Former Fairfield Twp. trustee wants to return to board

A former Fairfield Twp. trustee wants to get back on the board.

Steve Morgan, who lost in his bid for a fifth term in 2013, said he's "ready to rock and roll" and return to his role as trustee. He exclusively told the Journal-News he intends to run in 2019 against Fairfield Twp. Trustee Joe McAbee, who won election in 2015.

McAbee was first elected in 1995 and served 12 years before losing his own re-election bid in 2007. Morgan, who was first elected in 1997, served along side McAbee for a decade on the township trustee board.

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With all the turnover, both with elected officers and township staff, “I just don’t feel like a lot of stuff’s getting done,” Morgan said.

“The same things that everybody complained about when I was in office is not done yet,” he said. “Where’s the new firehouse? Where’s all the staff?”

Morgan admits he was “burned out” at the end of his fourth term.

“After 16 years, with all that we all we had going on — especially in that last year — I think everyone was in burnout mode at that point in time,” he said. “But that’s a long time to be a public servant if you do your job right.”

Morgan, 60, said he intends to be a “full-time” trustee if he’s elected in 2019 because he’ll be retired from the car business. And that free time will be invested in working for the township, including responding to any call he would field, he said.

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“I never had a phone call that came in that I didn’t take care of,” said Morgan. “I made a point to go their house or call them back and try to solve their problem that anybody had in the township. I won’t have as much going on now. I won’t be working two jobs or three jobs; I would be working one: Fairfield Twp. trustee.”

McAbee didn’t comment on Morgan’s decision to run in 2019, but did say he would “welcome the challenge” of Morgan, and said it is his right to run.

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