Former police chief Bill Collins announces campaign for mayor of Marion
The former chief of the Marion Police Department says he's now ready to become the city's next mayor.
Bill Collins, who now serves as chief deputy of the Marion County Sheriff's Office, announced his candidacy for the office of mayor on Wednesday. Collins, a member of the Republican Party, said he's been considering running for mayor for "about a year or more."
"It was hard for me to actually make the decision, because I love working with (Sheriff) Matt (Bayles) and being at the sheriff's office," he said. "It's difficult to leave a job that you like a lot. But the more that I saw the turmoil that was taking place day in and day out the last couple of years at the city with everything that happened with the former auditor, I thought that Marion was ready for a fresh perspective and that now was the right time to run."
In a press release, Collins, age 57, stated that "as a proud lifelong resident of Marion, Ohio, and protector of this community for 37 years, with seven years as chief of police, I have experienced the ups and downs of what makes Marion great." He noted, however, that he believes the City of Marion is "challenged and at a crossroad."
"We are challenged to keep the City of Marion moving forward to make it a vibrant part of our greater Marioncommunity. We need to seek workable solutions to move our city government into the future," Collins said. "I have worked my whole life to make Marion better and I believe in a cooperative mindset when working with our partners to build a community we can all be proud to call home. With the goal of returning City Hall to the people, I am seeking your support as I announce my candidacy to be your next mayor for the City of Marion."
Collins retired from law enforcement on Oct. 1, 2020, after serving for 35 years combined service with the Marion Police Department and Marion County Sheriff's Office. He was sworn in as the department's 14th chief of police on Feb. 24, 2014. However, his retirement didn't last too long as he joined current Sheriff Matt Bayles' staff as chief deputy in 2021.
Collins said he believes his experience supervising the police department, which has the largest budget of any city department, will serve him well if he is elected mayor of Marion.
"I have a lot of experience dealing with multi-million dollar budgets. I have a lot of experience in dealing with people," Collins said. "I was very involved in the budget process even when Tom Bell was police chief. Even at the sheriff's office, I've been involved in helping to manage that budget."
A Marion native, Collins began his law enforcement career in 1985 with the Marion County Sheriff's Office, serving as a dispatcher, jailer, and deputy during his tenure there. He joined the Marion Police Department in 1989 as an officer. He was promoted to sergeant and then lieutenant in 1995 and became a major in 2000.
Collins said he will remain on staff as the chief deputy at the Marion County Sheriff's Office during his campaign for mayor of the City of Marion.
According to officials from the Marion County Board of Elections, no other individuals have requested or filed petitions to run for mayor of Marion.
Three people have requested petitions to run for Marion City Council and one person has requested a petition to run for Marion city auditor, elections officials said.
Email: ecarter@gannett.com | Twitter: @AndrewACCarter
This article originally appeared on Marion Star: Former police chief Bill Collins announces campaign for Marion mayor
