The Clay Township Board serves as the legislative body for the township, focusing on fiscal oversight and policy adoption to improve community quality of life. Board members adopt the annual budget, set tax levies, and approve contracts, working alongside the Township Trustee to oversee township business and property. Key Responsibilities & Duties:Fiscal Responsibility: Review and adopt the annual budget for the township and approve township expenditures.Legislative Action: Pass resolutions and ordinances, particularly in areas of limited self-government, to maintain community infrastructure and improve safety.Oversee Township Assets: Control and maintain township property and facilities.Policy Management: Provide oversight of the township trustee, who functions as the executive to manage daily operations.Meetings: Attend and participate in regular meetings, special meetings, and work sessions to guide development, as listed in Clay Township Offices. These elected officials are essential to maintaining the township's financial integrity and enhancing community services. Estimated Salary: $15,000.00
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Candidate Statement
Born and raised in Indiana, I have deep roots and a deep desire to help all my fellow Hoosiers. I attended Indiana State University, received an associate’s degree in industrial technology from Ivy Tech Indianapolis, and received a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. I have traveled all over Indiana, Ohio, and Illinois as a mechanical engineer for a family-owned company meeting people from every industry and working to solve problems with no easy solutions. My introduction to the political arena will bring a fresh perspective to the Clay Township Board. My wife, Shanna, and I have three graduates from Carmel High School attending Indiana University and look forward to working to help our township, city, and state continue to be a place where they all feel welcome and valued.
Education
Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin
Occupational background
Mechanical Engineer
Political Office(s) Held in the Past
None
I am running for township board so that I can help my neighbors in a very real way. I would like to work with the people of my township, trustee, and fellow board members to perform the necessary work. I have both education and experience to offer public service that I believe will benefit the people of Clay Township.
I believe the purpose of township government is to serve the people of the township on a micro level. It is a place where people can engage their elected officials in a very personal way and openly discuss the funding of the emergency services, public assistance, and city assistance. I feel the township is important for accountability and visibility in expenditures, where the elected officials are actually beholden to their neighbors, not corporations or businesses.
I see the funding of the emergency services and public assistance to be the most pressing needs. In these days of an aging population and increasing unemployment I anticipate more neighbors both requiring emergency services and applying for assistance. These needs require funding from an already thin budget. I will work with other board members and the trustee to explore new sources of funding to increase available resources.
I have lived, supported myself and my family, as a sheet metal mechanic, welder, baker, mechanical engineer, senior mechanical engineer, and engineering manager. I spent many years in journeyman school, as skilled labor, in college to be a technical expert, and as a professional. I have empathy for all my neighbors’ struggles and recognize the importance of budgeting funds and have experienced the pains of not having enough for everything needed. I am familiar with the hard decisions, and the ownership of those decisions. Being a degreed engineer, I am well versed in the mathematics of project budgeting and the concerns every customer has for costs being analyzed for best use. Having lived the gamut of professional experiences I am empathetic to all the challenges life can throw at you. Having thrived in all incomes, I recognize that you can’t spend money you don’t have.
Historically I have not been involved in community organizations, and this is my first foray into the world of politics. I have done volunteer work in hospice and been a vocal advocate for several of the less represented communities throughout my life. I have not waivered in my support of LGTBQ+ communities or in support of struggling minority communities for the last 30+ years. I recognize when people need help, and I am willing to embrace the issues to resolve them. I have taken on leadership roles in my career as senior engineer and engineering manager to lead departments and work through challenges with shared ownership of the solution and personal ownership of the shortfalls. I know people need to believe in what they are doing and why they are doing it, and I enjoy helping people understand their roles and the value of taking pride in that.
