Fairfield Twp. fiscal officer candidates both promise attention to treasury

Voters in Fairfield Twp. will choose a fiscal watchdog in the Nov. 5 election for the first time since 2011.

Incumbent township Fiscal Officer Shelly Schultz is seeking election nearly two years after she was appointed to the position. Schultz has more than 20 years of accounting experience and is a CPA at Vonderhaar Accounting.

Political newcomer JoBeth Yambrich is challenging Schultz in her first bid for public office. Yambrich has 18 years of bank management experience and worked 14 years for the city of Fairfield. She has also has owned and operated two businesses with her husband, Scott, and maintains the financial books.

Both pledge to take care of the public coffers as the township prepares for what officials believe will be its last big growth spurt.

LEARN MORE: Find out who’s on your ballot and what they have to say at Journal-News.com/voterguide

Schultz said she has scrutinized the budget for the past two years and will continue to do so.

“Before each purchase is brought to the board, I work with the administrator (Julie Vonderhaar) and listen to her ideas on ways that we can work together to bring costs down for each purchase,” she said.

Yambrich said she will also scrutinize any spending and questions the need for a finance director, which is now being advertised.

“We have never in our community had to go in that direction, and most townships only have a fiscal officer,” Yambrich said.

Township officials have said the finance director position will not add to its employee pool, but rather repurpose an existing position in anticipation of a retirement this spring. Butler County’s largest two townships — West Chester and Liberty — have a finance director.

Yambrich comes from a family of public servants, including her father, the late former Fairfield mayor Clarence “Bugs” Phalen.

“Give back to your community the best you can,” she said. “So I thought it was a good time now to accomplish that, to work toward that goal to give back to Fairfield Twp.”

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The 27-year township resident said her community is important to her, “and I want to make sure that my skill set being what it is, from being a banker for so long, from working for a city government and running a business for 30 years.”

“I take a very conservative approach to all things and will spend whatever time it takes to excel at my position,” Yambrich said.

Schultz has volunteered at her kids’ schools and said, “I love accounting.”

“I thought I’d bring the two together and serve the community, and do accounting,” she said. She had previously been involved with the PTA at Fairfield North and East, and her children currently attend St. Ann’s and Badin High School.

Schultz was appointed in December 2017 to the position following the death of long-time fiscal officer Nancy Bock in 2017. She was one of three who applied, including Yambrich.

Schultz was Fairfield Twp. Trustee Susan Berding’s campaign treasurer two years ago, which prompted her interest in running for office.

“I’m running based on being qualified,” Schultz said. “That’s the most important thing as a fiscal officer.”


ELECTION INFORMATION

Early voting is open now in Ohio. Here are the ways you can cast a ballot in Butler County:

In-person voting: Visit your county Board of Elections 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays now through Oct. 25; 8 to 7 p.m. from Oct. 28 to Nov. 1, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 2, 1 to 5 p.m. Nov. 3 and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 4.

Absentee voting (also known as vote-by-mail): Registered voters can download the absentee ballot request form, or call or visit your local county Board of Elections, to request a vote-by-mail. Requests must be received by the elections office by noon Saturday, Nov. 2. Mailed ballots must be post-marked by Monday, Nov. 4. Absentee ballots may be hand-delivered to the board of elections office by the end of voting on Tuesday, Nov. 5.

Board of elections: Butler County Board of Elections is at 1802 Princeton Road, Suite 600, Hamilton and can be reached at 513-887-3700.

Learn about the candidates and issues: Check out the Journal-News/Cox Media Group Ohio voter guide at Journal-News.com/voterguide.

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