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LaCROFT -- Four candidates will vie for two seats on the Liverpool Township Board of Trustees as part of the Nov. 7 general election.
Current trustees Mike Bahen, 64, Densmore Avenue, and Steve Betteridge, 61, Homestead Drive, are seeking re-election, facing challenges from Dennis Giambroni, 58, Homestead Drive, and Jeffery Smith, 57, Lang Street, both of whom are seeking their first political office.
Mike Bahen
Bahen will be seeking his second term in office, and will be looking to continue his involvement in the community while also wrapping up his career in another capacity.
A lifelong township resident and East Liverpool High School graduate, Bahen has had a near 50-year involvement with the Liverpool Township Volunteer Fire Department, nearly two decades as its chief. He stepped down in 2016.
Eventually looking to retire from active duty, Bahen said remaining as a trustee would provide him the opportunity to continue his service to the community.
"I have live in Liverpool Township all my life," Bahen said. "I have served as a firefighter in Liverpool Township for 46 years, 19 of those as fire chief. I am coming to the end of being a firefighter. This is a way I can continue to serve Liverpool Township."
Throughout his first term, Bahen has applied for multiple grants for the township, similar to his work with the fire department. He looks to continue that action while keeping the township's finances in the positive.
"In the past I was able to get over $300,000 in grants for the fire department," Bahen said. "In the past four years, I have been involved in applying for grants for the whole township. This will save taxpayers money once we receive a grant."
Last year, township voters said no to a new building and maintenance levy, which would have replaced the current township administration building on Ada Avenue with a new building located adjacent to the current facility.
Trustees have said the current building is not ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act)-compliant and has created other problems for the Liverpool Township Police Department (located on the second floor) and the administration. Previous plans had been to convert the former school building on Boring Lane -- which had been fixed and used for storage -- into the new administration headquarters, but trustees said the expense of renovating it was more costly than building a new facility.
Bahen said if elected, he would still pursue a new administration building, but only after selling the old building.
"There has been in the past a lot of money wasted on the old school building," Bahen said. "I would like to sell it and put that money into a new police station. The cost to make the old school into a police station is higher than building a new one."
Steve Betteridge
The owner/operator of Signs by Steve, which opened in 1984, Betteridge will look to remain with the board of trustees for a fifth term.
Betteridge said that throughout the past 16 years, the township has been able to maintain its budget while also improving its vehicles, equipment and chip-and-seal program.
"During my tenure, the township has maintained a balanced budget, updated our vehicles and other equipment and improved our chip-and-seal program from a seven-year average to now six years," Betteridge said. "I have been a strong influence in developing and maintaining our current zoning ordinances."
Betteridge said he is seeking re-election to finish some goals he previously had for the township, including one that has been important for the board throughout the past few years: finding a new ADA-accessible home for the Liverpool Township Police Department and the township's administrative offices, both of which are located on Ada Avenue.
According to Betteridge, the idea originated with a former trustee, the late Butch Kontiner, who played a key role in the township acquiring the former LaCroft school building some 20 years ago.
Two years ago, Betteridge, along with fellow trustees Bahen and Keith Burke, approved the replacement of the old school's roof at a cost of $110,000.
"This investment along with the initial purchase price of the building and the seven-acre parcel for $80,000 in my opinion was easily justified for a 10,000 square-foot building," Betteridge said. "While there will still be a further significant investment required by the township before this entire structure will be fully renovate to meet our present and future needs, I believe this is the best option given our limited finances and we can continue to do these renovations at a pace that allows us to self-fund the project as opposed to placing the township deeply into debt."
Until the summer of 2016, trustees had looked into using the former school building to serve as the township's headquarters, but after deciding to put a levy on the November 2016 ballot, they opted for a newly-built facility adjacent to the current Ada Avenue building, citing a less-expensive route. That levy was voted down.
