Spending, funding key issues for Miami Twp. trustee candidates
Five candidates, including incumbents, vie for two seats.
One the area’s most rapidly developing communities next weekwill choose amajority of its legislative leaders at a timewhen state cuts have helped magnify local spending issues.
Miami Twp. voters will choose among five candidates for two trustees to help guide the next four years inOhio’s seventh most populated township, which has witnessed more than $160 million in construction since 2014.
Incumbents Eric Flasher and AndrewPapanek face challenges fromDon Culp, John Morris and ZebulonMusic forpairofpositions which pay about $20,000 a year.
Flasher was appointed to the seat this spring while Papanek is seeking re-election to a second term. Music, Culp and Morris are seeking elective offiffice for the fifirst time, although the latter two applied for vacancy created when Robert Matthews Jr.
resigned this year.
The township has witnessed significant growth to the areas in and around AustinLandingandtheMiami Crossing District, formerly the Dayton Mall area. And the two-mile stretch along Ohio 741 between the two commerce centers includes some of the township’s largest employers.
State cuts to local governments and Ohio’s townships being “heavily reliant” on property taxesmake funding among the most significant issues in thenear future, MatthewJ. DeTemple, executive director of the Ohio Township Association, has said.
Allfivecandidatessayfunding for services — whether it be for roads, safety, parks or other areas — is a key issue moving forward.
Two property tax issues to fund road and bridge repairs were narrowly rejected by voters in 2015 and 2016. This has limited funding on maintenance on the jurisdiction’s roads, which a study indicated more than one-third were rated as in poor or critical condition.
Challengers in the trustee race have pointed to the inability tobetter fund roads, parks and other services as a shortcoming for the township.
Butvotersin2014approved a police levy that helped stabilize funding for lawenforcement after a previous defeat followed turmoil within the department. Atownship fire levy, which funds a joint district the township shares with Miamisburg, was easily approved last year.
The following are brief summariesof candidatesand what they see as key issues:
Don Culp
Culp, 53, is an engineer with bachelor’s degrees in aerospace engineering and French. He said he has worked atWright-Patterson Air Force Base most of his careerandcurrentlysupports major aircraft programs.
The Miami Twp. resident ofmore than 24 years said he wants to increase the township’s employment, have more control on township spending by cutting “waste and refocus resources on security and roads,” he said.
Culp said the township must focus on “maintaining a lean, effective administration.”
He said the most important long-term challenge facing Miami Twp. is “maintaining basic services even when revenue tied to retail and related economic activity decline due to the webbased economy.”
Culp said he wants to aggressively redevelop the Great Miami River corridor, and properly work to redevelop the Dayton Mall area and progress at Austin Landing.
Culp said he has been in Republican politics for several years and has helped in several judicial campaigns.
Eric Flasher
Flasher, 54, earned a bachelor’s degree in business and has worked in senior positions at Quest Diagnostics and Reynolds & Reynolds.
He chaired the two recent road and bridge levy campaigns, andpreviouslysought election to seats in 2001 and 2005.
Thelongtimetownshipresident is a Miamisburg High School gradwho has served in leadership roles with in theBoy Scouts, the township community foundation and the veterans memorial committee. Flasher said he has always sought to be “a good neighbor and live a clean and upright life.
Asatrustee,“I’veextended my neighborhood to the entire township and use my experiences and skills to ensure we have the best local government possible.”
This year he has worked to achieve goals in the township’s strategic plan and believes “we are on the right path” with residents he has spoken with “all generally very happy” with the township.
John Morris
Morris, 48, is a nonprofit education executive with a master’s degree in economics, education, entrepreneurship; and bachelor’s degree in business marketing.
He is critical of township fiscal practices, saying trustees “have failed the citizens. They were elected to oversee smart spending and to maintainorimproveservices.
“Instead,” he said, “they have stripped parks of equipment, let roads decay and overseenatremendouswaste ofresourcesonhighwaylandscaping, newstreetsigns, and extra administrative staff.”
Amongadded administrative positions in recent years — as outlined in the township’s strategic plan — have been in community development and a communications coordinator post.
Thetownship, Morris said, must “get back to serving neighborhoods.
“Seemingly all resources have been focused on a few pet projects of the current trustees,” he said.
His focus will be on“safety through police and fire and services through roads and parks in the neighborhood.”
Zebulon Music
Music, 32, is a data storage customer support engineer with a degree in information technology.
Music said he would seek more prudent use of tax dollars, as the township — like many local governments in thestate— hasbeenina“budget crisis” for many years.
“Wemust end the beautification projects in the township and focus on basic services,” hesaid, as “we receive less revenue from the state every year.”
Moreemphasis, Musicsaid, mustbeplacedonroadmaintenance and staffingin safety and service departments.
“Jobs have been cut to balance thebudget,” Music said. “I will invest in our neighborhoods, parks, roads and first responders.”
A higher priority, he said, should bemadeto keep “our best and brightesthere inthe township. Ifwe lose our best people to other communities, the opportunities will follow,” he said.
Andrew Papanek
Papanek, 78, is vice presidentofAndersonSecurityInc. and retired fromlawenforcement after 38½ years. He has an associate degree in applied science and attended the FBI National Academy, National Sheriff’s Institute.
Four years ago Papanek garnered the most votes in a six-way race for two seats and beat an incumbent.
He has served as trustees’ vicepresidentandpresident, the latter a titlehenowholds. Papanek has helped shape muchof the township’s direction the past four years and is the only trustee remaining from the board he joined.
He has been an advocate of the developing a strategic plan, improving the township’s park system and has been a guiding force in the township adopting limited homerule, which has broadened its authority.
Papanekpoints toa survey which shows 72 percent of respondents are pleased with the township’s direction. But he said itmustwork to combat state cuts to localities, noting “the loss of local government funding has impacted the township immensely.”