How do you plan to reach out to constituents about what their needs are?

I’ve always believed that the best way to understand what’s happening in our community is to get out and talk to people. I’ll continue doing that.

Over the last four years, I’ve attended neighborhood meetings and community events and held office hours throughout Wayne Township. I’ve also made a point of meeting regularly with local businesses, our schools, veterans’ and seniors’ organizations, community centers, houses of worship and other community partners.

Those conversations are important because they give us a better understanding of what people are experiencing day to day. Whether it’s a family struggling to make ends meet, a senior who needs help navigating available resources or a neighborhood looking for a stronger connection with township government, I want people to know that their voice matters.

I’ll continue to be out in the community, listening, building partnerships and making sure the township is responding to the needs of the people we serve.

What is the top issue your township is facing and how would you address it as a trustee?

The biggest challenge facing Wayne Township is the growing demand for services at the same time that our resources are becoming more limited.
We’re seeing more of our neighbors needing help simply to make ends meet and remain safely housed. At the same time, cuts at the state and federal levels to programs and services will put even more pressure on local government. We have to be prepared for that reality.

When I became Trustee in July 2022, Wayne Township was facing a very real fiscal crisis. If we didn’t make significant changes, our expenses were projected to overtake our revenues and put critical services—including fire services—at risk as soon as 2027.

We made some difficult decisions. We merged our EMS operations with Indianapolis Emergency Medical Services, changed vendors and ended contracts, reworked our insurance program, reorganized operations, reduced positions through attrition and transferred management of Lions Club Park in Clermont. We looked closely at every part of our operation and asked a simple question: Is this the best way to spend a taxpayer dollar?

Those changes have helped us reduce the township’s budget. Wayne Township is rebuilding our cash balances and rainy-day fund, by tightening our fiscal belt. Going forward, my focus will be on continuing to find efficiencies, building partnerships and making every dollar go as far as possible. The need isn’t going away, so we must make sure our resources are there when our neighbors need us most.

Should township government be consolidated, or should specific services be consolidated, to better manage resources and save taxpayer money?

I think everything should be on the table.

With the cuts being made to local government by the Indiana General Assembly, we have to be willing to look at new ways of doing things. That doesn’t necessarily mean eliminating township government, but it does mean asking whether there are services we can provide more efficiently by working together.

As Trustee, I’ve already had conversations with other townships about opportunities to collaborate, including purchasing supplies, pooling insurance and other contracts, and sharing the cost of specialized staff.

At the end of the day, our responsibility is to the taxpayers and, most importantly, to the people who depend on township services. We shouldn’t be afraid to think differently or work with our neighbors if it allows us to save money and serve more people.
Doing more with less isn’t going to be optional. It’s going to be necessary.

Considering the expected declines in revenue because of property tax cuts, how would you manage your office’s budget?

It is critical that we manage the township’s finances the same way families manage their household budgets: live within our means, prioritize what matters most, and make difficult decisions when necessary.
We learned that lesson when I became Trustee in 2022. Wayne Township was facing a significant fiscal structural imbalance, with actual spending exceeding budgeted revenue forecasts. I knew we had to act, before it threatened essential services. Over the past four years, we’ve made changes throughout township government to reduce costs and improve efficiency.

Continuing to do things the way we always have is not an option. Breaking down barriers to greater cooperation and increased spending restraint has been a challenge. I wish I had recorded every time a long-term employee told me they had to spend their entire budget, or they would lose it. After dozens of conversations and assurances that this is no longer the case, our team now operates with greater concern for the long-term wellbeing of our taxpayers and the financial stability of the township.

With property and income tax changes, along with other reductions in revenue on the horizon, we must keep that discipline. We can’t assume that yesterday’s revenue will be there tomorrow.

At the same time, balancing the budget can’t simply mean cutting services. Our job is to protect the services our residents rely on and look for smarter, more efficient ways to deliver them.

We’ve proven that we can make tough financial decisions while continuing to serve our community. I intend to keep doing that, while strengthening our reserves and making sure Wayne Township is financially prepared for whatever comes next.

How would you improve residents’ access to township assistance?

We need to make it as easy as possible for people to find us and get the help they need.

Over the past four years, we’ve expanded the ways we communicate with residents. We created a bi-weekly community newsletter, use social media regularly, attend and host community events, and spend a lot of time out in the neighborhoods. We’ve also put information and applications for assistance online and have a 24/7 drop box for residents who can’t make it to our office during regular business hours. But we can always do better.