ROSS TOWNSHIP, Ohio — Ross Township, the largely sleepy section of Greater Cincinnati home to around 9,000 people, gained regional attention in late July when trustee David Young used racial slurs both online and out loud in a meeting when referencing a viral video of a fight in Cincinnati.
Young has repeatedly refused to step down despite calls from people coming to meetings and the pleas of his fellow trustees.
At the time, the township indicated he couldn't be removed from council without a vote in November, and fellow councilman Keith Ballauer's decision not to seek another term made it less likely he could be voted out of the seat.
At the meeting in late July, Anil Lukhi announced he would be running to challenge Young.
"He was running unopposed at the time," Lukhi said. "That made me realize we can't just talk about it. We have to take action."
The business analyst and regional investor said he's long thought about running for local office, but always thought someone else would step up to do it.
He said the high attendance at a meeting following Young's statements encouraged him to run.
"You guys were there, and you saw that that building was packed," Lukhi said. "It was packed for all of those people coming out and telling David he was wrong. That gave me hope."
Two other candidates made the cut to run for Trustee: former Fairfield Fire Chief and interim City Manager Don Bennett and Hamilton County Coroner Chief Administrator Andrea Hatten.
WATCH: We go one-on-one with Ross Township's trustee candidates
Both candidates told us they were working on their run for trustee well before Young made his statements, and those statements weren't the main driver behind their campaign. Both had worked on the township's police levy and were currently working on the fire levy.
Bennett said he was concerned about what would happen to agricultural land in the township as the area develops.
"Development is inevitable," Bennett said. "Whether it's five years, 10 years, 15 years down the road, and I would like to see the township, with input of the community, to figure out a plan of what various areas or what land uses are appropriate."
Hatten said much of her concern centered around attracting the correct business to the region to help ease the tax burden on residents without changing the nature of the township.
"Listening to the residents, but also listening to the businesses that want to find a home here in Ross Township will be important and hopefully will alleviate some of that tax burden," she said.
Lukhi called the trustee's job that of being a good "steward" for the land and how it's used.
Hatten and Bennett said they didn't believe Young's statements represented the township, and said the voters would have the final decision on November 4.
Lukhi said he had trust in the electorate.
"There are a lot more people out there who believe in getting people together and loving people," he said.
With Ballauer's decision to leave his seat vacant, two of the challenging candidates will need to get more votes than Young to unseat him.
