LIMA — They are often the unseen part of local government, ensuring roads are plowed in the winter and ensuring that ditches are cleared in the summer, among many other responsibilities. On Thursday, several Allen County township trustees were sworn into office by Judge Tammie Hursh at Lima Municipal Court.
These trustees are the first point of government contact for residents in area townships, giving them a vital role to play, according to Allen County Prosecutor Juergen Waldick.
“These are the people who neighbors can go to and say, ‘My road needs fixed,’ or, ‘There’s a drainage issue here,’” he said. “We have 12 townships in Allen County and they have meetings on a regular basis, and that’s where citizens can voice problems that they have, and these people not only listen to them but often go out physically and fix the problem.”
Trustees not only physically address issues for township residents, but they can also act as a conduit to bring concerns to county officials, when warranted.
“There’s a Township Trustee Association, and they have meetings once a month where people gather and share information,” Waldick said. “You’ll have county officials show up to those, as well. It’s the networking part of it, where citizens talk to trustees, and then township trustees and fiscal officers can either fix those things or contact the people that can.”
While newly elected trustees do not officially begin until Jan. 1, the symbolic significance of the swearing in ceremony was not lost on incoming Bath Township Trustee Brad Baxter.
“Even though it is a formality, it’s an important formality,” he said. “So I took it seriously. It’s an exciting time for me because it means it’s a new chapter that I’m going to begin. I’m looking forward to learning and serving my community. So it’s exciting, but you still take it seriously.”
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