DISCUSSION: WHO DO TOWNSHIP TRUSTEES REPRESENT ANYWAY?

"Yours truly" has been following the township form of government since the early 1980s.

It is apparent that this form of government is a vestige of the past and is not equipped to meet the needs of 21st century Ohioans.

A case in point? The failure of many of Stark County's trustees to even be aware of the gigantic increase that Ohio Power is asking of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO), let alone step-up-to-the-plate on behalf of their constituents and object to the requested increase.

With the local economy in a tallspin at least co-incidental with the national economy, and perhaps on it own; for the most basic of Ohio government to stand by an allow its residents to be pillaged without uttering a word of protest is beyond belief.

But maybe this unawareness and failure to act should not be surprising. After all, Tuscarawas Township trustee Celeste DeHoff is the association's president.

In the November 4th election, she, as a candidate for the Ohio House 50th, proved to be one of the most uninformed and lacking candidates of the entire field of candidates. Moreover, her township is not served by Ohio Power, so why should she pick up on an issue which affects most of Stark County's township residents and businesses?

The STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT (The Report) has learned that not a "mere mention" of the Ohio Power issue was brought up at this week's Stark County Township Association meeting.

A source of The Report indicates that:

(M)embers that were present at that meeting told me that they were not even aware of what AEP was proposing and asked for me to send them information ASAP.

Many of their residents and businesses are about to get socked with a 52%/62% increase and many Stark County trustees don't know?