I want to remind Center Township voters they have the opportunity to cast votes for two supervisors this year. I believe Tom Schiebel and Mark Lauer deserve your votes because they both have stated they are opposed to health insurance benefits for themselves and their families at taxpayer expense.

At their first meeting in January, all five incumbent Center Township supervisors — including Alan Smallwood, who is also on the ballot seeking reelection — again voted to give themselves the same health insurance benefits to which full-time township employees are entitled.

According to its 2025 township budget, the cost of its supervisors’ health insurance benefits totals $154,000, despite the fact that these elected positions are considered to be and are compensated as part-time jobs.

This exorbitant expense makes up over one-half of Center Township’s general fund millage this year. By comparison, currently 22 of the 32 townships in Butler County do not offer any health insurance benefits to their elected board members. Good governance requires that elected officials should always put their constituents interests ahead of their own.

I feel Center Township taxpayers have unknowingly been footing the bill for health insurance benefits for most of their supervisors and their immediate families for over 20 years and I believe it’s time to send a message to the board to curb this practice by electing supervisors who will support that change.

Gary Rauschenberger, Center Township