Incumbent, Newcomer Clinch Russell Trustee Seats
Incumbent Chris Hare and newcomer Amy Heutmaker won two Russell Township trustee seats Nov. 4, garnering 874 and 802 votes, respectively, according to the final unofficial results of the Geauga County Board of Elections.
Incumbent Chris Hare and newcomer Amy Heutmaker won two Russell Township trustee seats Nov. 4, garnering 874 and 802 votes, respectively, according to the final unofficial results of the Geauga County Board of Elections.
The two beat out candidates John Ishee, who garnered 601 votes, Barry Rogers, who had 600 votes, Bryan Kostura, who received 526 votes, and Trent Meteer, who had 118 votes, according to the final unofficial results of GCBOE.
“I’m very happy, but I’m very grateful for the people of Russell trusting me to serve the next four years in the township,” said Hare, who was originally appointed to the board in December 2024 after then-Trustee Matt Rambo was elected Geauga Court of Common Pleas judge.
“It means a lot. I won’t take it for granted,” Hare added. “I would like to remain as accessible as possible to help people bring any inquiries to resolutions and to provide responsible township budget management over the next four years.”
Hare said responsible spending will remain one of his top priorities, along with keeping residents from being taxed out of the community.
According to his election questionnaire, Hare is a section manager for Common & Collective fund accounting group at KeyBank and holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from Kent State University.
Heutmaker said she was overwhelmed by the support she received.
“It’s a humbling experience,” she said.
She thanked voters for focusing on and responding to the issues she raised during her campaign and expressed enthusiasm for the opportunity to work with township officials.
“I’m really looking forward to learning and growing into this position,” she said.
Her top priorities include addressing vacant and blighted properties, Heutmaker said.
“The propane store at Music (Street) and (state Route) 306, as well as numerous vacant properties within the Hemlock Hills subdivision, and as well as the senior tax rebate that I proposed based on numbers presented in the Oct. 16 trustee meeting,” she said.
In her election questionnaire, Heutmaker expressed support for targeted property tax relief that would allow senior citizens to age in their homes.
She is a mental health counselor with MetroHealth and holds a bachelor’s degree, as well as a master of business administration and master of science degree in counseling, according to her questionnaire.
