Meet the Candidate, Julie Reese, Bethel Township Trustee
Vol. III, No 142 - In Bethel Township, this incumbent official makes another bid for township trustee
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Today, this publication is pleased to present to you another candidate running for public office here in Miami County as we profile Julie Reese, a current member of the Board of Trustees of Bethel Township. Ms. Reese, is currently in her first time on the Board of Trustees and also served on the Board of Education in Bethel Township.
This publication gave candidates a choice to either answer a few questions about their thoughts or ideas, or to provide their own written statement. These are the answers that Ms. Reese gave to Civic Capacity.
What inspired you to run for township trustee, and how do you believe your background and experience make you a strong candidate?
Initially I ran for Trustee to try to stop the annexation of Bethel Twp and to improve communications/transparency between the trustees and the community. Four years later:
the agendas contain significantly more information for the public;
trustee transparency is the norm;
the website has been brought up-to-date, broken links have been fixed, and many critical records have been added;
I ensure timely posting of audio recordings and resolutions; and
lax financial policies have been corrected, saving tens of thousands of dollars and preventing future inappropriate spending of our funds.
But, there is more to do to thwart annexation and preserve Bethel Township’s rural way of life.
What makes me a strong candidate is my vast experience in a number of arenas. I have a technical and business background. More than thirty years at IBM taught me planning, budgeting, scheduling, organizing, negotiating, problem solving, communicating, and prioritizing – all skills needed to be a versatile and effective Trustee. There is no task I will not tackle. I was raised to be fiscally conservative, to be dedicated, and to have a strong work ethic. And, I now have four years of trustee experience under my belt, one of which I was also the acting Township Administrator and helped the Fiscal Office set up bill payments, conduct research, and organize records. Not only did my acting as Township Administrator save the taxpayers approximately $109,000 in salary and benefits, it also gave me firsthand insight into our operations and finances.
What is your vision for Bethel’s future, and how do you plan to achieve it?
Bethel Township is a very special place to live. I would like to continue to work to preserve our farmland and quality of life. We all moved here because we value our rural lifestyle – having some green space, seeing cattle dot the pastures, watching the crops grow, and seeing hayfields thriving are all important to us. See the pressing issues section as to how I plan to preserve our rural lifestyle. I would also like to work to help resolve our difficulty in hiring/retaining part-time firefighters/EMTs to ensure our citizens continue to have the best care possible.
What do you see as the most pressing issues facing Bethel Township today, and how would you address them?
The number one issue that threatens destroying our quality of life is annexation and the high-density development it brings. Annexation has unintended consequences that have devastated our Township: an overabundance of vehicles on our country roads, and meteoric school growth (enrollment doubled in about 10 years) which completely changed our small school family-style culture, destroyed its advantages, and made it impossible to provide sufficient classroom space.
I’ve been actively working with our legislators to change annexation laws and I have been advocating for the Township to purchase development rights and offer agricultural easements to protect our farmland. This year some acreage did receive an easement. I will continue to push for larger minimum lot sizes and additional road frontage for residential lots. I will only endorse a Land Use Plan that preserves farmland and open spaces and will work to align the zoning code with the Land Use Plan. Based on a citizen suggestion, I have proposed the appointment of a full-time employee to dedicate more time to solutions to stop future annexation.
I would also like to implement a five-year strategic plan, continue to publish critical documents and financial information to our website, and expand zoning records online - making information easier to find and more accessible to all without having to submit a public records request.
What are some of the issues that you see coming to Bethel’s future? How can these issues be addressed now?
Annexation and loss of farmland will continue to be an issue for the township for decades to come if we don’t make some moves now to deter it by implementing some of the ideas previously mentioned.
What are the leadership qualities that you believe make you unique and will make you a positive member of the Board of Trustees?
I am extremely dedicated to the Township and am a citizen-driven Trustee. I solicit and listen to input from residents. I take very seriously the fact that I am elected by the community to truly represent them. I have no ulterior motive for seeking the office of Trustee other than to pursue setting us up for a successful future free of annexation. I genuinely value farmland and our country way of life and will continue to fight to preserve both. If needed, I can pretty much perform any role necessary at the township, as demonstrated by my stepping in to act as Township Administrator for a year.
If you were awarded a $1 million grant for Bethel, how would you allocate the funds to address the township’s most pressing needs?
I would add to current funding to pursue an Ag Easement program. We cannot afford to wait for the state to come through with agricultural easement funding. Unfortunately, a one-time grant would not help us with hiring full-time firefighters – this requires a permanent source of revenue, but, I would allocate a portion of the grant funds for critically needed fire equipment.
Bethel Township, it would be my honor to continue to serve as your Trustee for another term. Thank you for your continued trust and support.
Warm regards,
Julie Reese
email: juliereeseforbethel@yahoo.com
cell/text: 512.632.9310
facebook: Julie Reese for Bethel Township Trustee
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