John Gomez
Credit: DAN CLEARY
Credit: DAN CLEARY
Education: Bachelor’s degrees in political science and economics, University of Dayton
Current Employment: Office of Congressman Steve Chabot, Warren County Office
Community Involvement: Miami Township Zoning Commission
Why are you seeking elected office? My campaign is dedicated to securing the economic future of our township. As someone who has dedicated their career to public service, I am running to take that service to a higher level. Our current trustees have ignored the economic challenges facing our township in favor of personal pet projects and wasteful spending initiatives. A $500,000 park 0.5 miles from a trustee’s backyard, continued legal actions against a police officer, and spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on changing dispatch centers are just some examples of this wasteful spending. It is imperative that we focus on saving the Dayton Mall, solving the problems at Austin Landing, and ensuring a successful future for the former LexisNexis property. Our economic future is directly tied to whether our neighborhoods will be safe, schools will be strong, and whether we can address our roads and infrastructure issues. Our residents are also overtaxed and governed by individuals who do not take the proper steps to ensure that these tax dollars are well spent. Our current trustees have not focused on these issues or presented a real vision for the future of the township. Likewise, a number of residents have felt that their needs have been ignored by the current trustees. Concerns about safety, traffic and our economic future have fallen on deaf ears. Our residents deserve leaders that truly serve them and will fight for our future. I will be that leader. Failing to focus on these critical issues will spell disaster for our community.
Why should voters elect you? My experience at the local, state and federal levels of government has given me a strong background in understanding how our government works and how we can get the most out of it. In my current role, I advocate for citizens who have been wronged by the federal government and fight to resolve any issues they may have with Social Security, Medicare and other federal agencies. This mentality, of fighting for our citizens so that they may live life to the fullest, is the mentality I will have as a township trustee. As a small business owner, I also have a perspective on what we must do in order to make our community economically viable and competitive with our neighbors. As trustee, I will do everything in my power to ensure that Miami Township is the perfect setting for people to achieve their American dream. Over the course of my career, I have built a strong network of elected officials, business owners and community activists that will serve our township well. Many of those elected officials have endorsed my candidacy for trustee, including our state senator, two state representatives, our county sheriff, county treasurer and county clerk of courts. I am proud to have earned the trust and confidence of these esteemed leaders. Their confidence speaks to the quality of my vision for the township, as well as my ability to achieve it.
If elected, what will be your top three priorities? Our top priority must be addressing the economic future of the township and specifically the Dayton Mall and surrounding area. We cannot let the Dayton Mall become the Salem Mall. The future of the mall is not in brick-and-mortar retail. Instead, we must do all that we can to bring businesses and establishments that are both unique and economically sustainable. We must make the Dayton Mall a destination again. The second priority must be cutting wasteful spending. A current trustee wants to spend $500,000 on a park just a half mile from his own backyard. This is unacceptable. The current trustees also approved a costly change in our police dispatch center, which will cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and negatively affect response times. I would not have approved that change. Wasteful spending such as this will inevitably lead to tax increases on our residents, something that I will never support. My third priority is intimately connected with the first two -- repairing our roads and infrastructure. Many of our roads have fallen into a state of disrepair, causing a myriad of issues for businesses and residents. We must do all that we can to fix these roads and infrastructure projects without raising taxes on our residents. Failing to act on these issues will cause jobs to leave, lower amounts of funding for our schools, and investments in homes and businesses to lose substantial amounts of value.
What specific plans do you have to address those top priorities? When it comes to the Dayton Mall and economic development, we must take an aggressive approach to bringing new businesses and attractions to the area. That approach includes cutting overly burdensome regulations, streamlining operations and lowering tax burdens. Miami Township must become the premier destination in the Dayton region for new businesses and business expansions. Staff will be directed to actively recruit new businesses and business expansions. From a longer perspective, we must make sure that our businesses have qualified employees. Ensuring strong local schools, retaining talent from the University of Dayton, Wright State and Sinclair, as well as supporting job training programs are keys in this plan. Support for new and small businesses is crucial to our long-term success. On the wasteful spending front, I will call for a performance audit of the township. This audit will uncover areas where we can cut excessive spending and streamline our operations. This will allow us to decrease our tax burden and pave the way for cutting taxes for residents. It will also allow us to reallocate resources to help us more effectively reach our goals. When it comes to repairing our roads, we will focus on repairing and repaving as many roads as possible, without raising taxes. We will pursue partnerships with other local governments and private enterprise to lower our costs and maximize the number of roads we are able to repair per year. We will also pursue obtaining funding from a variety of other sources.
Anything else? 2020 demonstrated in a drastic way that our leadership matters, especially at a local level. The current trustees have demonstrated that we need a change in leadership. My campaign is focused on the issues and how we will solve them. As I’ve stated, my campaign is dedicated to securing the economic future of the township. The vision I’ve laid for the township is one that includes strong businesses, prosperous and safe neighborhoods, as well as welcoming and accessible public areas. I hope to earn your vote in this November’s election.
