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COLUMBIANA -- Fairfield Township Trustee John Garwood is hoping to continue serving the township for the next five years.
The incumbent is running for re-election against candidate Logan Cope.
Garwood has an agricultural background and prior service on the Crestview Local School District Board of Education, in addition to more than 40 years' experience running a business as an owner-operator.
Garwood said he is running again because he feels an obligation to be a good steward of the township's finances and capital improvements.
"We continue to allocate funds for our chip and seal program with our county engineer to improve our roads and replace culverts. We act on resolutions passed on by our zoning commission and zoning appeals board that could affect our community; such as the recent resolution that we sent to our county commissioners asking them to ban commercial solar fields in Fairfield Township," he said.
Furthermore, he noted that the township has applied for and received CARES and ARPA money from the state that is allocated for capital improvement projects.
Garwood also said the township is continuing to improve its cemeteries by installing drain tile and resetting old headstones.
"Our board of trustees is a very diverse group of individuals that bring a unique presence of experience to Fairfield Township," he said.
Garwood's work experience includes serving as instructor of a landscape and environmental design program at the Columbiana County Career and Technical Center and as a Feed and Retail Division Manager for Agland Co-op.
He is also owner of Zalea Farms.
His qualifications include being a lifelong resident of Fairfield Township and spending seven years as a member of the Crestview Board of Education during which he served on the buildings and grounds committee, superintendent advisory council, and audit committee.
He is also past president of the Columbiana County Farm Bureau Federation, has served on the Fairfield Township Zoning Committee and been involved with 4-H, Relay For Life and the Columbiana County Agricultural Society.
"I feel that working and living in the area all my life shows that I am committed to making Fairfield Township a better place to live and raise a family. As a township trustee for the past five years and an active member of our community, I have demonstrated my role as a leader through the various positions I have held. This is my home and I welcome the opportunity to serve as the incumbent in the capacity of Fairfield Township Trustee," Garwood said.
He and his wife Linda have been married for 42 years. Their son Zachary passed away at 12 years old from cancer and their daughter Leah is currently owner of Rise & Grind Coffee in Kailua, Hawaii.
Candidate Logan Cope did not respond to a candidate questionnaire.