The township is one of the fastest growing places in the region, doubling in size over the past two decades to about 40,000 residents.
The trustees are tasked with making decisions about how the township will develop, managing public safety and other services, and a $25.7 million budget.
For more information on each candidate and their responses to more questions about what they would focus on if elected, view the online Journal-News Voters Guide .
MORE: New sports bar, restaurant open in Liberty Twp.
Q: The township did a marketing study last year and asked the question “Who do we want to be when we grow up?” Who do you want the township to be when it grows up?
Dailey: When the Township "grows up", I want it to continue to be an affordable place to raise a family. A safe community where we look out for one another. A place where you're not afraid to leave your garage door up and your door unlocked. A place where kids learn conservative values and principals. A community that produces leaders who stand up for what is right. When we grow up, I want us to have a balance between our farms lands that once defined us, our safe residential streets and our businesses that will move us to the future.
Farrell: I want Liberty Township to be the best place to Live, Work, Play and Raise a Family. To accomplish this, we need to build on the foundation we have in place and implement our vision to perfection. Liberty Township is a bedroom community this can be an asset or a liability. The fact is that for every dollar a resident uses in services it cost the Township a $1.50 and businesses are the reverse. In order to maintain a balanced budget, we must create an environment that allows us to be a bedroom community without bedroom community taxes. To do that we need to proactively find sustainable business opportunities that can co-exist with our residential majority. Liberty is currently 87% residential and 13% business we need to continue to proactively recruit business entities that will help fund our future. I raised my family here and I believe Liberty is a great place to raise a family and I will continue to commit myself to making Liberty the best place to Live, Work, Play and Raise a Family.
Matacic: I would like to see Liberty Township as a community that is vibrant as well as balanced and sustainable. How do we get there? We have begun to create a prosperous environment that has attracted quality jobs in the medical field, neighborhood businesses and quality developments.
Liberty Township has morphed from a hub that featured Thriftway and McDonald’s with a few realtor offices in 2000 to a growing Central Business District along the I-75 Corridor with regional health care leaders such as Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and Medical Center with a Proton Therapy and Research Center, and The Christ Hospital which will open in 2018; Liberty Center with its mix of entertainment, retail, dining, offices, hotel, and apartments; and Carriage Hill Development. During this time, our population has grown from 22,819 to over 42,000 and business growth has gone from a handful to 200 in 2006 and currently sits at 500. This is just the beginning.
With only 18% of our land designated for business, care must be given to how we develop. We need to continue to engage with our residents and businesses and collaborate with other governmental agencies/communities. We need to continue to strive towards quality developments while keeping in mind our past. We need to be flexible as the market changes and open to new ideas and new ventures while making sure the financial stability of the township is not compromised.
Maurer: I would love to see Liberty Twp stand out from West Chester and Mason. I think too, often we are trying to copy off of our better known neighbors. We don't need to be another West Chester, we need to carve out our own niche.
I would love for us to be innovators, addressing and solving the challenges and markets of tomorrow. It is important for Liberty Twp to bring in more business or corporate interests, but we need to be cognizant of trends and bring in businesses that have staying power. More and more people are choosing to do their shopping electronically. Brick and mortar stores are suffering and closing. No one wants to have a glut of uninhabited spaces. Investing in health care sector jobs, brings great jobs to our community. Trade jobs such as electricians, plumbers, and carpenters are facing labor shortages. They are great jobs with good salaries. We could open a trade school here. Let’s be a leader in small business growth. We can help connect our residents to grant opportunities, so they can fulfill their dreams and invest in the community.
I would love to see Liberty Twp take the lead in being a healthy and engaged community. Lets find ways to get connected in our community. Lakota schools requires students to engage in community service, lets provide service opportunities for these students, or for others looking to give back. Let’s build sidewalks and bike paths and encourage people to be out in our beautiful town
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