The Beacon continues its election-season series with Democratic candidates Brian Rothenberg and Kelli Hykes, both seeking seats as Norwich Township Trustees.
Campaign Trails and Backgrounds
Rothenberg, with decades in political communications and labor advocacy including work with the Ohio Senate, Cleveland Mayor White, Progress Ohio, and the United Auto Workers hopes to frame the trustee role as one requiring active listening and building relationships across governments.
Hykes, a longtime public health and policy professional, brings experience from Columbus City Council, Columbus Public Health, and cannabis policy reform. She emphasizes problem solving at the local level and giving residents a meaningful seat at the table.
Township Issues in Focus
Development & Annexation: Both candidates argue Norwich must advance a governing agenda. They call for township leaders to engage directly with regional planning bodies and insist on managed density, affordable housing options, and protections for legacy landowners.
Services & Safety: Fire and EMS remain core priorities, but Rothenberg and Hykes propose expanding into preventative public health efforts (smoke detector checks to car seat fittings) and exploring workforce development pipelines through township assets.
Budgets & Advocacy: With state level talk of reducing income and property taxes, both warn of cascading impacts on township fire, health, and aging services. They stress proactive advocacy at the Statehouse and a bipartisan willingness to defend township funding.
Community Voice: The pair call for modernizing outreach through social media, online meetings, and direct communication so more residents participate in shaping township decisions.
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