Bonnie Gunckel Koogle
No response
Terry Johnson
Credit: Picasa
Credit: Picasa
Education: A.S., Kettering College of Medical Arts; B.S., Miami University; M.S., University of Dayton
Current Employment: Miamisburg High School Honors and College Prep anatomy teacher
Community Involvement: Veteran of the United States Air Force as a medic and served six months in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm; council member, president of council, parks board, parks oversight committee, personnel board. Previous member of the Pool Board, Pool Oversight Committee, Valley View Excellence Committee.
Why are you seeking elected office? I would like to finish my time on council as the mayor of Germantown. I feel that my experience as a council member will help serve in that capacity. I feel that my time as a public servant as a member of the Air Force and as a high school educator shows my willingness and dedication to serve the public. As the president of council, I have experience in running the council meetings. I understand what it means to be a member of the council and what is expected of an elected official in terms of the ethics involved during and after official meetings, especially with confidential information discussed. I am also running to make sure that all citizens are treated fairly and equally.
Why should voters elect you? My goal as the mayor will be to continue to give all citizens of Germantown equal government representation in an honest and trustworthy manner as the leader of the council in the mayor position. I my experience as a member of the council is a plus when it comes to negotiating and bargaining to reach a compromise in the decision making process. I will be at the disposal of the citizens of Germantown on any and all matters at any time and the citizens should feel free to contact me for truthful information on the governing of the city of Germantown.
If elected, what will be your top three priorities? The top three priorities for Germantown are to keep improving the infrastructure, to which some is the original equipment/material installed in the 1920s. This includes the water/sewer lines, streets, sidewalks, the covered bridge, and the soon to be abandoned Valley View School buildings. Germantown can allow residential growth at a controlled rate to keep the small town feel for the city while allowing new homes for those who would like to call Germantown home to be built. The city has enough opportunity for additional homes and business growth that will allow the city to keep the Miami Military Institute as green space. Commercial growth needs to increase to find new businesses to come to the city to provide more choices for the citizens. This past summer I started the process by working with the city manager and Pat Higgins in an attempt to market and promote Germantown to potential business/commercial possibilities.
What specific plans do you have to address those top priorities? I will continue to work with the council members, city manager, staff members, and concerned citizens to make sure that the city prepares budgets in an appropriate manner by spending the tax dollars of our citizens wisely while seeking possible grant and 0%/low interest loan possibilities for major projects. I will continue to work with the city manager, Pat Higgins, and Dan Bish, specialist, community and economic development from Montgomery County using the Buxton process/program to help promote Germantown to businesses and restaurant owners in an attempt to have them open in Germantown. I have looked into the possibility of one restaurant and the study actually found that the city was not a good marketing fit for that brand name but may be a better fit for a different brand than the one in question. I will work with the Valley View schools to help find a viable option for the former school buildings or make sure that the buildings are removed and the citizens of Germantown don’t have to pay for the future demolition project. The demolition cost is in the bond issue budget and in good faith the school should not let the Germantown community down by forcing the citizens to deal with the abandoned buildings
Anything else? It will be a pleasure and an honor to serve the citizens of Germantown as the mayor of our great city! Thank you for your past and continued support. Please use your right to vote!