Meet The Candidate: Susan Westfall, Troy City Council At-Large
Vol. III, No. 126 - Today we meet first-term council member Susan Westfall
Your message can be here!
Are you interested in becoming a sponsor of Civic Capacity? This publication has grown substantially with a subscriber roll of nearly 2,500 indidividuals receiving this newsletter daily. If you are interested in partnering to get your word about your civic minded business, please email pinnaclestrategiesltd@gmail.com.
Today, this publication continues it’s in depth look at local candidates for office by learning more about Susan Westfall. Mrs. Westfall is in her first term as an at-large council member here in Troy. She was successful in the May primary as one of the top three Republican vote-getters in the election and has advanced to the November General Election, which will be held on November 4th, with early voting beginning on October 7th.
What inspired you to run for city council, and how do you believe your background and experience make you a strong candidate?
I was inspired to run for a second term by my desire to serve the community I’ve been blessed to call home for most of my life. Before serving on City Council, I spent seven years on the Park Board and know firsthand how important our parks are to the quality of life in Troy.
My husband and I have been married for 42 years, raised four sons, and are now blessed with seven grandchildren. That experience has given me a deep heart for families and a desire to ensure Troy is a place where future generations want to live, raise their children, and invest in our community.
As President of New Path, I’ve seen how important it is to help neighbors in practical ways during difficult times. Meeting needs in times of hardship keeps our community strong and resilient.
My 43 years as a nurse, including 27 in juvenile corrections, have shown me the importance of investing in youth, creating safe spaces, and providing guidance so they can thrive.
For the past 35 years, my husband and I have also invested in and revitalized downtown Troy. Living in the heart of the city, I want to preserve its character and charm while keeping it safe, accessible, and vibrant.
What do you believe is the role of city council in the city’s decision-making process?
City Council’s role is to reflect the interests of the citizens we represent. We are responsible for setting priorities, budgets, and policies while remaining fiscally responsible. It is also our duty to hold the city administration accountable to the public.
What is your vision for Troy’s future, and how do you plan to achieve it?
My vision for Troy is a vibrant, safe, and beautiful community. That begins with a thriving downtown, supported by the completion of streetscape and infrastructure projects. During this process, we must keep our businesses at the forefront, ensuring they can remain open and profitable.
Pedestrian and cyclist safety is also critical. Crosswalks with bump-outs and one-lane traffic in each direction can minimize accidents and improve visibility.
Beyond downtown, we must maintain a strong local business base and make our industrial sites more attractive through infrastructure investment. Supporting businesses, upgrading streets, utilities, and facilities, and investing in public amenities will allow Troy to provide opportunities for everyone.
What do you see as the most pressing issues facing Troy today, and how would you address them?
Two key questions guide us: How do we attract families? and How do we keep our citizens from moving away?
The answers include great schools, strong parks and amenities, a vibrant downtown, and a healthy job base. With new schools already under construction, I look forward to seeing them completed.
We also need well-maintained, accessible baseball fields—our park system is lacking in this area, and it must be a priority. An updated skate park and splash pad are also opportunities to better serve our citizens. Of course, all projects must be weighed carefully against available funding and a strong priority list set by council.
Finally, the downtown—long the heart of Troy—must be preserved and enhanced. Its charm and historic beauty should be complemented by new infrastructure, and every step of the process must be transparent and sensitive to the needs of local businesses.
Is there a decision or initiative that you took a leadership role in that you believe has made a positive impact in our community?
A water feature/splash pad in Prouty Plaza was proposed as part of the downtown streetscape plan. While supported by the administration and several council members, I disagreed with this placement from the start. I pressed for the proposal to go to a third reading so local businesses could be surveyed, since they would be directly impacted.
Many businesses had not been informed of the plan and raised serious concerns about safety and parking. After their feedback and additional council surveys, the idea was removed from the plan. I’m proud to have stood with our local businesses to ensure their voices were heard.
How would you foster greater community engagement and participation in local decision-making processes?
