🚨 Rushed and Risky: Why Russell Township Deserves Better Than a 5-Day Fire/EMS Decision

When your local government makes major public safety decisions, you should be able to trust that the process is careful, transparent, and fiscally responsible.

But earlier this month, the Russell Township Board of Trustees pushed out a fire/EMS service quote to South Russell Village in just five days — a process that should take four to eight weeks.

That’s not responsiveness. That’s recklessness. And as someone running for trustee and former volunteer firefighter, I believe you deserve better.

🧭 What Responsible Leadership Should Look Like

A fire/EMS proposal of this scale isn’t something to wing. It should include:

• A thorough financial review to protect township budgets and taxpayers

• Legal vetting to ensure compliance with Ohio law

• Collaboration with the Fire Chief and Fiscal Officer

• A clear plan to address staffing, operational capacity, and equipment readiness

• Open communication with the public before a vote is taken

Those steps exist for a reason. They prevent expensive mistakes and keep residents safe.

⚠️ Why This Rush Was a Red Flag

💰 Ignoring Fiscal Warnings

Fiscal Officer Karen Walder, known for her meticulous and forward-thinking approach to budgeting, raised concerns about the rushed timeline. Fire service expansions can quickly outpace levy revenue and stick taxpayers with the bill. That warning wasn’t heeded.

⚖️ Skipping Legal Guardrails

Ohio law has clear requirements for major contracts, including multiple public readings for agreements over $80,000. Rushing this process increases the risk of costly legal or procedural errors.

👩‍🚒 Staffing Strain

Our fire department is already running lean. Taking on increased call volume from South Russell without a clear staffing plan risks burnout, shift shortages, and slower response times when our own residents need help.

🚒 Wear and Tear on Equipment

Fire trucks and ambulances aren’t cheap. Running more calls outside of Russell means more wear and tear on expensive apparatus, higher maintenance costs, and a faster replacement cycle — expenses that fall back on Russell taxpayers.

⏳ Longer Response Times Here at Home

Every minute our crews are tied up outside the township is a minute they’re not immediately available here. Increased call volume from South Russell could directly impact emergency response times for our own residents — and that’s unacceptable.

🫥 Eroding Public Trust

When decisions are rushed through behind closed doors, residents start to lose confidence in their local government. Public safety requires sunlight, not shortcuts.

🕵️‍♂️ Why Did Trustee Chris Hare Support This?

Trustee Chris Hare, along with Trustees Kristina Port and Jim Mueller, voted to fast-track this proposal. Hare has campaigned on fiscal responsibility and transparency — yet this decision undercut both.

Voters deserve answers:

• Why downplay the township’s financial officer?

• Why ignore the legal and operational risks?

• Who benefits from a rushed decision that puts Russell taxpayers and first responders in a tougher spot?

These are not political questions. They’re leadership questions.

🗳️ This Is Exactly Why Heutmaker and Ishee are Running

We believe public safety decisions should be made in the open, and not on a rushed basis due to South Russell's poor planning.

We believe staffing and equipment planning come before promises, not after. And we believe Russell residents should never get slower service because of someone else’s rushed deal.

When we are trustees, we will insist on:

✅ Transparent, accountable decision-making✅ Careful fiscal and legal review before major contracts✅ Staffing and equipment plans that protect our residents first✅ A public process that values your voice, not politics

Early voting is happening now. If you want leadership that plans before it promises, I’d be honored to earn your vote.

🗳️ Vote Amy Heutmaker & John Ishee for Russell Township Trustees📅

Early voting is open — let’s build a government that works for us.