FAIRBORN — At a protest prior to the Bath Township trustee meeting Wednesday night, Fairborn Deputy Mayor Rob Hoffman announced that he will be running for a different office in November.
Hoffman, who has served on the Fairborn City Council for eight years, announced he is running for Bath Township trustee.
“If I am elected, the first thing I’m going to do is to sit down and change how long citizens get to talk at meetings,” he said, speaking to protesters Wednesday.
Currently, speakers are allowed three minutes during public comments at Bath Township trustee meetings. Speakers are currently allowed five at Fairborn city council meetings.
“They forgot that they’re hired to listen and help folks,” he said. “That’s what I want to be about, is listening to people.”
Both Fairborn and Bath Township residents have become involved in controversy surrounding the Dovetail biodigester facility, a topic that is expected to be a central issue surrounding the November race. One of the biggest challenges, Hoffman said, is getting Fairborn voters to realize they vote for Bath Township trustees in addition to city council members.
“Because of the biodigester, it’s bleeding over into our community and having an effect. It’s affecting more Fairborn residents now, and they’re figuring it out,” he said.
According to previous reporting by this newspaper, since Fairborn is located within the township, Fairborn residents vote for Bath Township trustees, but Bath Township residents do not vote for city council members.
Hoffman said his focus will also be on rebuilding relationships with Fairborn leadership.
“We’re neighbors, and we should be friendly neighbors,” he said.
Prior to serving on city council, Hoffman spent seven years on the city planning board, and currently serves on the Fairborn Development Corporation. He also formerly served on the Greene County Regional Planning and Coordinating Commission (RPCC).
Current trustees Steve Ross and Tom Pitstick are up for reelection this November.
Editor’s note: a previous version of the article indicated that Hoffman currently serves on the Greene County RPCC. This is a past position, and he no longer serves on the RPCC. We apologize for the error.
