Summer Caucuses Information

On July 31, the Toledo Metropolitan Area Council Of Governments (TMACOG) hosted the half-day 2019 Summer Caucuses with State Lawmakers at the Penta Career Center. Mark Sattler, Township Trustee, attended to represent your interests. Each caucus group (counties, cities, villages, townships, school districts & colleges/universities, special districts & authorities, non-governmental members) met individually to discuss issues of importance for discussion with State Lawmakers. Our Township Caucus discussed the following issues:

• Lake Erie high water level
• Nutrient loading, water quality, and the algae bloom
• Funding for bike paths and walking paths
• Autonomous vehicles and the required antenna systems – who will bear this future expense?

All Caucus groups then joined the State Legislators in the auditorium. The State Legislators in attendance were:

• Theresa Gavarone, State Senator, 2^nd District, Ohio
• Haraz Ghanbari, State Representative, 3^rd District, Ohio
• Teresa Fedor, State Senator, 11^th District, Ohio
• Paula Hicks-Hudson, State Representative, 44^th District, Ohio
• Lisa Sobecki, State Representative, 45^th District, Ohio
• Mike Sheehy, State Representative, 46^th District, Ohio
• Jim Hoops, State Representative, 81^st District, Ohio

As there were so many Caucus groups represented, each Caucus group was limited to presenting a single issue of interest to the panel of State Lawmakers. Below is a summary of each of the various issues shared with State Lawmakers:

• Distracted driving as a primary offense (currently cell phone texting while driving is a secondary offense)
• Lake Erie water quality and the impact of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) on our Maumee River watershed feeding into Lake Erie
• Education – parents emphasizing the importance of education to their children; helping young people make good decisions about education and careers for economic gain; how to help children understand from the youngest ages, the benefit of education: for example, before children can read, they recognize the McDonalds golden arches. Shouldn’t our children also be taught the value of education?
• Healthy lifestyle needs, the importance of recreational facilities, opportunities for pedestrian and bike path funding; funding sources for local governments; opportunities for local governments to work directly with State Legislators, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources; and rethinking road maintenance to include a bike/walking path alongside the road every time a road is redone.
• HB 163 – water and sewer surcharges prohibited outside village limits (not applicable to Jerusalem Township)
• Fairness – how to prevent cities from having to pay for things that non-residents benefit from but do not pay for.
• Funding for local courts, Job & Family Services. State funds resulting from tax dollars are not being reallocated back to the local level. The State Legislators asked that we carry our knowledge and information on these specific issues to our Representatives and Senators in Columbus so they can speak on them with authority.
• Public-Private Partnerships: How can communities collaborate with other communities and private organizations to reduce redundancy of equipment, labor, and cost?

Your Jerusalem Township Trustees invite you to share your concerns and interests so that we are well informed and can continue to work on the issues most important to you and our community. Our contact information is always available on our Township Web Site: https://twp.jerusalem.oh.us/trustees/  or https://twp.jerusalem.oh.us/township-directory/

Thank you for your support,

Mark Sattler, Township Trustee

Beau Miller, Township Trustee