OUTREACH AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL

By Peggy D. Reis

It is important for an elected official to look and work beyond the political boundaries of her own jurisdiction. The outreach work I have done not only brings something worthwhile to Anderson, but brings Anderson recognition in the regional arena as well.

Serving as a township trustee can be both challenging and rewarding. Providing the basic services as required by the Ohio Revised Code is a very big job and requires sound fiscal management of the budget.

Because of the limited nature of township government, it is often necessary to be very creative when solving problems not covered under state statutes. Some statutory changes which I have initiated are: authority for townships to finance greenspace preservation, proposed special designation for large Ohio urban townships, combining fire and police levies, and, currently, an amendment to H.B. 6 which will allow townships more flexibility in their use of tax increment finance money.

Special events and/or quality of life issues also require flexibility and creativity. A few of those I have dealt with are:

1) Applications to FEMA for grants to ameliorate two major catastrophic events -- flooding and landslide

2) Initiation of the nationally recognized Beechmont Corridor Safety and Traffic Study

3) Provision for two new parks by conveying 110 acres of land worth $749,000 to the Anderson Township Park District.

I believe it is important for an elected official to look and work beyond the political boundaries of her own jurisdiction. For this reason I have devoted a great deal of time to service in the following areas:

• Trustee of the Cincinnati Preservation Association

• Current chair of the economic funding and development committee of the OKI Regional Council of Government; desired result will be a regional land use plan.
• I am a member of the State and Local Government Commission as appointed by Senator Richard Finan, and a commissioner of the Ohio Public Works Commission as appointed by Governors Voinovich and Taft.
• I spent two years working on the Executive Committee of the Eastern Corridor Task Force. Others could be listed.

Peggy D. Reis