Articles about West Chester Township
My name is Mark Welch and I am one of your elected West Chester Township Trustees. Every other month or so I write a short article to update everyone on township events, meetings and significant decisions made by the Trustees.
I’ll start with a short personal introduction and then get into the articles below. I was born and raised in Cincinnati and lived my entire childhood life in Colerain Township. I went to the U.S. Naval Academy, have a degree in Chemical Engineering and spent about 23 years in corporate America in sales and sales management. I moved to Beckett Ridge in 1990 and still live in the same house. My wife Karen and I have two children, Lauren and Justin, and six grandchildren. Karen and I started Bajon Salon & Spa in March 2000 and moved to our new location, SoZo Hair, Spa & Wigs in 2014. I became re-interested in politics and first ran for Trustee in 2013. I started my first term in office on Jan 1, 2014, was reelected to a second term starting Jan 1, 2018 and am running for a third term on November 2, 2021.
PARKS IN WEST CHESTER TOWNSHIP
West Chester Township maintains more than 400 acres of recreational space catering to active and passive park enthusiasts and, also benefits from the services of MetroParks of Butler County maintaining the 430-acre VOA Park. Ohio Revised Code says that any township in...
Is a West Chester Tax Levy for Police and Fire on the Horizon?
In a recent Journal News article, the reporter referenced the 2020 Operational Budget Work Session Meeting on January 21, 2020 where comments were made about a possible Police and Fire levy in the near future. In this article I discuss and answer the following...
West Chester Township 2020 Operational Budget and Goals
West Chester Township has another busy year planned in 2020! As in years past, West Chester will focus on our ‘core competencies which are Police, Fire, Roads, Parks and Brookside Cemetery. The 2020 Operational Budget manifests West Chester's ongoing commitment to: a)...
West Chester Township Fun Facts History Quiz
Test your knowledge of West Chester Township history by taking the fun 10-question quiz below. Feel free to use every resource at your disposal to answer every question correctly. When you see the phrase “answer in previous article”, if you still have last year’s...
West Chester Township 2019 Year in Review
Just like every other year, a lot happened in West Chester in 2019. As you read this article you will agree and disagree with some of the Board’s decisions, but please keep in mind that we all live here and do our best to make right decisions for West Chester...
Butler County Engineers & West Chester 2019 Fall Road Planning Session
On September 29, 2019 your West Chester Township Trustees and Staff met with the Butler County Engineers Office (BCEO) to review a) 2019 Road Projects, and b) 2020 Planned Road Improvements. Earlier this year I wrote an article titled ‘West Chester Twp 2019 Road...
The Sale of the West Chester Activity Center to Regency/Kroger
You’ve probably been reading on-line and in the Journal News for months now about the West Chester Activity Center (old library, Cox Rd) and the negotiations with Regency Centers Acquisitions LLC to sell the township property. At the September 24, 2019 Trustee...
Zoning and the Comprehensive Land Use Plan in West Chester
West Chester Township has been honored seven times as one of “America’s Best Places to Live” and just this year was named the “Best Community to Live in Ohio”. I’ve said many times before, “If you get it once, it could be an accident, but to get it multiple times,...
Tax Increment Financing in West Chester Township
Last month I wrote an article about the Divergent Diamond Interchange improvement and our Moody’s Investors Service credit rating and I briefly mentioned “TIF” as the means to pay for the improvement. This article explains what a TIF is and how they’re used to improve...
The $20M Divergent Diamond Interchange Improvement to Union Centre Blvd
The West Chester Township Board of Trustees at a May 1, 2019 Special Meeting heard from Greg Wilkins, Butler County Engineers Office (BCEO), regarding the increased cost of the Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI) improvement of the UCB/I-75 interchange. The project...
West Chester Township 2019 Budget and Goals
West Chester Township has another busy year planned in 2019! As in years past, West Chester will focus on what I call our ‘core competencies’ which are Police, Fire, Roads, Parks and Brookside Cemetery. Our 2019 budget reflects West Chester's ongoing commitment to...
West Chester First Responders – Fire & EMS
West Chester Township benefits from a full-time professional Fire Department, with a part-time complement, providing fire suppression and emergency medical services while focusing on prevention and education in the community. The Township is served from five (5) fully...
Our West Chester Police Department
The West Chester Police Department was established in 1967 and has grown from a small contingent of officers to a department of nearly 100 employees (90 Police Officers and Staff) committed to keeping our community safe. It’s this Trustees opinion that our West...
West Chester Township 2018 Year in Review
Quite a number of significant events and legislation occurred in West Chester Township in 2018. As you read this article you will agree and disagree with some of the Board’s rulings, but please keep in mind that we all live here and do our best to make right decisions...
West Chester Twp 2019 Road Projects and Maintenance
Roads in West Chester Township are one of the big three “core competencies” the township focuses on to maintain our community image, maintain property values and provide safe, reliable passage for our residents, property owners and businesses. Before I get into the...
Divergent Double Diamond Interchange Project & Moody’s Credit Rating
Work will soon begin on the Union Centre Boulevard / I-75 interchange converting the old bridge deck into a ‘Divergent Double Diamond Interchange’. The purpose of this project is to better handle the present and future volume of traffic on and off the interstate as...
West Chester Township Basics
My name is Mark Welch and I am one of your elected West Chester Township Trustees. Every other month or so I write a short article to update everyone on township meetings and significant decisions made by the Trustee Board. This article is about Ohio township basics....
