GOSHEN TOWNSHIP — The board of trustees completed annual re-organization procedures in its meeting Wednesday.

The annual re-organization meeting began with a roughly 30-minute executive session for the discussion of personnel matters, after which Trustee Shawn Mesler was named the new board chairman for 2025 nominated by 2024 Chair Trustee John Bricker and seconded by Trustee Teresa Stratton. Bricker was subsequently named vice-chairman, nominated by Stratton, and seconded by Mesler.

The board will continue to meet for their regular monthly meetings on the second Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m., and the trustees’ responsibilities will remain the same as in 2024 with the exception of the township’s designee for public records retention training, which will now be designated to the office holder of fiscal officer, board of trustees chair, and police chief rather than naming a specific person.

Trustees voted unanimously to approve the township’s 2025 budget which Fiscal Officer Michele Barratt said would have a beginning revenue of $1,213,530.94. Barratt said that the township’s anticipated expenses of $2,275,589.88 would outpace its anticipated revenue of $2,119,448, for an anticipated end balance of $1,057,289.06.

The clothing allowance for township employees will be set at $300 per year for full-time employees for the road department, and $900 a year for full-time employees and $200 for part-time employees for the police department; and the township’s bi-annual department head evaluations will be held in January and July.

Other personnel matters approved included the rehire of Road Foreman Matt Springer at an hourly rate of $26.39, Road Department Worker Adam Corll at an hourly rate of $24.28, and Police Chief John Calko at an hourly rate of $32.67, and a 5% pay increase to all police department personnel.

The cost of graves will be $500 for township residents in 2025 with a limit of one per resident, and $1,000 for non-residents.

The board of trustees will meet next for their first regular meeting of 2025 at 6 p.m. Feb. 11.