The Township Trustee is one of three members of the Board of Trustees, which is the governing body of the township. The township is responsible for maintaining roads, providing police protection, and regulating land use (planning and zoning) in the unincorporated areas of the township. Townships may also provide services such as fire and emergency medical services, parks and recreation, and cemetery maintenance for residents of both incorporated and unincorporated areas of the township.
Biographical Information
4-H kid from an Iowa farm. Owned and rented out to family 160 acres farmland, later permanently restored to wetlands and tallgrass prairie. 27 years residence in Miami Twp. Two successful terms on Yellow Springs Village Council. Distinguished Wittenberg University teaching career.
Ensuring the health of Township finances, esp. the general fund, with full accountability to the public. Maintaining a professional and reliable Fire & Rescue Service for our relatively small, aging population. Prioritizing the Township's statutory duties & carefully stewarding our lands & public assets. Providing as much transparency in governance as we can. Promoting civil discourse and respect as we navigate challenging issues like land use (incl. annexation) & affordability concerns.
Trustees must work with the Fiscal Officer to create tight, balanced, forward-looking budgets that first prioritize the core services MT is legally charged to provide. Build on good work of new fire chief, bringing order to MTFR. Establish policies to require maintaining solid reserves in key funds, according to best practices. Avoid deferred maintenance & ensure permanence for our important physical assets--esp. the MTFR building & cemeteries--through long-term budgeting, hands-on service.
My excellent communication, research, & analytical skills from 30 years of work in higher education were vital during my two, 4-year terms on YS Village Council, managing significant budgets & making hard decisions about the public good--even when people seemed divided. Local public office requires a love of the people & the place we live, combined with patience & willingness to listen-- even when we disagree--to find the best path. People appreciate upfront information-sharing & being heard!
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Biographical Information
Marilan was first elected in 2022 and is finishing a four-year term. She taught biology and environmental science for 22 years in Dayton Public Schools and has a B.S. Agriculture from The OSU and an M.Ed, Wright State. She lives with her wife Dawn Cooksey and daughter Leela Cooksey. They also have adult daughter and son Elizabeth and Evan Firestone
A central goal for my second term is to reform the the processes of budgeting, spending and purchasing township-wide. Like many rural townships, these process are more casual than they should be. It makes accounting more difficult and budgeting less effective. We need a collaborative budgeting practice based on annual goals, clear policy to tighten the approval and limits of spending, and clear purchasing transaction procedures to increase the efficiency and accuracy of our accounting.
The Board of Trustees needs to get back to basics and focus on our statutory responsibilities first and fulfill them to the best of our ability. These include fire and rescue services, maintaining roads, providing zoning governance, operating and maintaining the township cemetery and maintaining the physical and digital infrastructure of the township. We need to begin projecting 5, 10, 15 years ahead so that maintenance costs for buildings and equipment are anticipated and expected.
Great critical thinking skills and dogged persistence have been a big part of my success in this office. There have been multiple situations that were beyond my knowledge and experience level. Undaunted, I have an exceptional predisposition to networking, asking for resources and assembling the experts that I need to succeed. I have networked county wide, from staff in the Auditors office, to township administrators and fiscal officers in neighboring townships, to regional planning offices.
