Built by the People. Still Owned by the People.

As a candidate for Scioto Township Trustee, I believe property rights and transparency are the foundation of good government. Our residents should never lose control of what they built and paid for without a voice in the process.

Across the Teays Valley School District, many township roads were never deeded outright to the township. Instead, they were improved through landowner petitions and special assessments under 19th-century law. The township received only a maintenance easement — not ownership of the land.

Gibson Road is a clear example. An 1892 plat shows that landowners were assessed for its improvement, and the fee beneath the road remained with them.

Now, more than a century later, some officials are considering handing over control of township roads to outside municipalities:

• Without a vote.

• Without transparency.

• Without involving the landowners who still hold legal rights.

If you live on a township road, you have a right to know what’s happening — and you may have a right to object.

As trustee, I will stand firmly against giving away township roads without full transparency and resident involvement. Roads built by the people must remain accountable to the people.

Built by the people. Still owned by the people.