WHITEHOUSE – Louann Artiaga, Joe Bublick and Steve Fine are running unopposed for three positions on Whitehouse Village Council.
(TFP photos by Karen Gerhardinger)
Artiaga was first appointed to fill a vacancy in April 2012 and has won re-election since. Fine was appointed to Council in January 2024 and is seeking his first full term in office. Bublick was edged out in the 2023 election and is looking forward to serving on council. The Anthony Wayne Free Press asked the three candidates to share their thoughts on goals, challenges and how to maintain open lines of communication.
All three rank economic development as a top priority for the next four years.
“The goal is to attract appropriate new businesses to the area, resulting in more jobs, new choices for residents and additional tax revenue to help cover growth in the village’s costs,” Fine said. “I think it’s important for the village to focus on maintaining and enhancing its infrastructure and attracting appropriate new business.”
Whitehouse has gained a lot of attention over the last decade, and people want to live and work in the village, Artiaga and Bublick added.
“Currently we have businesses that would like to move here but we have no space for them to go. In the current economic climate, businesses want move-in ready buildings. We have little or no options at this time,” Artiaga said.
Bublick, who operates his construction business from his home and truck, said he loves living and working in Whitehouse and knows that others want to do the same. While residents want restaurants and shopping, Bublick said the public needs to be more open to other types of business ideas as well.
“To survive, we need growth. We can’t be a community that puts up walls,” he said.
In addition to working with small businesses to open up in town, Bublick’s goals include improving the parks, investigating the idea of a dog park, and supporting the police and fire departments.
“The police are interested in getting Flock cameras. We depend on the police and fire so heavily. We need to make sure they have the newest equipment. They’re responsible for protecting our homes,” he said.
While the Veteran’s Memorial Park made its debut in 2019, Artiaga – who was integral in raising funds for the project – wants to continue with updates to the park.
“I am currently involved in a project that would put a QR code in the park so people can hear actual stories about the different wars and the soldiers who lost their lives in the various conflicts,” she said.
Continued updates to the Whitehouse Park shelter house are also on her wish list. Her goal is to make the renovated building useable year-round, not just in the warmer months. And lastly, Artiaga has been working with Mayor Rich Bingham to create a community center. While the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library is open to the idea of including space for a senior center in its new Whitehouse Library plans, Hope United Methodist Church is hosting a Saturday morning Senior Connection program to fill the gap.
During his short term in office, Fine – who retired after a career that included software engineer, chief information officer and head of an atmospheric science laboratory – dove into researching options for electrical aggregation for the village. Council and the voters have since approved the use of such a program.
“We are now waiting for a good time to lock in electric rates before completing the last steps required to provide electricity to customers,” Fine explained, adding that one of his goals is to work on the initial rollout of the program and to provide annual updates to rates. “We hope this will help lower electricity costs for many residents.”
Fine and Artiaga both plan to continue working with Council and staff for improve the village’s financial planning process. One of the biggest challenges is maintaining the same level of service to residents without raising taxes, said Artiaga, who opposes increasing taxes or eliminating income tax credits without voter approval.
“As the village grows, it becomes increasingly harder to maintain services in our bedroom community. We need business that will contribute to our tax base,” she said.
On Saturday, Nov. 8 from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m., council members will be at Copper Press Roastery to welcome community input. This is one of several ways that the village excels at reaching out to residents, Bublick said.
During his career, Fine said he worked with colleagues and partners to build consensus on how to overcome complex challenges. He plans to continue using those skills on council – utilizing multiple approaches to keep up with constituent perspectives. When the village did a comprehensive resident survey last year, he helped summarize the data for Council and the public. He also works with staff to provide clear explanations of ballot issues. And he regularly joins the mayor and council at public events to welcome resident discussion.
“I have also suggested that the village publish a periodic newsletter, and will continue working towards establishing that,” he said, noting that many residents in the survey listed that as an ideal form of communication.
All three note that they are open to ideas and input in order to represent citizens. Artiaga encourages citizens to attend meetings, coffee meet-ups and contact council members to share ideas. The village’s website and Access Whitehouse app also contain information about current events, meetings and finances.
The website, whitehouseoh.gov, also includes details about three charter amendments on the ballot: two deal with term limits for council members and the mayor, and the third regards the powers of the mayor.
