To the editor:

I moved to the city of Salem back in 1995. My grandmother and great aunt lived her. I remember coming to Salem as a child with my mother every week. My mother and her siblings graduated from Salem.

I stayed, got married and had children. Our first child was born in 1999. My husband and I lived within the city limits until 2004. I have never had issues with Salem. We just wanted to move a little further out to give our children more yard to play in and to avoid the traffic and noise. When we move to Perry Township, we obviously had our children in Salem schools, as well as many other activities.

My children have been involved with St. Paul Church, where they attended elementary school. They have participated in sports in Salem and within the Friend’s Church, soccer at Kent State University- Salem, as well as the Salem Community Center. I coached softball for five years at the Salem Parks. My husband coached flag football at the Community Center and I coached basketball there as well. My daughter has participated as a volunteer at the Memorial Building Banquet. Our lives center in Salem.

I have worked at Ventra in Salem since 2008 and, prior, when it was Blackhawk and Worthington. My life revolves around the community of Salem. When we moved to Perry Township back in 2004, we were not informed of a deed restriction speaking of possible annexation. We didn’t have to ask for city water or sewer. It was already established. It is my understanding from my research that Salem was more than happy to provide water and sewer to us at a premium rate because we were outside of the city limits.

Now to this annexation issue. This all started with the Hickey expansion, which is in the industrial park across the street from our home.

We received a letter back in April stating that we had 90 days to annex into the City of Salem or our water and sewer could be shut off. We had no idea what was going on at that time. I called some members of the city government and was given the advice that we needed to pay for a survey for annexation. Pay for a survey to annex into Salem? We don’t want to go back to Salem. We have been happy with Perry Township. What would be the benefit to us? I pay city taxes from my employer. My husband does not. He works in a township near Canton. There couldn’t be much money in that we thought. As we dug deeper, we found out that the city wants to annex our property, which is the only one on Beechwood Road, only to get to the attaching properties behind us on Hampton Place, then Countryside Drive.

While my husband Sean and I were looking into this crazy notion that WE would pay for a survey to annex into Salem, we got a little more pressure. The mayor of Salem, Cindy Barronzi-Dickey, rang our doorbell while we were at work. I responded to the doorbell and we had a brief conversation regarding her visit. After my research, I believe that she was trying to push us to get this survey to “get the ball rolling,” as they say.

Many things have happened since we first received that letter back in April. The Perry Township Trustees worked with Salem City Council to provide us with a six month “pardon” for lack of a better word. I am not convinced that the Salem City Council members were aware of the threatening letter or the home visit that we received. I would like to thank the Trustees and the Salem City Council for their work on this. My husband and I have known many of the Trustees and Council members for years and we really appreciate your effort to understand our concern. The extension has allowed us to breathe.

I have had much time to investigate, research and reflect on everything that is going on here and I can honestly say that the way this started sickens me. It has been 24 years since the birth of our first child and my family has been in this community the entire time. How can someone be so crass as to “threaten” us with this annexation scheme to allow the city to also annex our neighbors in the Hampton/Countryside area? Where is the loyalty? Honesty? Character? Integrity?

After living in this area and being a part of so many activities, shopping at the Salem stores, dining at the Salem restaurants, working here…. something has changed and it saddens me to say it. I NEVER would have thought in a million years that the town we have invested so much of our lives to would have a representative of the government treat us this way.

For those of you who already know us, you know us. For those that didn’t, maybe now you can understand the frustration the Butchers. The single house on Beechwood Road that is being held as the center of this annexation.

Laurie Butcher.

Salem,