Holland
Lumbrezer
Harris
One incumbent will face off against two challengers in the race for two seats on the Royalton Township Board of Trustees. Incumbent Ronald J. Lumbrezer is joined on the ballot by Andrew Harris and Jake Holland. Steven D. Gillespie’s term also expires at the end of the year, but he is not on the ballot.
Name: Andrew Harris
Family: Wife- Jamie (Pinkelman) Harris, kids- Brantly, Isla, and Brayden.
Age: 36
Education: Pike-Delta-York graduate
Civic organizations: Member of Trinity Lutheran Church Delta
1. Why are you running for political office?
I am running for office to serve my community of Royalton Township and to make it the best possible place for future generations to come.
As trustee I would like to be an integral part of making decisions for the good of our community, and bring a fresh way of thinking to the township.
2. Why should people vote for you?
I would like people to vote for me because I have a strong desire to serve in public office and have many skills that would be an asset to the team including snow and ice removal and extensive general maintenance knowledge. As trustee I will work hard to help get things done. I will always be ready and available to do what needs done no matter how tough the job or situation.
3. What are your two main goals if elected?
One goal if I am elected is to improve the road maintenance program which I feel has been lacking for a while. No matter what, our infrastructure in Royalton Township should be a high priority for our community and for our first responders.
Second goal is to make sure The Lyons Royalton Fire Dept. and EMS always have the best, top notch equipment they can have within our financial realm. Fire and EMS are the backbone of our community and deserve the best to be able to do their jobs to the best of their abilities.
Those two things I think will help make our community the best it can be which is the way I want it to be for everybody.
4. Have you held office before?
While I have not held office before, I have experience serving the public through experience as a coach for area youth, park improvement projects and have been a lifelong volunteer with fundraising for Trinity Lutheran Church. I am ready to learn from current trustees and work with them as a team.
5. Do you have anything else to add?
As an area farmer I have a flexible schedule that would allow me to be available day and night to work when needed. I love this community and I would love to be your Royalton Township Trustee.
Name: Jake Holland
Family: Wife Kayla Miller and 9-year-old son Michael.
Age: 33
Education: Associates of Agriculture Business Management from Owens Community College, Class of 2006 Evergreen High School.
Civic Organizations: Fulton County Soil and Water Conservation Board member (current Treasurer), Our Lady of Fatima Cemetery Board.
1. Why are you running for political office?
It has been my lifelong goal to serve as a township trustee in Fulton County. I respect the people who serve as township trustees and didn’t want to run against someone who was incumbent. When current Royalton Township Trustee Steve Gillespie said he would not be seeking re-election this fall, I decided it was a good time to run.
2. Why should people vote for you?
I have experience with several functions township trustees oversee: cemeteries, drainage, and roads. My experience in these items is with my small excavating business. I currently sit on the Our Lady of Fatima Cemetery Board and I dig graves for four local cemeteries. I complete ditch maintenance such as mowing brush, trimming small trees, and removing sediment built up over many years to improve water flow in drainageways.
I also operate a plow truck for snow removal in private driveways. The township trustees are responsible for filling in if one of the township employees is unable to plow snow from the township roads and I am comfortable doing so if needed.
3. What are your two main goals if elected?
I only have one main goal if elected: to stay the course Royalton Township is currently on. We have a beautiful township cemetery that recently had a retention wall re-built, thanks to the support of township voters. Our township roads are good but will continue to require upkeep and improvement as our Ohio winter freeze/thaw action takes its toll on them. We also are fortunate to have an excellent township fire department and team of EMTs who take care of people who need their help while living in or visiting our township.
4. Have you held office before?
I have served on the Fulton County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) Board of Directors for 8 years. This is an unpaid, publicly-elected position via a voting process facilitated by our SWCD. I was recently re-elected to another term. I currently serve as our treasurer. My responsibilities include signing paychecks for Soil and Water employees, overseeing the office budget prepared by the office manager, assisting in land management and restoration projects if employees need additional help, and attending monthly meetings.
5. Do you have anything else to add?
I encourage folks to vote early if it is more convenient for their schedule by absentee ballot or at the Fulton County Board of Elections behind the sheriff’s office in Wauseon. I appreciate the opportunity to run for one of two spots open for Royalton Township Trustee. I wish my two competitors the best of luck in the race.
Name: Ronald J. Lumbrezer
1. Why are you running for political office?
I am running for re-election because I enjoy serving my community and I love being a Royalton Township trustee.
2. Why should people vote for you?
The citizens of Royalton Township and the Village of Lyons should vote for me because I am the only candidate with the experience as a professional surveyor for an engineering firm and as a township trustee. This will maintain the progress being made improving the roads/drainage, maintaining the cemetery, and administering the Lyons-Royalton Fire Department.
3. What are your two main goals if elected?
My two main goals are, one to work with the fire department to administer the changes in our new EMS contract with Fulton County along with completing the addition to the fire department; two, is to continue to pave our roads as our budget allows.
4. Have you held office before?
I have had the privilege of being a Royalton Township trustee for 20 years. I also served on the Ohio Township Association State Board for eight of those years.
5) Do you have anything else to add?
As one of the Royalton Township trustees we were able to achieve some major accomplishments in the past four years. One, thanks to the township/village residents passing a tax levy, Royalton Township’s new cemetery wall was constructed to replace the original wall that was constructed in 1908. This will provide protection for the cemetery and is a huge improvement as well.
Two, Royalton Township has been able to improve township roads with chip and seal pavement as well as paving 2.5 miles of roadway in the last four years. Three, Working with some of the residents and the Fulton County Commissioners, Royalton Township completed a drainage improvement on Twp. Rd 11-2 to prevent flooding. Four, Royalton Township has received CARES Act funding from the federal government to put an addition on the fire department for showers and sleeping quarters.
