This is the fourth article in a series about the townships in Fayette County.
At the Nov. 5 general election, Concord Township will have two township trustees and the township fiscal officer to elect.
Concord Township is one of 10 townships in Fayette County and is located in the southwestern section. According to the 2010 US Census Bureau, out of the 29,030 population in Fayette County 901 residents lived in Concord.
There is one unexpired term for Concord Township Trustee that will be up for election due to previous trustee, Jim Garland, taking a seat as a Fayette County Commissioner. This term will be for two years instead of the usual four as it was originally meant to expire on Dec. 31 of 2021.
Charles Bryan Cockerill was appointed as trustee until one is elected to finish out the previously mentioned term. The trustee who has a term expiring on Dec. 31 of 2021 is Ted Waddle.
Trustee Keith Montgomery has a term expiring Dec. 31 of this year. According to Montgomery, he’s been a trustee for over 30 years and he plans to retire this year.
Fiscal officer Bridget Sollars has a term expiring March 31 of next year. According to Sollars, she has been working with the township since 1998 and plans to run again this coming election.
There is a joint fire district made up of volunteers between Concord and Green townships. The fire department is located within Concord. The townships share responsibility for financing and administration, although the fire chief is the primary coordinator for the volunteer firefighters.
Concord pays 62 percent of the financial cost while Green pays 38 percent due to a difference in property values, according to Sollars.
Sollars explained, “We cover a large area. We cover Concord, we cover Green and we contract to cover a portion of Perry Township.”
There is one open cemetery within Concord that is located behind the Staunton United Methodist Church. Being an open cemetery means burial plots are available. There are a few closed cemeteries, which means while they are open to the public, the cemeteries are unable to accept new burial plots. The township is responsible for the maintenance of these cemeteries.
One of the larger projects underway in the township involves the three baseball fields in Staunton. A Nature Works Grant was obtained to resurface all three fields to make them safer for kids to play on.
“The grant will help to have a better playing surface for the kids,” Sollars said.
The trustees also handle the typical maintenance, such as for roads. Sollars explained that the trustees “decide which action would be the best to take such as Chip Seal, paving, asphalt or whatever is needed.”
Montgomery explained Concord has 18 miles of road so they’ve managed to never hire full-time employees. They do have part-time employees to help with mowing.
Since there are no full-time employees, the trustees are the ones who plow snow during the winter season in Concord. Since Montgomery will be retiring, he laughed and said, “I’ll be waving to the snow plow as it drives by.”
The trustees respond to complaints of local citizens and attempt to inform or correct problems that are within their ability to handle.
The Fayette County Historical Society Museum, which is located at 517 Columbus Ave. in Washington Court House, is featuring the history of the townships as its exhibit this year. People are welcome to tour the museum from 1-4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. There is no cost although donations are welcome.
Follow the Record-Herald for future articles detailing more information on the individual townships within Fayette County. For more information now please visit www.ohiogenealogyexpress.com. For specific information on what the board of township trustees are responsible for, please visit codes.ohio.gov/orc/5 to look over the Ohio Revised Code section 5.
Reach Jennifer Woods at 740-313-0355.
