Shaun Mason for Findlay City Council
As he works to earn your vote for the 3rd Ward seat on Findlay City Council, Shaun Mason has "reached the same conclusion that many in Findlay have: regardless of public input, established leadership often did as they pleased. A small group of insiders were handpicking candidates aligned with their interests, providing them with the resources to win while putting up roadblocks for others. That was my tipping point. I’m running for office because I believe Findlay deserves a city council that listens to the people, not just a select few."
Endorsed by the Hancock County Democratic Party
Shaun's 7/10/25 Facebook post
As a candidate for City Council, I’ve had quite a few people ask where I stand on the Downtown Recreation Area project. I think most people agree the area is unattractive and needs attention. The real question is how much attention it needs. That’s where opinions start to differ. Personally, I believe major public investments like this should ultimately be decided by taxpayers. That idea isn't unusual, Toledo funded their ($250 million) Riverwalk project by passing a levy. Perhaps Findlay should have approached this project similarly.
Setting aside the question of who should have the final say, city leadership or the public, if the project is going to move forward, I have a couple of concerns worth raising.
First, the cost of remediating the site to a residential standard is being treated as a major issue, but in the context of the full budget, it’s relatively minor. At a recent council meeting, the mayor said it could double the cleanup cost. Even so, that increase amounts to roughly 2 percent of the total project budget. For an $850,000 difference, I would much rather have the peace of mind that comes with knowing the site is as safe as it can be.
Second, there has been no meaningful estimate of the project’s return on investment. Beautification is valuable, no doubt. But if the project is being sold as an engine for economic development, if we’re losing jobs or investment opportunities because of the site, then that argument should be made clearly and backed by data.
If there isn’t a strong return on investment, we need to ask whether this is the best use of public money. And if there is a strong ROI, that should make the case for complete remediation even more compelling.