Budget Commission's Austerity Budget Will Destroy Cash Reserves and Hasten Tax Levies

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE / INDIVIDUAL TRUSTEE STATEMENT

NOVELTY, Ohio — August 26, 2026 — Russell Township Trustee Amy Heutmaker has released an official statement regarding the Township's 2027 tax budget submission and ongoing proceedings before the Geauga County Budget Commission. Trustee Heutmaker is issuing a firm warning that the forced austerity measures currently being discussed will severely damage the Township's financial stability.

Navigating Administrative Challenges Without Professional Support 

Following the departure of the previous Township Fiscal Officer, the Board of Trustees worked diligently to assemble and submit a workable tax budget without professional fiscal office support. While the Ohio Revised Code establishes that the taxing authority adopts the budget, the operational reality and long-standing tradition across most Ohio townships is that the Fiscal Officer prepares and manages these complex documents. Despite these administrative hurdles, the Trustees did their absolute best to ensure financial transparency and responsible stewardship for the community during this transition. 

Defending Capital Reserves Against an Austerity Budget 

Trustee Heutmaker is raising the alarm regarding the Budget Commission's proposed suspension of up to five continuing levies. The austerity budget currently being discussed by the Budget Commission destroys our cash reserves and will ultimately hasten the need for future tax levies. 

Addressing characterizations by the Commission that the Township's 4900-series capital reserve funds are idle cash surpluses, Trustee Heutmaker, Deputy Fiscal Officer DeYoung, and Board Administrator Warren Dovsek emphasize that these accounts are legally restricted reserves dedicated to multi-year infrastructure and equipment replacements. 

These reserves are anchored by the Miller-Dodson Capital Reserve Study, which was originally instituted by former Fiscal Officer Charles Walder and continued under Fiscal Officer Karen Walder. This 40-year engineering roadmap has been consistently relied upon to prevent sudden taxpayer spikes and protect critical life-safety operations. 

Forcing the Township to drain these restricted reserves ignores the reality of our aging fleet — including frontline ambulances that are 20 years old with over 200,000 miles on them. Once these cash reserves are artificially exhausted by austerity measures and critical equipment fails, the Township will be forced to return to the voters for emergency replacement levies at higher rates.  

The urgency of this situation cannot be overstated. Both of the Township's frontline ambulances were recently out of service simultaneously, forcing Russell Township to borrow a unit from the Auburn Fire Department just to maintain emergency medical coverage. Having two 20-year-old ambulances operating well beyond their service life is unacceptable — not only as a matter of fiscal responsibility, but as a direct threat to the life-safety of the residents who depend on timely emergency medical response. 

Board-Led Voluntary Millage Rollbacks 

While fighting to protect necessary reserves, Heutmaker also highlighted the proactive actions already taken by the Township. To provide responsible taxpayer relief, the Russell Township Board of Trustees collectively advanced voluntary millage rollbacks in their submitted budget. 

These Board-driven reductions include a 1.5-mill rollback on the Police District levy and a 1.0-mill rollback on the Road & Bridge levy, while maintaining full collection levels for Fire and EMS to ensure uncompromised emergency services. 

Statement from Trustee Amy Heutmaker 

"My primary commitment as an elected official is to balance responsible tax relief with the uncompromised safety and operational readiness of our frontline departments. I am proud that our Board of Trustees collectively initiated proactive millage rollbacks to deliver real tax relief. However, we cannot allow an arbitrary austerity budget to dismantle our restricted capital reserves. Draining our savings will only create an immediate financial cliff that ultimately burdens the taxpayers by hastening the need for new levies. We must defend our capital lifecycles to ensure long-term fiscal stability for Russell Township." 

"As a part-time trustee, I do not have the flexibility to simply take time off from my professional work as a clinical mental health therapist with a hospital system. Additionally, the County Treasurer informed Trustee Port that the Township has lost its ability to negotiate. Given those constraints and that stance, our administration and legal counsel will rely on our submitted, written evidentiary record to represent the Township's interests." 

"I can't help but think this is a premeditated effort by the Budget Commission to draw Geauga County and Russell Township into protracted legal drama for no good reason. On February 2nd, the Geauga County Prosecuting Attorney specifically cited — as an example during a Trustee special meeting — that if he or his office were in disagreement with our Board, he would have to recuse himself and we would be forced to seek outside counsel. And here we are. That sequence of events raises serious questions about whether legal confrontation was always the intended outcome rather than genuine fiscal oversight."  

The views expressed here are those of Resident and Trustee Amy Heutmaker only and are intended to keep residents informed about township issues. Decisions of the Russell Township Board of Trustees are made only during public meetings.