Trustee, Fiscal Officer Seats Up For Grabs In Fall Election

Voters in German Township will have choices to make, as there are two candidates for one trustee seat and two candidates for township fiscal officer.

Ridgeville Township voters face similar choices, with two candidates vying for trustee, and two candidates seeking the fiscal officer role.

There are unopposed candidates in several township races. GERMAN TOWNSHIP TRUSTEE

Candidate: Stephen Lange Resides in: rural Archbold

Incumbent? No

Family: Wife, Tina; children Allison, Andrea and Adrianne

Native of: Archbold

Education: 1973 graduate, Archbold High School

Present employment: Rupp Seeds, Inc.

Affiliations: Archbold Athletic Boosters, Archbold Evangelical Mennonite Church

Previously held public office? German Township Trustee, 1984-2004

Comments: Lange points out he holds a commercial driver license (CDL), which allows him to drive and operate township snowplow trucks and other equipment.

His objectives are to continue supporting and working with the Archbold-German Township Fire Department and to improve and maintain township roads.

– – –

Candidate: Kenneth L. “Skip” Leupp

Resides in: Archbold

Incumbent? No

Family: Wife: Liz; children Krista, Jackie, and Ed

Native of: Archbold area

Education: 1973 graduate of Archbold High School; 1975 graduate of Northwest Technical College with an agricultural management degree

Present employment: property rentals and other investments

Civic public projects: Archbold Festival of Lights; Archbold Chamber of Commerce Rose Day; Building Hope House project; Shalom Ministry landscaping

Affiliations: Rotary, Paul Harris Fellow; Gideons; Ohio Township Trustees Association; Archbold United Methodist Church leadership team, choir, finance committee; Republican Party precinct committee, chairperson for Clinton Township West, 1994-98

Previously held public office? No

Comments: A background in agriculture will aid in farmers’ concerns, and general business knowledge will serve all township residents, Leupp said.

If elected, his objectives are listening and responding to German Township residents’ needs and concerns; nurturing a good working relationship between the Village of Archbold and German Township; partnering with Fulton County Economic Development and Regional Planning; seeking available grant money.

GERMAN TOWNSHIP FISCAL OFFICER

Candidate: Keith E. Short Resides in: Archbold

Incumbent? No

Family: Wife, Joann; children Benjamin Short, Kristi Kauffman, Tricia Yoder, Timothy Short

Native of: Archbold

Education: 1967 graduate of Archbold High School; associate’s degree in accounting

Present employment: chief financial officer, Granite Industries, Inc.; previously was controller at Bil-Jax for 15 years, 10 years at Eldon Roth Electric

Affiliations: Member and past elder of Lockport Mennonite Church, Archbold Area Chamber of Commerce, Archbold Athletic Boosters, past member and president of United Way

Previously held public office? No

Comments: Short said he is a past treasurer of his church, and is a detail-oriented person with 35 years of experience in accounting.

His objective as the German Township fiscal officer is to preserve the high standards of German Township with good fiscal judgment.

– – – Candidate: Mari Yoder Resides in: Archbold

Incumbent? Yes

Family: Husband, David; children Dan, Grace, Ellen, Meggie

Native of: Toledo; German Township resident 17 years

Education: 1979 graduate of St. Ursula Academy, Toledo; 1979 graduate of Bowling Green State University, bachelor’s degree in business administration.

Present employment: administrator, Archbold Area Chamber of Commerce, parttime position, has worked for AACC for 11 years; previously was pharmaceutical sales representative for seven years

Civic public projects: chair, Archbold Parade of Lights; chair, Archbold Junior Achievement; chair, fund-raising committee, Archbold After Prom; co-chair, Archbold Band Boosters food booth; coordinator, Box Tops for Education program

Affiliations: member, St. Peter Catholic Church; Fulton County Township Association, Ohio Township Association, Chamber of Commerce Executives of Ohio, Northern Ohio Association of Chambers of Commerce, Archbold Rotary Club, Archbold Music Boosters, Archbold Band Boosters, Archbold Athletic Boosters.

Previously held public office? German Township Fiscal Officer, 2003-present

Comments: “Over the past four years, I have converted the township financial records and accounting system from manual to computerized in keeping with standards set by State of Ohio auditor; developed budgets, forecasts, and integrated township minutes to the Fulton County website,” said Yoder.

Her objectives: “continue accounting for and recording township business for all township residents; work effectively with the trustees to aid them

in making fiscally responsible

decisions. 

FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP TRUSTEE Unopposed

Candidate: Mark L. Ballmer

Resides in: rural Fayette Incumbent? Yes Family: Wife, Jackie; son, Nathaniel

Native of: Franklin Township

Education: 1973 graduate of Fayette High School

Present employment: selfemployed general contractor for 25 years

Civic public projects: vice president, Fulton County Township Association; pastpresident, Regional Planning Commission of Fulton County

Affiliations: member, Archbold Evangelical Mennonite Church; sat on Farm Bureau Board and advisor for Countryside Clovers 4-H group

Previously held public office? Franklin Township Trustee, 1992-present

Comments: Ballmer said as Regional Planning Commission past-president, he helped plan the future of the county’s development to keep farmland for agricultural purposes, and keeping housing in urban growth areas.

His objective is to keep Franklin Township a safe place to live, with good roads.

He said he has past experience with fire departments and the Federal Emergency Manager Agency; he wants to maintain a good working relationship with area fire departments.

FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP FISCAL OFFICER Unopposed

Candidate: John Winzeler Resides in: rural Fayette

Incumbent? Yes

Native of: Franklin Township

Education: 1950 graduate of Archbold High School; bachelor’s and master’s degrees, Ohio State University

Present employment: retired; served four years in the United States Air Force; 39 years in public education

Civic public projects: Habitat for Humanity, Heifer International, Fulton County Senior Center driver

Previously held public office? Franklin Township Fiscal Officer, 1974- present

Comments: Winzeler said his objective is to continue the conservative fiscal responsibilities of the office.

RIDGEVILLE TOWNSHIP TRUSTEE

Candidates Roger Miller, the incumbent, and Robert Hesterman, the challenger, did not return questionnaires.

RIDGEVILLE TOWNSHIP FISCAL OFFICER

Candidate: Cheryl Bostelman

Resides in: Ridgeville Corners

Incumbent? No

Family: Husband, Terry; children Sara, Stephanie, Steven

Native of: Ridgeville Corners

Education: 1977 graduate of Archbold High School; currently completing a business degree at Northwest State Community College

Present employment: Manager at bright.net.north, Napoleon.

Civic public projects: cochairman of Ridgeville Community Days for four years; Archbold Rotary, assisted with community projects like the Punt, Pass and Kick Contest, 450 Night, which raises scholarship money for Archbold High School seniors, and the Spengler Field project.

Affiliations: member, Sunday school teacher, and treasurer (12 years) for Zion Lutheran, Church Ridgeville Corners; Archbold Athletic Booster; secretary/ treasurer, Henry County Fair Foundation Board; president, Napoleon/Henry County Chamber of Commerce; Henry County Republican Women; 4- H advisor for Ridgeville Sunbeams, 24 years; Henry County Leadership in Action.

Previously held public office? No

Comments: “My responsibilities as manager of a small business include many of the same or similar accounting functions as required of the township fiscal officer,” said Bostelman.

Her objective is to ensure that all fiscal affairs of the township are carried out in a legal and efficient manner.

– – –

Virginia A. Miller, incumbent Ridgeville Township fiscal officer, did not return a questionnaire.

CLINTON TOWNSHIP TRUSTEE

Larry Neuenschwander, unopposed incumbent township trustee, did not return a questionnaire.

CLINTON TOWNSHIP FISCAL OFFICER Unopposed

Candidate: Judy A. Warncke

Resides in: rural Wauseon Incumbent? Yes

Family: Husband, Howard; children Tony, Kristine

Native of: Wauseon

Education: 1965 graduate of Wauseon High School; Northwest Business College, Lima, obtained State of Ohio real estate license

Present employment: Clinton Township fiscal officer; retired from The Farmers & Merchants State Bank as assistant vice president, marketing director; with F&M for 18 years

Civic public projects: past trustee, Fulton County Historical Society; honorary chairman, Fulton County Relay for Life

Affiliations: task force member, Fulton County chapter, American Cancer Society; treasurer, First Church of God, Wauseon

Previously held public office? Clinton Township Fiscal Officer, 2003-present

Comments: Warncke
said her 18 years of banking experience helps her in her work as township fiscal
officer.

  GORHAM TOWNSHIP TRUSTEE Unopposed

Candidate: Randy Merillat Resides in: rural Fayette

Incumbent? Yes

Family: Wife, Penny; children Wes, Jadea, Mac, Abigail

Native of: Gorham Township

Education: 1973 graduate of Fayette High School; University of Toledo, vocational education; certified in automotive technology

Present employment: farmer and business owner, Merillat’s Auto & Truck Service; teacher of vocational education, 25 years

Civic public projects: chairman, Pleasant View Union Cemetery; member, Fulton County Regional Planning Commission

Affiliations: member, chamber of commerce; past-president, Fulton County Township Association; member, Fayette United Methodist Church

Previously held public office? Gorham Township Trustee, 1990-present

Comments: Merillat said he attends conferences to stay current with township issues and laws. His objective is to maintain the roads and ditches, as well as the Gorham-Fayette Fire Department, while staying within the budget.

GORHAM TOWNSHIP FISCAL OFFICER

Michael E. Figgins, unopposed incumbent fiscal officer, did not return a questionnaire.

DOVER TOWNSHIP TRUSTEE

Larry Burkholder, unopposed incumbent Dover Township trustee, did not return a questionnaire.

DOVER TOWNSHIP FISCAL OFFICER

Candidate: Sue Dieringer Resides in: rural Wauseon

Incumbent? No

Family: Husband, Lambert “Bert” Dieringer; children Colleen Badenhop, Loren, Kurt

Native of: Wauseon Education: 1977 graduate of Wauseon High School; 2000 summa cum laude graduate of Northwest State Community College, associate’s degree in business management with concentration in banking and finance

Present employment: assistant vice president and office manager, The Farmers & Merchants State Bank, downtown Wauseon branch

Affiliations: past-president, current treasurer, Exchange Club of Wauseon; Downtown Merchants Association of Wauseon; member and organist, St. Caspar Catholic Church

Previously held public office? No

Comments: Dieringer is a graduate of several banking schools and has 25 years experience with the F&M Bank.

“My objective will be to utilize my banking skills, gained through years of experience in the financial industry, to accurately maintain the financial records and accounts of Dover Township,” said Dieringer.

– – –

Rhonda J. Borton, candidate for Dover Township Fiscal Officer, did not return a questionnaire.

CHESTERFIELD TOWNSHIP

Jerry L. Bates, unopposed incumbent township trustee, and Tina M. Jones, unopposed incumbent township fiscal officer, did not return questionnaires.

FREEDOM TOWNSHIP

Scott D. VanValkenburg, unopposed incumbent township trustee who is seeking a full term, and Alan L. Damman, unopposed incumbent township trustee who is running to fill an unexpired term, did not return questionnaires.

Dennis J. Bockelman, unopposed incumbent township fiscal
officer, did not return a questionnaire.