I encourage citizens to attend council and committee meetings and voice their concerns. At-Large council members also host quarterly meetings in different locations to provide a more informal setting for open dialogue. These allow citizens to share concerns directly, and if answers aren’t immediately available, we make sure to follow up either personally or in a public meeting.
Council meetings are streamed online and available through the city’s website and YouTube. I also encourage residents to reach out to council members directly by phone or email.
Finally, transparency is key. When people understand how their input is used in decision making, they feel valued and are more likely to stay involved. My goal is to build a culture of two-way communication where residents not only know what is happening but also know that their perspectives shape the direction of our city.
What actions should be taken to keep residents informed about key issues and policies?
We have several information outlets now—newspapers, the city website, Facebook, and local blogs—but communication could be improved. I would like to see an updated, user-friendly city website as well as a monthly newsletter included with water bills. Even if bills are paid online, citizens would know to expect important information in their statements.
If you were awarded a $1 million grant for Troy, how would you allocate the funds to address the city’s most pressing needs?
I would allocate the grant to the Parks Department, prioritizing projects based on cost and impact. For example, if new baseball fields were the most expensive and urgent project, they would receive the largest share of the funding. At the same time, I would ensure other projects—like playgrounds, splash pads, or skate parks—also benefit, since not every child participates in organized sports.
Endorsements Welcome!
As election season ramps up, you may be inclined to support a candidate for public office here locally and you can talk about that support here at Civic Capacity. With no limits on word counts, if you want to write an endorsement for a candidate in this November’s election, this publication will publish it. Send your endorsement to pinnaclestrategiesltd@gmail.com.
Thank you Readers!
Well, this newsletter was named a “Best Seller” on the Substack platform. But, since we recently lost a paid subscriber, we aren’t on the “Best Seller” list anymore.
Want to show your support and get us back on the list?
Consider spending $5 a month, or $50 a year to support this newsletter and the time, effort and energy it takes to create an opportunity for over 2,400 people each to learn something new about the place they call home. This is one of the lowest price daily newsletters on the platform!
Your generous support is vital to this effort!
A New Handbook to grow Civic Capacity!
Recently, we created a new digital handbook, “The Citizen’s Guide to Public Records”. This handbook is designed to help residents have a better understanding of public meetings and meeting records. It’s filled with templates, ideas and other information that will open a new world of public affairs.
Also, if you have ideas for future handbooks, please let us know at pinnaclestrategiesltd@gmail.com.
Want to Learn More About Troy’s Businesses?
Our publication has recently released our September 2025 Economic Abstract, the most comprehensive and up-to-date report on the businesses and industries in the City of Troy. For those that want to understand our community’s business and industries, this is a must-have report.
Thank you to our New Media Partners!
Recently, many of our stories has been showing up on the local news website, www.mymiamicounty.com. We are grateful for the good folks for sharing our work with their audience and we would encourage our readers to check them out at their website!
Our publication would also like to recognize the good work being done at www.piquanewsnow.com. Piqua News Now is a new web-based news and information site for the Miami County area, with a specific focus on Piqua!
In addition, the good folks at Piqua News Now have started a new, 24-hour streaming YouTube channel. This channel is awesome with continuous weather updates and more importanly, it provides a 24-hour audio feed from county wide dispatch. Check it out here!
You Can Help Support This Work!
Our readers and subscribers have been asking for a new way to support the work being done here at Civic Capacity! Some of our readers do not like the idea of having to sign up for another subscription service. Some of our subscribers occasionally want to give more support through a one-time transaction.
Civic Capacity is partnering with “Buy Me A Coffee” to give our readers, subscribers and friends an opportunity to give one-time support to Civic Capacity. Personally, I don’t like coffee, but I will never turn down a nice iced tea. If you feel compelled to support this effort, just click the button below. In other words, this is an online tip jar.
Also, thanks for reading today’s Civic Capacity Newsletter! Please feel free to share this information with your friends and neighbors.
Also, please consider subscribing to our work. If you are a free subscriber, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. For less than $1 a week, you can get timely and conversational updates about the decisions that are impacting you and your community!