VOTE411 Voter Guide

I believe the most important issue facing our township is the affordability of housing. Current residents of age have their own personal struggles with buying a house that they will be able to fully own in their lifetime however, I severely worry about the prospects of my next generation being able to buy a home. As inflation continues to grow, debts become more extreme, and salaries continue to not match the average cost of living I believe the generations to come will have to deal with these consequences. In fact today we already see the beginning of these struggles. The rates of young adults living with their parents is currently at 58% compared to that of 29% in 1990. As well as the rate of people choosing to rent being around 34%. While the township cannot control national economic trends, I propose addressing the home ownership issue by one supporting senior-friendly living, two by working with nonprofit/state housing agencies, and three by creating/expanding a land bank.

I believe there are 3 major challenges facing my community. Housing affordability, property value evaluation, and exponential growth of the community. Like I stated in my first response I am not sure how the next generations will ever be able to fully own their houses/support their families, especially if moving and purchasing a second home. For instance, in order to match the cost to run a household in 1995 vs 2025 jumped from $33,456 to $118,764, when the median salary of Americans in 1995 was $34,075 and in 2025 it is a harsh low of $62,088. The second issue of property value evaluation is tricky. The community has already seen issues of property being undervalued, and the issue will continue to get worse. As companies such as BlackRock buy up the property in the Cleveland area, I fear with incorrect property evaluation that these corporations may begin to purchase the cheap/undervalued property in the rural areas. As for exponential growth the more people we have, the more strain.

Though I am not currently elected I have been keeping up with our trustee meetings. Unfortunately budget cuts have impacted how the township is currently run, and more cuts could be on the way. If budget cuts are to happen I would suggest emphasizing fiscal responsibility/transparency. One example will be by prioritizing essential services. The road, zoning, and fire departments would be held as close to one-hundred percent capabilities as possible. Two I would suggest looking for efficiency and partnerships. The current chair members currently do this very well and I would continue that thought process. To rely on others and be an ally to surrounding townships can be very beneficial, as I believe we already are in some small partnerships with Ravenna township. Finally, I would help to plan for the long term. Specifically by maintaining "rainy-day funds" during the townships good years, using multi-year budgeting to anticipate future needs, and to delay non-critical spending if needed.

The most important issue with Rootstown Township is maintaining the historical characteristics of our town while at the same time balancing the commercial growth that is needed for a healthy revenue base. We have a Comprehensive Use Plan that can be found on the Rootstown Township website that takes into consideration this natural growth. The commercial development has been going as planned down Lynn Road east of State Route 44. It is understood that not everyone likes change, which includes new commercial buildings and that is understandable. It is important to both listen to people concerns and be compassionate. The Comprehensive Use Plans has been in place for decades and is designed to increase revenue that is needed for our employees' salaries and equipment.

The State Route 44 Project will bring changes to State Route 44 in Rootstown Township. The most important consideration is making sure that the consultants and state officials working on this project have the skill set to consider all the variables that are needed to plan for this change. I am confident that the right people are working on this project. Communication is important to make sure the residents have the ability to provide input and receive up to date information on the why, what and when things are happening

The best approach to manage potential budget cuts is to sharpen your pencil and rein in expenses. We have done this successfully in the past. As a township we balance our budget and have a good understanding of future needs. It is necessary to have an understanding of all of the budget items and lines, which includes how they relate to each other. In addition, it is important to focus on preventative maintenance and staggering the financing of equipment.

Township Funding- We have taken several steps over the past several years to address the problems such as negotiating a JEDD contract where 90% of the funds stay in Rootstown Township. We are already seeing positive results from that.

We have St Rt 44 from Tallmadge Rd to Ravenna that is primarily taken up with non-profits in which the Township, Schools get no property tax from placing a significant burden on the local tax payers. We are addressing the issue with the JEDD and doing a land survey project through OHM to better identify how land uses can much better serve our residents.

Rootstown is one of only two townships in Portage County that does not have a levy for it's Roads or the General fund. I am proud of that fact, hopefully over the next several years you will see the direct benefits from the JEDD and how it is helping the township residents.