also include a method for updating, maintaining and evaluating the plan. Sadler was one of 40 people who volunteered for the Findlay Forward Community Outreach Team to help engage the public in planning and to interpret community input over the past year. Members were appointed by Muryn out of a group of 82 applicants in December 2021, with the goal of having a diverse team representing various city demographics, including different ages, ethnic backgrounds, education levels and neighborhoods. At Wednesday's debate, Sadler said she has been friends with Muryn for years and the two women attend church together, but she has decided someone must stand up to her. "The city is growing so fast that people's heads are spinning and they keep saying slow down," Sadler said. She said the strategic plan does not express the concerns of the residents she spoke to during the initial canvas. Sadler was also critical of the city's use of grant dollars, which she said can arrive connected to both globalist and socialist agendas. She specifically mentioned the "Green New Deal," a plan that had been touted by the national Democratic party. Findlay's $34.2 million capital budget for this year relies heavily on grant money. Grants are expected to cover about $10.5 million of the capital expenses, including about $2.7 million in money from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, an initiative of the Biden Administration. Muryn countered and said federal and state grants are funded by tax dollars and it's the city's responsibility to bring those tax dollars back into the community. She said grant money pays for many significant projects in the city. She said much of the money has been invested in the city's infrastructure. "We're doing exactly what we should be doing," Muryn said. She said Findlay did not become a "top-tier' community by accident, and the goal of strategic planning is to help ensure that the city remains safe and efficient. Muryn said strategic planning is ongoing and residents with input on the plan should contact city officials.