• Proven Financial Stewardship: Maintained 14 years of clean audits and modernized township finances with online payment options, ensuring transparency and accountability for taxpayers.

• Stronger Oversight & Good Governance: Restructured audit processes and empowered advisory committees to strengthen fiscal oversight and community trust.

• Champion for the Environment: Established ongoing electronics recycling programs and promoted sustainable practices that protect our local environment.

• Building a Connected Community: Created opportunities for neighbors to come together through new community events and support for long-standing traditions, while also reinstating employee recognition initiatives.

• Smart, Responsible Growth: Led township planning reviews to ensure balanced land use and thoughtful development that safeguards our community’s character.

• Dedicated to Teamwork & Support: Invested in staff training, support, and facilities improvements to ensure township employees can best serve residents.

• Regional Leadership & Collaboration: Brought together local agencies for joint crisis communication training and fostered collaboration that strengthens our region’s preparedness and resilience.

• Commitment to Township Assets & Infrastructure: Prioritized the care, upkeep, and modernization of township properties and facilities, ensuring they remain safe, functional, and lasting investments for the community.

Every election cycle we hear very similar answers to what the goals and objectives are for elected officials; to control costs while maintaining the same level of services. I have written these words, myself, almost verbatim because it’s true. These will always be the challenges faced by elected officials in a township to control increasing employment and equipment costs without wanting to burden residents through increased property taxes.

Having said this, I am extremely concerned about two new and very specific challenges we will face in the next year in Bath Township. The first is our need for a new fire station as the foundation of the current location is, literally, failing. We (the Board of Trustees, administrator, fire chief, architects, and legal counsel) have discussed this need for the past two years. Where do we build? What should we build? How do we finance this enormous project? I don’t want to pay an increase in property taxes, do you?!

The second challenge is the proposed legislation at the State level to suspend property taxes. As of this writing, even U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene has proposed a nationwide ban of property taxes. This is a very popular concept, and rightfully so. The issue is, townships operate, primarily, from property taxes; police, fire, service (roads), parks, and general services come from levies in the form of property taxes. How do we – as the Board of Trustees – help legislators understand what this would mean for a township?

These two challenges, as well as many others, require someone who has lived the history of our township and has extensive experience in township governance.