April 2019 Township Update

Dear Residents of Jerusalem Township,

The Township Trustees (David Bench, Beau Miller, Mark Sattler) and Township Fiscal Officer (Joel Moszkowicz) would like to keep you informed about our activities on your behalf as your local elected officials.

But first, I would like to share a little bit of information about our local form of government. The Township form of government is the oldest form of local government in the United States. Townships exist in 20 states in the U.S. (primarily midwestern and northeastern states). At last count (2002) there were 16,504 townships in the U.S. During the 2016-2017 academic year, the Ohio Secretary Of State listed 1,309 Ohio townships. The residents of these Ohio Townships accounted for 49% of the Ohio population! Here are quotes about Township government from two of our State Of Ohio elected officials:

• “As long as I am in my position, I will fight to defend the Township form of government. It is the most efficient form of government out there.”
  – Keith Faber, Ohio Auditor of State  January 31, 2019 at the OTA Winter Conference
• “In local government, there is no one closer to the people than Township Trustees in the Township form of local government.”
  – Dave Yost, Ohio Attorney General, former Ohio Auditor of State  January 31, 2019 at the OTA Winter Conference

As a new Township Trustee, I found that information interesting and inspiring.

Second, your Township Trustees represent you on various organization councils and committees.

As a new member of the TMACOG (Toledo Metropolitan Area Council Of Governments) Water Quality Council, I attended my first meeting on March 11, 2019. The council is chaired by Carol Contrada (former Lucas County Commissioner). The mission of the Water Quality Council is to:

“Recommend positions on water quality issues and policies to the TMACOG Board Of Trustees in an effort to improve and protect water quality in our region and Lake Erie. Plan best management practices with land and water resources to design and implement programs and projects that will reduce, control, or remove pollutants; improve drainage; and restore wetlands and floodplains within the region.”

Representative Steve Arndt, from Ohio’s 89^th district of the Ohio House of Representatives attended our meeting. He explained that Lake Erie is Ohio Governor Mike Dewine’s #2 priority—second only to transportation.

There will be a State Of Ohio Water Quality Bond Issue on the Voters’ Ballot this November. Water quality is a state-wide concern. The goal is to reduce the amount of nutrients in Lake Erie (which contributes to harmful algal blooms). Tactics include in-stream monitors to help pinpoint locations of nutrient runoff and timing (rain events). The information gathered will help to identify those practices that achieve the best results in reduction of nutrient runoff.

The runoff comes from multiple sources including agriculture, urban stormwater, sewage treatment systems, and septic tanks.

There are a number of committees reporting to the Water Quality Council including:

• Wastewater Committee
• Watersheds Committee
• Stormwater Coalition

We will continue to provide you with updates on these activities.

We welcome your questions or ideas regarding water quality or any topics of interest or concern to you, our Residents of Jerusalem Township.

Respectfully,
Mark Sattler
Trustee, Jerusalem Township