Letter to the Editor

Challenging previous ad

To the Editor,

I was disappointed to read an ad in your October edition urging residents to vote “No” on Issue 16, a renewal of the levy for operating costs at the Richfield Heritage Preserve. At best, the ad was disingenuous; at worst, blatantly misleading.

There are two main assertions in the ad I wish to address.

The first is that the “wasteful spending” cited was the decision of boards many years past. Personally, I do believe those were good decisions that positioned the park to generate revenue outside of taxes and keep our future reliance on tax revenue low.

And to be clear, the current board members are all accomplished professionals with established track records, either in business or other professions. We count in our ranks a CFO, senior corporate executives, and a former CEO. We are all very conscious of our fiduciary obligations.

Second, the ad states that the park’s board has been “manipulated” by special interests. In 2023, the board empowered the park’s director (John Piepsny) to take on a stronger executive role in the park’s management. This generated several achievements: popular events well attended by our community; summer camps and reading hours for our youth; and major infrastructure improvements, done mainly through management of volunteer hours. This is not “manipulation” but rather successful, tight governance and leadership.

Issue 16 will provide basic operating costs to continue the successful development of this community jewel. I urge all residents to vote “Yes” and to visit soon and see the progress.

Mark Robeson, trustee

Richfield Join Recreation District

West Streetsboro Road ∞