Why are Council Members from Huber Heights Supporting a Miami County Candidate for Recorder?
Huber Heights is no friend to Miami County
Last year, facing no opposition for his seat on Troy City Council, Samuel Pierce, spent considerable time raising political funds for a future race. That future race has become a general election contest, where he is going up against County Recorder Dave Norman. Mr. Norman was appointed as County Recorder through a unanimous vote of the Miami County Commissioners and was temporarily elected to the role by the Miami County Republican Party’s Central Committee, defeating Mr. Pierce.
In his quest to raise funds, Mr. Pierce received funds from two sitting members of the Huber Heights City Council. A $50 donation from Council Member Kathleen “Kate” Baker, who is currently running for Montgomery County Commissioner last year, and a $150 donation from long time Huber Heights City Council member Mark Campbell.
At the State of the County luncheon held earlier this month in Tipp City, Commissioner Wade Westfall stated that the greatest threat to Miami County is Huber Heights. The commissioner stated, at every turn, the Commissioners have tried to preserve and defend the rural way of life by opposing annexations in Bethel Township. Unfortunately, given the current state laws, both the Miami County Commissioners and the Bethel Township Trustees are powerless to stop these large annexations.
And these annexations have had tremendous negative impacts on the Bethel community. Schools are overcrowded, the local road system is becoming more dangerous each and every day, and all county taxpayers are potentially on the hook for massive water and sewer infrastructure if the county is forced to provide such services to recently annexed lands.
These annexations that have caused chaos and uprooted the fabric of the Bethel community only occurred thanks to the actions of the Huber Heights City Council, namely the affirmative votes of Ms. Baker and Mr. Campbell. It is not a stretch to say that Ms. Baker, Mr. Campbell and their colleagues on the Huber Heights City Council are no friends to Miami County.
And it is a legitimate question to ask why a current candidate for a Miami County Office solicited and received financial assistance for his campaign from individuals that do not have Miami County's best interest at heart.
Even though the County Recorder is not an office that makes or implements any type of policy of in regard to annexation or development, it is imperative that all our County elected officials speak in one unified voice when it comes to maintaining the quality of life all of our residents expect, especially those residents in Bethel Township, that are in the crosshairs of an aggressive municipality.
Voters in Miami County are well advised to question whether Mr. Pierce can reliably lend his voice to stand up for Miami County, when multiple elected officials from Huber Heights are actively supporting his campaign for County Recorder.
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Do we know for fact that he asked these contributions? "One unified voice" aka "good ole boys"
Huber Heights is labeled as the biggest threat to Miami County? The commissioners claim to protect and defend our rural lifestyle, but where is that concern when it comes to Troy and its surrounding rural lifestyle?