City council has a turnover of two members after Nov. 4 election

The votes have been cast and the results are in – current city council members William Snavely and Jason Bracken will be joined by incumbents Amber Franklin and Alex French and new members James Vinch and Roxanne Ornelas.

James “Jim” Vinch

James Vinch said he was somewhat surprised by his victory.

“I’m not a seasoned politician,” he said. “This was my first foray into running a campaign, so I really had no idea what to expect.”

That campaign was focused on what Vinch calls “good government.”

”[After] working 25 years for the federal government in a policy-making role, I really learned the value of following the process, because the process is essentially designed to allow the public to provide input into the decisions that the government makes,” Vinch said.

Vinch said the recent controversial skate park closure is an example of when this goes wrong.

“My whole philosophy is that this campaign was not about me – it’s about the citizens of Oxford,” he said. “Government decisions are always better when they have the input of the public.”

Alex French

Alex French said she was very excited about her victory. She said she enjoyed running as an incumbent because people knew who she was.

“It can be a double-edged sword,” she said. “ If folks were unhappy with what I had done in my first term, then I think we would’ve seen that … I’m really honored that folks are happy with the work I am doing enough to vote me in for a second term.”

Part of that work is the Oats n’ Honey 5k and 10k, which she hopes to expand into a half-marathon.

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”Now that more of the trails are completed, we will very soon have enough to do a half-marathon.”

She said she also plans to continue work on economic development and making Oxford a more attractive and affordable place for people to live.

She also spoke about her excitement to work with new councilors Ornelas and Vinch, whom she plans to show the ins and outs of city government. She also said she looks forward to continuing to work with city staff.

“… They’re so, so talented and smart, and they’re just great partners,” French said. “So I am really thrilled that we get to continue that work together.”

Amber Franklin

Right after teaching her Miami University Class, Franklin said she felt great about the results.

“It’s wonderful to have the support of the community behind me,” she said, “and to be reelected with other wonderful people who I’ll be serving with for the next four years.”

Like French, she spoke about the economic development projects she wants to continue, like bringing advanced air mobility to Oxford, which positions Southwest Ohio as a national leader in next-generation aviation, according to a Miami press release.

She said she was also excited about continuing ongoing efforts, like the construction of the Amtrak station, water softening and public art in Oxford.

“There are a lot of things that are already in play that we want to see come to fruition,” Franklin said.

The new members will join the council in January, replacing councilor David Prytherch and Vice-Mayor Chantel Raghu. Roxanne Ornelas was unavailable for comment prior to publishing this story.

hagooda@miamioh.edu