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Home > Blogs > West Chester News and Issues > Archives > 2009 > April > 15 > Entry
Trustee alleges misconduct in neighboring community
Things got a little heated at Tuesday’s regular meeting of the West Chester Twp. Board of Trustees.
Here’s the story.
West Chester Twp. Trustee Lee Wong is alleging misconduct when it comes to a neighboring community’s proposal to change the name of a local street.
Liberty Twp. Trustees and administrators are considering changing the name of Hamilton-Mason Road between Butler-Warren and Cincinnati-Dayton roads to Liberty Way. The change is in line with Liberty officials’ push this year to strengthen their local brand and obtain an exit with their namesake off Interstate 75.
The busy street — now under construction in preparation for the Liberty Interchange — splits Liberty and West Chester townships, but falls within the boundaries of Liberty Twp.
Wong said Tuesday April 14 the plan thus far is an example of back-room politics, and that local residents and businesses should play a more active role in the change.
“I think it should be done right and those residents and business should be contacted and see how they feel about the change,” Wong said. “When we do things in secrecy, when all the sudden you wake up and the street sign changes, I have a lot of serious concerns about that.”
Officials from Liberty Twp. disagree. In fact, the notion still must get the approval of county commissioners, the only entity with the authority to change a township road, according to Ohio law.
In the past few weeks, discussions have been mostly out the public eye — although within the state’s Sunshine Laws — between the townships’ administrators and with individual trustees from both communities. Liberty Twp. officials have also discussed the idea with individual commissioners, according to Caroline McKinney, Liberty’s economic development director.
“The whole reason we’re doing this is not us versus them,” McKinney said in response to Wong’s comments Tuesday. “It’s all about the timing … We see this as one of the spokes in the wheel of our branding efforts.”
McKinney also said she and others have discussed the plan with most of the residents and businesses that would be affected by the name change, and that most have been supportive of the idea.
“There’s absolutely no way we are going to shove this down people’s throats,” McKinney said. “The overwhelming reaction has been positive.”
Although not necessary, McKinney said Liberty Trustees could adopt a resolution to show their support for the new street name. That means Butler County commissioners could consider the plan for a vote in the next month.
What do you think about the name change? What about the way in which the idea’s being considered?
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Comments
By thoth
April 16, 2009 1:02 PM | Link to this
It’s not all that different from what was done in naming Union Centre Blvd, except that was a brand new road and of course before Union became West Chester township. Either way I don’t see how getting the name Liberty into a street with 75 access helps strengthen the “local brand”. I would think their bigger problem is the fact that there are 24 other townships in Ohio with the name Liberty.