Bob Matthews
Credit: DAN CLEARY
Credit: DAN CLEARY
Education: Master’s, Texas A&M University
Current Employment: Life Enrichment Center
Community Involvement: Miami Township trustee, New Gettysburg Church
Why are you seeking elected office? Complete the job I started in my earlier term.
Why should voters elect you? I have a unique combination of management, business, and information technology experience, combined with previous township trustee experience.
If elected, what will be your top three priorities? Parks, pavement and police.
What specific plans do you have to address those top priorities? I would be sure that all 10 parks get funding, as opposed to just one park getting $500,000 as the current trustees are planning! I would get the bad roads resurfaced, not just have the potholes filled.
Anything else? See the web site at www.bob4t.com for a video interview with Bob and more information.
John Morris
Education: I have a Bachelor’s degree (B.S. business) from Wright State University and Master’s degrees in economics, entrepreneurship, education from University of Delaware.
Current Employment: CEO, Ohio Valley Construction Education Foundation
Community Involvement: Current president, Miami Township Board of Trustees; current president, Montgomery County Township Association; United Way volunteer; Walk for the Poor participant/supporter; fundraiser for ALS, cancer, MS, others; Good Sheppard Ministries
Why are you seeking elected office? My family (wife, daughter, two sons, dog) and I have lived in Miami Township/Miamisburg for the past 23 years. My wife grew up in Miamisburg and graduated from the high school. Her mother was a Miamisburg school secretary for many years. Our roots are in this community. We are working toward owning our forever home here. We pay (a lot of) taxes, just like every other citizen and voter. Over the past three decades, I have seen our local government go through waves of getting things done, to getting nothing done while fighting over personal agendas, to elected officials and staff leaving after disgracing their positions. I believe that good government at the local level requires elected officials who are engaged in their communities, people who will work for neighborhoods. I believe citizens are fed up with politics and don’t want candidates simply looking to use the position as a stepping stone to some other elected office. They don’t want people who do nothing and avoiding making tough decisions out of fear of losing votes. I believe citizens are tired of politicians who make elected office their career and prefer to be represented by people who are just like them - honest, hard working taxpayers who expect government to actually work and get things done. I am seeking reelection so I can continue to represent the citizens, to keep local government working for us.
Why should voters elect you? I should be reelected trustee because I have delivered on my promise of better leadership and better services. There is much more to do and I will continue to work hard for citizens. Now more than ever, we need a trustee with strong leadership skills. No other candidate brings my extensive experience. I am currently a nonprofit CEO and educator. I’ve been a high school principal, economics professor, owned small businesses, worked for major corporations, utilities. I’m a licensed electrician. This leadership experience has prepared me to lead our community. I am not a politician; elected office is not my career. As president of the board of trustees, I’ve enjoyed leading the administration to work for citizens and neighborhoods, not special interests. We have made some great investments in parks, repaved more roads. We are investing more in public safety with more police on the streets. Our fire department is getting the equipment it needs. We’ve added resource officers to our schools to protect our children. We are getting more services without raising taxes and I’m asking for your vote to keep us moving in the right direction. Over the next four years, there will be some major decisions to be made regarding our outstanding fire department and how it is funded. It will require complex negotiations and if reelected, I will get it done correctly. I will invest over $3 million in community improvements through my recently created and funded Neighborhood Investment Program.
If elected, what will be your top three priorities? As your reelected trustee, public safety through outstanding police and fire departments will be priority No. 1. In the past four years, we’ve added more officers and given them the equipment they need like body cameras to protect the rights of citizens and officers. In the next year, ongoing funding of the fire department will be a major discussion and negotiation between the township and city of Miamisburg. I use my experience to generate the best outcome for our citizens. As trustee, my second priority will be to provide as much investment into neighborhoods as the budget can take without raising taxes. We will continue to improve our parks and get more roads repaved. A lot has been accomplished in the past four years, including some projects that had sat unfinished since the 1970s. There is a lot more work to be done. As trustee, my third priority would be economic development to attract new residents and businesses. If you first have safety, outstanding neighborhoods and services, businesses will want to be here to hire and attract residents as customers. Some say they are “worried” about the Dayton Mall or losing corporate jobs. A trustee should not try and pick and choose winners in the business sector, that is what the free market is all about. Free enterprise is the backbone of our nation. As trustee, I will create a community that people will choose to live and work in, attracting businesses and development without sacrificing services and neighborhood investments.
