Jeff Wilhite seeks re-election to Summit County Council in uncontested District 4 race

Democrat Jeff Wilhite, 63, is running unopposed for a third term in District 4. He was also a candidate for Akron mayor in 2023.

By day, the Akron resident is the executive director at the nonprofit Family Promise of Summit County, which works to help homeless families find affordable housing. The issue of affordability is a county-wide challenge, Wilhite said.

“We’ve got to address affordable housing if we’re going to be able to move forward as a community,” he said.

As a member of County Council, he is also focused on improving social services, including championing a pilot program to support seniors who want to remain in their homes as they age.

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Developed in conjunction with Direction Home Akron-Canton, Area Agency on Aging & Disabilities, the program provides seniors with equipment such as grab bars in showers to make it safer for them to live at home, he said. He’d like the service to be available permanently.

Another Direction Home pilot project Wilhite is working on is designed to improve care for seniors in assisted-living facilities by using robots to ferry medication and other necessities to and from residents’ rooms. The program has gone well so far, he said. 

“I’m most proud of doing what we’ve been able to do to shed some light on senior services because it’s a population that’s growing, and it certainly needs all of our attention,” he said.

Wilhite’s in-depth knowledge of the community makes him the best candidate for county office, he said.

“There’s no one agency that can do everything, and that includes the county,” he said. “You need partners, you need collaborations, and when you don’t care who gets the credit, good things happen.”