The trustee is the chief executive officer of the township and must reside in that township. Residents of the township elect the trustee for a term of four years. The trustee’s salary is established by the township board. The trustee prepares the annual township budget for submission to the township board and has general control over all property belonging to the township. Where applicable, the trustee also serves as chief administrative officer for township schools. Other responsibilities of the trustee relate to poor relief, recreation, cemetery maintenance, and fire protection.
Campaign Phone
3179106219
Education
High School Diploma from Beech Grove High School, Bachelor of Science in Brain and Behavioral Sciences from Purdue University (Class of 2023), Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Purdue University (Class of 2023)
Experience in Leadership and Management
I served two years in Americorp. I currently work as mental health professional in a mental health crisis care facility.
I believe that I have both the professional and lived experience to take on the position of Township Trustee. While I'm only 26, I've already served as a public official. From June of 2022 to May of 2023, I served as a City Councilor in the City of West Lafayette, where I sole authors and subsequently passed an ordinance devoted to the rights of tenants.
One of the most important duties of a township trustee is ensuring that our financial assistance programs are administered ethically and efficiently. As a young child, my family relied on financial service programs to stay afloat. I know first-hand that financial aid services are a hand-up, not a handout.
An important challenge that every trustee across Indiana will soon have to grapple with, is the budget cuts and overall budgets effects of 2025's Senate Bill 1. By 2027 almost every form of local government will be looking at budgetary cuts due to Senate Bill 1.
In order to meet that challenge, the township will have to find creative ways to save money, without cutting necessary services. This will include working with the city and county more closely on budgetary needs and finding ways to collaborate with other service providers around the community.
As a trustee I would also be an advocate for the township. We need to be going to legislative bodies and arguing for more township investment, to ensure that our critical programs continue.
The first step I will take is making sure that our current staff, and any additional staff are trained on the different resources and services in the community.
One of the great things about Tippecanoe is the plethora of social service providers that we have compared to other community. However, few people are aware of all of these services. For example, a family may come in who's in a financial crunch, but they barely miss the criteria for SNAP. Many people in this situation are still eligible to go to Food Finders, but they are probably unaware of it. I want to make sure that the trustee's office is a resource hub and ensure that regardless of a person's eligibility of our direct services, they are given the referrals they need.
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