Incumbent Bruce Christopher emphasizes safety, fiscal responsibility and professionalism in Medina Township trustee forum

Bruce Christopher, the incumbent Medina Township trustee, outlined his record and priorities in a candidates forum hosted by the Greater Medina Chamber of Commerce and Medina TV. Christopher spoke about the townshipfire partnership with the city of Medina, a sharp rise in public-record requests, and plans to continue what he described as "safety, fiscal responsibility and professionalism."

Christopher said the townshipfire arrangement with the city has improved public safety since his first term, noting changes in coverage hours: "When I came in the office, I ran on safety, fiscal responsibility, and professionalism. And when I came in the office from the fire department, we were 8 I believe it was 08:00 in the morning to midnight, 5 days a week. Now we're 24 7, 3 65." He also said the township resisted a past proposal to move fire service to Brunswick Hills that he estimated would have cost "between 4 and $500,000 a year or more," and that the move would have resulted in "poor protection."

Christopher described efforts during his first term to address internal issues flagged by the state auditor. He said a former fiscal officer "owes us over $5,100," citing the state auditor, and that cleaning up those matters was part of the work since he took office. He told forum viewers the prosecutor's office handles legal questions when the township cannot answer public-record requests on its own.

Christopher told the forum the township has about "approximately 500 businesses," more than neighboring townships and trailing only nearby cities, and said available land for new commercial construction is limited. On housing, he said most residents he speaks with favor keeping the townshipas currently zoned and opposed to high-density development, and he noted that the township cannot control housing prices: "The township will never control the price of houses. You know, that that would be illegal."

He flagged a large increase in public-record requests since his first term. "From 2017 until maybe 02/2020, we would get about 40 public record requests in a year. Now ... we get 5, 6, 800 public director request a year. So it costs the township tens of thousands of dollars a year," Christopher said, adding that the township must fulfill requests and sometimes refers them to the prosecutor's office.

On intergovernmental collaboration, Christopher said trustees take different responsibilities and maintain relationships with neighboring townships and the county, singling out Montville and Wadsworth for close work on police protection along shared borders. He described limits on trustees' private communications, saying an attorney advised him trustees should not appear to agree 100% outside of open meetings because of the Sunshine Law.

Christopher said he would judge a future term successful if the board can "move ahead and do things that are strictly for the benefit of the township instead of putting out fires," and he repeated his campaign theme to viewers: "I'm gonna ask for your vote. I'm gonna ask for your help. If, if anybody wants to volunteer in any way, that would be greatly appreciated."

The forum was introduced by Jacqueline Rinkzmeyer of the Greater Medina Chamber of Commerce and Jared Frey, general manager of Medina TV and public information officer for the city of Medina. Rinkzmeyer urged viewers to "vote early at the board of elections or in person on November 4."