FRANKLIN SQUARE — Voters in Salem Township will select two candidates from a field of four for township trustee as incumbents Bill Heston and John Wilms face challenge from Nancy MacKenzie and Joe Merrit in the upcoming general election Nov. 4.

Bill Heston

Bill Heston, 81, is United States Navy Veteran, and owned his own dairy equipment business for 42 years prior to his retirement and still operates a 60-acre farm with his wife Judy, and in addition to his trustee position serves as Sexton of the township’s cemeteries. He has also served on the Columbiana County Association Steering Committee, and the Ohio Equine Advisory Board, and as a Vice President for the Percheron Horse Association of America Education and Charitable Fund. Heston is a member of the Negley Masonic Lodge, a life member of the Leetonia American Legion Post 131, and Washingtonville Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5532 and has served as Vice Commander for both the American Legion and VFW.

Heston said he was seeking re-election because “after serving the residents of Salem Township and working to get the most for each dollar spent” he feels that he “still has much to do” and that his experience running his business and farm and interacting with the public were what qualified him to serve as trustee. Heston cited updating the township road department’s equipment, building several new township buildings, and bringing the township’s cemetery records up to date without any new taxes as his three biggest accomplishments as trustee.

When asked why voters should choose him Heston said that he has “the experience and time to work every day for the residents.”

Nancy MacKenzie

Nancy MacKenzie, 53, is a 1991 Leetonia High School alum, and has worked as a bus driver for the Crestview School District since 2003. MacKenzie is the current President of the Leetonia American Legion Post 131 Auxiliary, a Trustee of the Washingtonville VFW Post 5532 Auxiliary, and the Ohio Association of Public-School Employees Building Representative for Crestview and has been married to Noel MacKenzie for 34 years with whom she has a son James, and daughter Ashley.

MacKenzie said she was seeking election so she can contribute to and support her community, and that while she has not held public office her career as a bus driver she had developed a strong understanding of “the importance and work involved maintaining these roads and keeping them safe for all traffic that moves through this township.” She also said that she has attended many county-wide trustee events and learning lessons with her father, who served as a trustee, and through those sessions “was able to meet many of the trustees from our neighboring townships and continue many of those friendships.”

When asked why voters should elect her MacKenzie said that she was a lifelong resident of the township and wanted to help it “continue growing toward a better future.”

“I will make sure to listen to the concerns of our township and work collaboratively. I know how important it is to stay true to yourself while also allowing others to share their thoughts and ideas,” said MacKenzie.

Joe Merrit

Joe Merrit holds a degree in auto diesel technology from Nashville Auto Diesel College, a degree in technical workforce development from Bowling Green State University, and a teaching licensure as a Medium/Heavy Truck Technician and teaches diesel power equipment at the Mahoning County Career & Technical Center. Merritt serves as a board member for Leetonia Youth Athletics and has raised five children with his wife Jennifer.

Merritt said that he was running for trustee “to keep local government focused on what works” which he defined as “safe well-maintained roads and ditches, strong and coordinated emergency services, clear financial reporting residents can actually read, and fair property standards that protect everyone’s home value.” He said that voters should choose him because he is “a hands-on leader” and if elected he will “publish clear timelines, return calls, and be present where the work happens. Township government should be accessible, courteous, and accountable.”

John Wilms

John Wilms, 80, is a 1964 Leetonia High School alum and has served as township trustee since 1986, Wilms also owns his own business, Wilms Topsoil, and is a founding member of the Heritage Day Park Committee. Wilms is married to Cathy Williams and has two daughter Kimberly Schmidt and Misty White, and one son John Wilms Jr., two stepdaughters Sarah Carroll and Abbey Mccann, and 10 grandchildren.

Wilms said that he was seeking re-election because he enjoys serving the township as trustee “and doing the job completely,” and that his nearly 40 years of experience serving as trustees and the beneficial contacts he has cultivated during his career in the trucking industry were what qualified him for the role. Wilms cited overseeing day-to-day township activities to ensure residents “receive the highest standards for quality, quantity, and service for each tax dollar paid,” keeping the township’s costs lower than its revenues amidst budget cuts, and “constant review of financial solvency to meet township needs today and in planning for the future” as s his three biggest accomplishments as trustee.

When asked why voters should choose him over other candidates Wilms said that “as a current Salem Township Trustee,” he works for residents and that he works “hard, responsibly and place [their] interests first.”