What specific plans do you have to address those top priorities? My plan for meeting these priorities begins with the newly created Neighborhood Investment Fund. Under my leadership, we are depositing $3million to $5 million into this account. We will partner with other communities and write grants to grow the account even larger. These dollars will buy additional police and fire equipment, upgrades to parks and road repairs. We might invest in businesses, workers, housing or nonprofits. This fund will allow me to impact each of my three main priority areas. Prior trustees and current candidates will tell you about their plans. I teach strategic planning. Planning is easy; getting things done is hard. Your choice for trustee should not only have a plan, but have a record of leading successful ventures, managing people, controlling budgets. Most plans fail simply because they are never implemented. I was elected trustee in 2017 with a plan and over the past four years, I am proud of a lot of what has been accomplished; but the work is just beginning. If reelected trustee, I will put the Neighborhood Investment Fund to its best use. I will continue to get more done with the same resources. I do not believe that we need to raise taxes; we just need to work harder and smarter.
Anything else? As your trustee, I work hard analyzing accounts and budgets, studying state law. I am looking for ways to invest more into neighborhoods. In 2020, I identified approximately $1 million that was available to be re-invested into the community and brought forward a proposal that $500,000 of these funds be invested in all parks. Since that proposal, we have found even more dollars and combined them to create the $3million to $5 million Neighborhood Investment Fund in 2021. Some people have distorted these facts saying that “John Morris wants to invest $500k into a park 3 blocks from his house.” This is is simply not true. It is true is that I have been working with community leaders all across our region on a comprehensive parks plan that includes the opportunity to turn one of our community parks into a spectacular destination location. It would be unique to our region; first in the state of Ohio. Many have called it an “awesome” idea. The plan calls for support from the township, county, state and corporations. One suggested location is the only park in our system that has not had a major upgrade and also has a layout perfect for this concept. That location is within a mile of thousands residents and also happens to be half a mile from my home. The proposal is still being debated, will likely be modified and has never been voted on. If reelected trustee, I will continue to work for you, finding resources for the benefit of everyone.
Terry Posey
Education: Tippecanoe High School; University of Virginia, B.A.; University of Dayton School of Law, J.D.
Current Employment: Litigation partner with Porter Wright Morris & Arthur LLP; Miami Township trustee
Community Involvement: I have served on the Boonshoft Museum Board of Trustees since 2015, and presently serve as the vice-chair. I have also served on the board of trustees of the Children’s Dyslexia Center of Dayton. I have served as the chair of the Appellate Practice Committee of the Dayton Bar Association from 2010-2015 and 2018 to present, and am currently the president of the Carl D. Kessler Inn of Court. I served as the co-chair of the Access to Justice Gala in 2012 and served on the planning committee for the Campaign for Equal Justice from 2011-2015. In addition, I am a graduate of the Leadership Dayton Class of 2016 and the Ohio State Bar Foundation Class of 2011.
Why are you seeking elected office? First and foremost, I believe the highest honor is to serve my community. I want to ensure the good stewardship of Miami Township’s public funds, and to help guide our community to prosperity. I want to see our citizens flourish and our businesses thrive under good leadership. I also believe that my current tenure as Miami Township trustee has allowed me to use my professional skills for the benefit of our community. As a courtroom litigator and a business counselor, I often have to make tough choices and explain new and difficult concepts to judges, juries and clients.
Why should voters elect you? The candidates in the race all have significant differences in the three areas critical for a successful local official: their ties to the community, their leadership experience, and their business experience. I believe my strengths demonstrate that I am well-rounded in all of these areas -- I have the background, temperament, judgment and character necessary to lead and make great choices for Miami Township. I can negotiate difficult choices and build bridges to compromise with fellow trustees.
If elected, what will be your top three priorities? In 2021, our most pressing issue in Miami Township is preparing for prosperity. First, we must maximize the use of American Rescue Plan funds, which will allow us to upgrade vital community services, and to assist businesses in bringing back jobs to reinvigorate our economy. My second priority would be revitalizing the park system -- improving the access to our public parks, updating amenities for all to enjoy, and inspiring our neighbors to enjoy the outdoors. Third, I believe ensuring the stability and success of the Dayton Mall area is a vital component of the Miami Township agenda, given the economic anchor the area provides. With these three priorities, our community will not only survive into the next decades, but be a thriving hub for citizens to enjoy and businesses to provide good-paying jobs.
What specific plans do you have to address those top priorities? I have been putting plans into place to address these issues along with my fellow members of the current board of trustees. We have announced a Community Innovation Fund designed to solicit community and business input on how best to use the American Rescue Plan funds, to leverage these one-time dollars with no local tax impact to the community. Those plans are underway. Second, we have reactivated the dormant Parks Board, which will help guide the maintenance and future development of the outdoor resources within Miami Township. Lastly, I have supported the development of collaborative studies on appropriate redevelopment of the underutilized assets of the Dayton Mall. Government moves slow because its mission is important, but shepherding these efforts forward is the primary goal if elected.
Anything else? I have lived in the township for 10 years with my wife, Lindsey, and our two dogs. In my free time, I rabidly follow Dayton Flyers basketball and enjoy attempting to perfect my home Zoom videoconferencing setup to look like a television studio.