GOSHEN TOWNSHIP — The board of trustees approved several financial matters in its October meeting. 

Fiscal Officer Michele Barratt told trustees that the township needed to review the annual lighting assessment, noting that she expected 2025 would come close to breaking even for the fund, which has lost money annually for at least the last nine years. She said that the U.S. Energy Information Administration is expecting electricity costs to rise by 13-18% in 2026, and that she recommended raising the assessment by 18% to be safe and potentially recoup some of the fund’s losses over the last nine years. 

Barratt also told trustees that appropriations in the General Fund would need to be increased by $29,000 to cover the costs of the township’s new emergency generator for the administration building. Trustee John Bricker asked if the generator project had been completed, and Barratt confirmed that it had and that the only thing left to be done was supply a cell phone number to be notified when the generator activates. Board of Trustees Chair Shawn Mesler suggested using the road foreman’s cell phone number since it was a township owned phone, and the number would not change. 

Trustees voted unanimously to approve two resolutions, one which accepted the proposed lighting assessment increase, and one to increase the General Fund appropriations. 

Other financial matters approved included: a resolution to participate in the new national opioid secondary manufacturer’s settlement which includes Alvogen, Amneal, Apotex, Hikma, Indivior, Mylan, Sun, and Zydus; authorization for Barratt to apply for, receive, and administer the MORE grant; and a motion to rent the gym to West Branch Little Warriors Wrestling Monday through Thursday, from approximately November 10, 2025, through February 19, 2026, for a fee of $1500. 

During his report, Police Chief John Calko said that two of the department’s officers had been injured while assisting the Washingtonville Police Department on Sept. 26 and had been out on injured leave but had since returned to work. Calko also told trustees that he had applied for a grant through the state for the purchase of body cameras. He said that the department was previously awarded the same grant in 2021 and was re-applying as only seven of the department’s 16 cameras were currently working, and the manufacturer is defunct. 

Calko also requested approval to hire a new part-time officer and the trustees voted unanimously to approve the hire of new part-time police officer Russell Beatty effective immediately. 

Mesler also provided an update on the township’s application to the Ohio Public Works Commission for work on Diagonal Road, noting that the township’s application had been scored “very high” and that he was “cautiously optimistic” that the township would receive $75,000 for the project. 

The board of trustees will meet next at 6 p.m. Nov. 11.