WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP — Approximately 551 registered voters in Washington Township will have the opportunity to decide which two of the three candidates will fill the two board of trustees seats up for grabs in the 2025 General Election to be held on Nov. 4 or during the early voting period which started Oct. 7.

Candidates include Charles Jarvis, James Kelly and Karianne Sevek.

Karianne Sevek, 54,

Clarks Mill Road, Hammondsville

Karianne Sevek, a 1989 graduate of Southern Local and an alum of Kent State and Robert Morris universities, is currently serving as a Washington Township trustee and is also the co-owner and one of the founding members of the B&S Carryout and Drive-Thru which was opened in 2004 after being converted from the former Hays Gas Station.

She was previously employed by Huntington Bank in Salineville until her department was relocated to Canton in 2009.

She and her husband Roger, whom she married in 1992, have two children: son Drew who is married to Hannah and daughter Anna who is married to Chevy Deitz.

Sevek’s community activities include serving as the treasurer of Salineville Southern Local Alumni Association, a position she has held for 10 years and a board member of the Salineville Southern Local Scholarship Committee. She and her family attend St. George Catholic Church in Lisbon.

Sevek said she has never lost an election, has never been appointed to a public body and has never been convicted of a felony.

She lists her experience of working full-time raising a family, starting a business and working two jobs until 2009, along with managing day-to-day financial matters, writing orders, hiring employees, payroll, and keeping the doors open during two consecutive years of road construction which had a negative impact on the business along with her banking experience which includes various positions in the bank as just a few of the qualifications she has for the trustee position.

“I am running for re-election because there are goals in the township that remain unfinished. A trustee’s main responsibility is to manage taxpayers’ money wisely, while also keeping up with changes in tax laws and anticipating any future financial challenges related to the township’s funding,” Sevek said. “The possibility of property tax repeal will have a direct impact on the budget and how we oversee road work, equipment purchases and discretionary spending. Our road supervisor efficiently maintains equipment, helping us deliver high-quality roads in the area. However, roads are not the only thing that our township concerns itself with.”

Sevek said her biggest accomplishment was during her initial term and was applying for and receiving a $20,000 from the Ohio Attorney General’s office to help curb illegal dumping at the Foundry Hill site. She notes that fencing will be installed along the roadway to try to deter people from continuing to dump along that section of the roadway.

“Voters should consider re-electing both incumbents so that we may continue providing the services that they have come to expect from our township,” Sevek said. “If re-elected, I will continue searching for other ways to fund projects and improve the township such as federal grants and state funding without using our allocated funds. Trustees should also consider looking at ordinances that address dilapidated properties and whether there are monies available to help clean them up. I aim to generate ideas that meet our community’s needs.”

Election responses were not received from candidates Charles Jarvis and James Kelly.

kgarabrandt@mojonews.com