Staff photo / Bob Coupland
Farmington Trustee John Dale, left, and Braceville Trustee Dennis Kuchta discuss plans for the Trumbull County Trustee Association at the annual meeting Thursday at DiVieste’s Banquet Center in Warren Township. Kuchta is president and Dale is vice president of the association. Other officers installed at the meeting were Hartford Trustee Rebecca Whitman as secretary / treasurer, and Fowler Trustee Lynn Michalec as delegate to the Ohio Township Association.

The Trumbull County Trustee Association met at DiVieste’s Banquet Center.

The association has been around for more than 38 years with monthly meetings and hosted by a different township.

Braceville Trustee Dennis Kuhcta, president of the trustee association, said EMS is a big issue in the county due to the inability to find people.

“These meetings allow us to look at different ideas and ways we can work together on projects such as water and sewer lines. Fire and EMS continues to be a huge problem for many townships,” Kuchta said.

He said a committee is being formed to start next month to look at what can be done to attract EMTs, firefighters and police.

Farmington Trustee John Dale, vice president of the trustee association, said he enjoys the fellowship and seeing other township trustees and elected officials.

“It is important to keep in touch with our neighboring townships since we have many similar concerns and issues,” Dale said.

For Vienna Trustee Phil Pegg, he said he likes sharing ideas with other townships to see if a solution can be found.

“When an individual entity has a problem we work together as trustees to help figure it out. Right now property taxes are a huge issue for townships and correctly sharing the monies we are paying in taxes to Columbus. Columbus has really stripped the townships of revenue-sharing funds,” he said.

Kinsman Trustee Greg Leonhard said an issue for him is EMS with many communities struggling to find people.

He said they receive EMS and ambulance service from Johnston which has gone from $3,300 per month in 2020 to $105,000 per year in 2025.

Pegg said there is concern for fiber optics especially in the 10 northern townships that do not have Yii5 — a fast and secure internet — or have difficulty getting it or have limited service.

“Township governments have been losing a lot of state money. Cities and villages have the luxury of income tax,” Leonhard said.

Pegg said when he took office in 2006, Vienna was receiving $120,000 per year in shared government funds and today is barely getting $40,000.

Leonard said Kinsman used to receive $190,000 annually in state funding and now is receiving $35,000.

“It is very frustrating for the townships. We are all receiving less funds,” Leonhard said.

He said trustees can no longer be successful by staying within township borders but need to work with other townships.

Pegg said many townships help one another by sharing equipment or jointly seeking funding for projects that affect several townships such as road paving.

Fowler Trustee Lynn Michaelac is serving as the association’s representative to the Ohio Township Association traveling to Columbus.

“I like to be part of the decisions and a voice for the townships. As a trustee I will voice my opinion on issues affecting townships and fight for this area,” she said.

CAREER CENTER HELP

Guest speaker Jason Gray, superintendent of the Trumbull Career / Technical Center, said what he admires about the township association is the members are “community and service-minded” people.

“There are parallels of what you do and I do. We all care about our communities. We have clear visions and missions and a plan to keep our communities going and operating effectively,” Gray said, noting TCTC has been part of the community for 47 years.

Gray said the center trains students for fields where there is a demand such as EMTs and firefighters.

“We are trying to help you fill that void by training students for those careers and jobs,” Gray said.

Hartford Trustee Rebecca Whitman, association treasurer / secretary, said the association also is planning a scholarship to present to a graduating senior.

Several communities will take part in America 250, such as Braceville, planning events for the nation’s 250th birthday.

County Commissioner Denny Malloy said the townships play large roles in county government with three township residents currently serving as commissioners, an auditor, a recorder, sheriff and clerk of courts all from the townships.

“This is monumental that the country is not all about Warren and Niles and cities controlling everything, but the townships leading and getting them on the map. This year is a great start for the townships. Help us do what we can do to help all our townships. I am proud to say I am a township guy,” Malloy said.