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January 3, 2020
It was a great night last night! I was sworn in by a friend who is part of our baseball family. There were no trustee comments last night, so I didn't get a chance to speak. So I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all of the voters for electing me into office. My volunteers and I worked very hard. Running a campaign is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. I also want to thank the 60 people who attended last night's meeting to support me. It was great to see so many familiar faces. My husband, Bob, and my three boys also attended. It was the first time any of them had ever attended a trustee meeting. It meant a lot to me that they were in attendance.
I’m looking forward to working with Trustees Gebhardt and Goodman. I've had a chance to meet most of the staff. We have a great staff working in our township. They have all been very welcoming, friendly, helpful, and supportive. I look forward to getting to know everyone better.
Finally, as I stated during my campaign, I’m also looking forward to representing the people of Genoa Township for the next four years.
January 9, 2020
It was one week ago today since I was sworn into office. I am spending quite a bit of time meeting with township staff. I have met with most of the department heads since being elected into office. I will continue to meet with the staff until I have met with all department leaders.
I attended the Village of Galena's council meeting on Monday evening where Jill Love, the new mayor of Galena, was sworn in by Delaware Prosecuting Attorney, Melissa Schiffel. I am looking forward to connecting with Jill.
On Wednesday evening, I attended a coffee chat with Superintendent of Olentangy Schools, Mr. Mark Raiff, at Walnut Creek Elementary School. Mr. Raiff spoke about the upcoming levy that will be on the ballot on March 17. I attended the meeting to educate myself about the ballot issue. Mr. Raiff answered some tough questions from the audience.
Key takeaways:
*The levy is being proposed to build two new elementary schools and one new middle school.
* It will upgrade all elementary playgrounds so they are ADA compliant.
*Orange, Olentangy, and Liberty high schools will be remodeled so they have secure entrances.
*Olentangy Schools continue to receive fewer tax dollars from the state than private schools, comparable schools, and other schools in Central Ohio
*750 new homes are being built in the district each year
* Currently, the Olentangy School District is the 6th largest school district but is expected to rise to the top four in the next few years.
* The district will spend more than it will take in this year but will use savings to make up the difference.
*The gap is wider next year so cuts may be needed to balance the budget if the levy doesn't pass.
*Items that may be considered on the cut list:
-Extracurriculars
-Currently, the district doesn't bus students within 1 mile of a school; the distance could be increased to 2 miles from a school.
-Gifted
-Literacy support
-Elementary classrooms are currently capped at 24 students; however, that cap goes away if the levy fails.
-If the extra buildings aren't approved, there will be an average of 5 extra students in every elementary school classroom and 6 extra students in EVERY middle school classroom within the next ten years.
* The last levy was passed in 2016. At that time, Mr. Raiff promised the district wouldn't come back to the voters for at least three years.
For more information, click on this link:
https://www.olentangyforkids.org/why-now/
January 11, 2020
During my campaign, I stated that I wanted to remain connected to residents once elected into office. My plan was to schedule coffee chats once a month. Today, I held the first of many chats. I enjoyed getting to know residents. If you missed today's chat, I'd be happy to meet with you another time. Feel free to private message this page.
I will be scheduling another chat next month. Stay tuned for details.