Russell Township Police Budget Shortfall: A Failure of Oversight

How poor financial planning and lack of transparency from trustees left residents with a preventable crisis

Written By Amy Heutmaker, MBA, MS, LPC, Russell Township, Ohio

Pictured: Amy Heutmaker

How We Got Here:

Russell Township is now facing a police budget shortfall. We’ve been told the money just isn’t there, but that explanation doesn’t cut it. This crisis didn’t appear out of thin air. It was preventable. With stronger oversight and better planning from our trustees, the police budget would not be depleted today.

For years, Russell carried over healthy balances. Responsible spending and steady revenues gave us a cushion against unexpected costs. Instead of safeguarding those reserves and planning for the future, our trustees allowed them to be spent down without a clear, long-term strategy. Major projects, rising payroll obligations, and increasing service fees were added year after year without anyone asking the hard questions: Can we sustain this? What happens next year?

Poor Planning & Damage Control

When the need for a dedicated police levy became undeniable, the trustees pushed forward a 2.5-mill proposal. But they failed to do the necessary work with the county budget commission. The levy submission was rejected, and with that rejection went nearly a million dollars in anticipated revenue for our police department. That wasn’t bad luck—it was poor planning and poor communication.

What makes this worse is the lack of transparency. Residents weren’t given a clear picture of the risks, nor were we told how thin the margin had become. We were left with the impression that things were fine, only to be blindsided when the police fund came up short. That isn’t accountability—it’s damage control.

Future Prevention Measures

Oversight may not be glamorous, but it is the basic job of a trustee. Balancing the books, protecting reserves, and making sure our most critical services are funded—that is the work that matters. Russell Township deserves leaders who will take stewardship seriously and who will be honest with residents before a crisis hits.

Vote for Budget Oversight and Communication

That’s why we need change. With 30 plus years of professional experience with Fortune 500 companies, start-ups, small business, public sector organizations and I have an MBA. I, Amy Heutmaker, have the training and commitment to make sure this kind of financial mismanagement never happens again.

Partnering with John Ishee, a skilled plumber and small business owner who knows how to budget, plan, and deliver results, we can bring accountability back to Russell Township.

This election, you have a choice: more of the same shortfalls and excuses, or new leadership that values transparency, sound financial planning, and real problem-solving.

Vote for Amy Heutmaker and John Ishee on November 4, 2025. Together, we’ll protect Russell’s future and ensure that your tax dollars are spent wisely, with the oversight you deserve, To Keep Russell Township, Russell Township!

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