Dennis, Peck Compete for Bg Council

Democratic incumbent Jeff Dennis and Republican Eric Peck are running in the at-large election for a seat on Bowling Green City Council.

If elected, this will be the first full term for Dennis, who was appointed to the seat in early 2021 after the death of Councilman Neocles Leontis.

“First and foremost, I’m a BG native, graduated from BG high school, lifelong resident,” said Dennis of why he’s running. “So I’m really committed to seeing the community, our residents, our businesses prosper. I guess, more specifically, we are, I think, seeing a lot of positive momentum right now” particularly on his top priorities. However, he said there is a lot of work left to do, and he wants to help however he can.

Of his top priorities, Dennis mentioned housing and neighborhood revitalization, safer pedestrian and bike infrastructure, continuing to make smart investments in sustainability, and what he called a grassroots approach to economic development focused on improving the lives of residents in the city.

“By investing in community amenities, improving our quality of place, I think by doing that you start to attract new residents which, in turn, makes it more of an” attractive environment for businesses looking to locate or relocate themselves. Additionally, he mentioned investing in parks and improvements in the downtown.

“I’ve got a few years of experience on city council under my belt,” Dennis said of what skills he feels he brings to council. He further noted that, as an attorney, he serves in legal capacities for municipalities throughout the county, crafting ordinances and resolutions, and also prosecuting offenders. Further, he mentioned his law degree, which he said helps when trying to make sense of complex pieces of legislation that council is working through.

Of what he’d like to accomplish in a new term, Dennis said his top priority “would be updating our rental regulations,” noting he voted against the self-inspection program which was ultimately passed by council. He said the program currently has been cumbersome to implement and a great deal of work for city staff, and said the property owners he’s spoken with aren’t happy with the self-inspection checklist itself. Dennis said he would like to see the city continue to reform that document and pass more meaningful rental legislation.

Dennis further noted that he has been hearing from a lot of constituents about the need to update the city’s public schools. He said he is the treasurer for BG Families for Schools, the group handling the campaign for the bond request for the new high school on this year’s ballot.

“Some folks might tell you that, as a member of council, I should stay in my lane, that’s not something that I should be out here talking out,” he said, but “at the same time, I think our city’s economic development potential is inextricably linked to the quality of our public school buildings.” Dennis said he’s been told that when employers are brought to the community, public schools “are the number one thing they are looking for, because they need to attract workers. And if BG is not keeping up with neighboring communities” in terms of school investments, they’re not going to attract those businesses.

Republican at-large candidate Eric Peck noted that he holds both a bachelor’s degree in economics and an MBA from BGSU, and has also served as a volunteer firefighter for nearly 10 years between Allen Township in Van Buren and Washington Township in Tontogany. He served as the president of the Allen Twp. department from 2018-2021 and also served as its treasurer. Peck said he’s also served for approximately three-and-a-half years on the school board of directors at the Madison Avenue School for the Arts in Toledo. He currently works as vice president of business intelligence and analytics with The Sak, which is based in New York City.

Peck said that he has not only focused on his career since graduating, but also on how to give back to the community.

“I kind of view public service as an honor to serve,” he said, saying of the opportunity to potentially serve on council that he’s “looking forward to that service and making people’s lives better. At the end of the day, that’s the whole goal,” he said.

“Giving back to my community is a main reason,” Peck said of why he’s running for council. “I think we need to kind of get back on track to sticking to the local issues. … If elected, I’m going to have priorities that are going to be strictly focused on the city of BG, what we can do to make people’s lives better,” including a lower cost of living and a focus on infrastructure, including how to make roads, sidewalks and drainage better in the community.

Of what skills he feels he’d bring to council, Peck said the first would be leadership, pointing to his background and work both in his career and the community, and “being that local representative, someone who can listen to the citizens and make decisions on what citizens want, rather than what I think is best.”

A big part of his skill set is listening, Peck said. “I think we have really good residents in our city” with good ideas which need to be instilled in the community, he said. Peck said he wants to bring a sense of urgency that comes from his firefighting work “and get things done that affect people’s lives and make their lives better.”

Of what he’d like to accomplish if elected, Peck said “prioritizing roads, sidewalks and local infrastructure. Going after those wins to make our community a lot nicer. Fiscal responsibility is another big avenue that I want to push,” making sure citizens’ tax dollars are being spent efficiently and getting rid of any waste.

Another big issue, he said, is rental regulations. “I want to see an outcome where it doesn’t affect the cost of living for people,” said Peck, noting later that he would not support “any kind of self-induced ordinances and resolutions that city council passes” that would raise the cost of living.

“I want to find ways to lower people’s rents in town,” said Peck, “not raise them.”