CHAMPION — After serving two terms as a township trustee, Rex Fee attended his last meeting on Tuesday, but he still will serve the community as the township’s representative to the Joint Economic Development Board for Warren and the township.

Trustees Rick York and Doug Emerine and Fiscal Officer Laurie Jo Miller all praised Fee for his service to the township and his knowledge of the community. He said after eight years, it was time to step down.

Fee served from 2015 to 2018 and then returned from 2022 to 2025.

He said he is most proud of how the trustee board was able to get a new township administration building remodeled and opened not only for public meetings, but also for community events such as Easter and Christmas celebrations.

Fee said getting American Rescue Plan funds for equipment and to use toward the new township administration building, which was a former dance studio remodeled into a town hall off Route 45, were two highlights of his most recent stint as trustee.

“I am amazed by all that this board of trustees has been able to accomplish. The ARP funds were able to help us with getting what we needed,” he said.

Fee said the JEDD for the Mercy Health emergency center being constructed off Educational Highway will provide tax revenue to help benefit Champion.

Fee was also instrumental in getting a SCOPE senior center located in the community starting in 2026 and securing an Ohio NatureWorks grant for the township property north of the cemetery and south of the Champion school campus.

“I hate to see him leave. His knowledge and the experience he brought to this board were second to none,” York said.

Emerine said he could always contact Fee when he needed advice on issues affecting Champion.

“It will be hard to replace eight years of his knowledge and experience,” Emerine said.

Miller said Fee “was awesome to work with” and a professional while serving the community.

Fee was recently recognized by the Trumbull County planning commission for his service to the county.

In other business, trustees approved Shawn Davis, road department foreman, to prepare and submit all required documents for the 2026 transportation project for Esther, Craig and High streets improvements. The project was scheduled for this year, but was not able to be completed so it was moved to next year.

The township has obtained a $150,000 grant from the Ohio Public Works Commission for the $391,000 project with a local share of $241,061.

In other matters, trustees:

• Approved changing the dates of township meetings to 6 p.m. the first Tuesday of the month at the township hall.

• Appointed Thomas Hart to the zoning appeals board to replace Michael Bloom through December 2029.

• Appointed William Spencer to the zoning appeals board to replace Cyndy Thomas through December 2027.