Betteridge said that renovating older structures can bring "tried and true returns" to the community. Among those area buildings he cited that now have new life are the former East Liverpool Municipal Auditorium (now utilized by Kent State University), the former St. Clair Township fire station (now serving as that township's administration building) and the former Ogilvie department store (now the East Liverpool campus of the New Castle School of Trades).
"This path I feel is a more realistic option than looking to our township residents to fund a brand new building through another levy," Betteridge said.
Betteridge said this path can be accomplished in a three-step process, considering the township has already made the initial investment by purchasing the property, repairing the roof, have blueprints prepared by an architect, and having the storage area for the road department already completed.
That three step process would be to renovate for the police department and have them operate out of a first-floor level as opposed to their current location (on the second floor accessible only by a flight of stairs), then to set up the township administration offices, and the last being the renovation of the exterior.
"Throughout my political career as well as in my personal life, I have always believed 'You cannot go wrong when you do what is right,'" Betteridge said.
Betteridge is a 1974 graduate of East Liverpool High School and a graduate of Jefferson Technical and Kent State University.
A member of the First United Methodist Church in East Liverpool, Betteridge has been married to his wife, Paula, for 33 years. His son, Steven, who resides in Lakeland, Fla., is employed by Lakeland Regional Hospital and is set to graduate as a nurse practitioner in December.
Dennis Giambroni
Giambroni, who has worked in information technology throughout his career, will be seeking his first political office seat, and believes that with his experience, he will be able to provide solid decisions needed for the trustees' role.
"I believe I have what it takes and the right mix of professional and personal experience that, when combined with my work ethic, would help make solid decision for the good of people in Liverpool Township," Giambroni said. "In my line of work, I have driven projects that accomplish objectives to achieve and accomplish goals. Problem solving is a strong skill I have acquired that can make a real difference when needed.
"I never give less than 100 percent in anything I do and, if elected, would take the same approach to the job of trustee. With those values, I believe I can help Liverpool Township with the future."
Giambroni said that a key role for a township trustee is to listen and observe what the residents and voters have to say, and then act on those recommendations.
He also said that, if elected, he will take some time to get a feel for the position and wouldn't make changes right away.
"I believe it would be foolish for me to walk in the door on my first day in office and start trying to make changes," Giambroni said. "Should I be elected, I plan to spend the first several months just listening and learning, and then take it from there.
"When making decisions for the township, the trustees have to remember it's for the good of the people and to keep the lines of communication open, always listening to the voter and their concerns. Then it's up to the trustees to take the information, process it and make an informed decision collectively as a team. It's our job to make sure that we represent the people when making those decisions."
Giambroni said being a trustee has individual duty, but also is about teamwork.
"I do not necessarily believe the trustees are doing a bad job," Giambroni said. "I have certain abilities, attitude and work ethic that will make me an asset to the township and enable me to bring a different approach to the job. When presented with a problem or an issue that needs addressed, I do research, get opinions from others familiar with the situation and come up with a reasonable solution.
"It is important to work together as a team, but I'm also willing to stand my ground if necessary when I believe it is for the best."
Jeffery S. Smith
Smith, a property manager and East Liverpool High School graduate, also enters the race with no previous political experience.
In running for office, Smith said that he can put his previous experience throughout his career to good use to help the township residents and do what would be best for them.
"The main reason is I wish to serve the community in a way that benefits the needs of all residents," Smith said. "Through the office, I can put my skills to work for the people of the township."
Smith said one improvement that could be made if elected would involve the township's equipment.
"I feel we have a great township, but we can look at things like equipment to make sure our people are working with the best possible resources to serve the citizens of the township," Smith said.
A major issue that Smith sees is the issue of finances coming into the township, a common concern for many townships throughout the state. Smith said the goal was to work with other communities to make sure the township remains afloat.
"With everyone receiving less money, we need to work together with other entities," Smith said. "We need to make sure we are fiscally responsible for our residents. Also I feel we need to keep our residents well informed of both the financial side as well as the administrative side of the township."