This article is part of the 2025 General Election Voters' Guide produced in partnership with the League of Women Voters of the Akron Area.
Sean Gaffney
Nonpartisan
Training/experience: Current Bath Township Trustee and previously served 20 years on the Trustees Advisory Council
Education: Saint Hilary Elementary School, Walsh Jesuit High School, Saint Vincent College
Website: electgaffney.com
Previous public office: Bath Township Trustee
Campaign email address: See website
Why are you the best candidate for the office?
I am currently one of three Bath Township Trustees and the Trustee Liaison to the Bath Fire and Service Departments. Being a lifelong resident of Bath who served on the Trustees’ Advisory Council for 20 years before being elected to my current post, I know firsthand the challenges facing the township and its residents and understand the responsibilities of working as a fiscally responsible public servant.
What are the top priorities you seek to address once in office?
I will continue to be fiscally responsible with public dollars while ensuring responsive, effective services to residents from our police, fire, dispatch, service, roads, parks, and zoning departments. I will stay mindful of pending state legislation that would adversely impact property tax revenue.
What strategies will you use to accomplish those priorities?
My four years of on-the-job experience and collaboration with fellow trustees, township employees and other elected officials ensure ongoing success.
James McClellan
Nonpartisan
Instagram: www.instagram.com/james.mcclellan.946/
Training/experience: Born and raised locally who honorably served in the USAF for 32 years. I successfully led small and large teams, overseas and at home. Now, I’m focused on preserving Bath Township’s deep-rooted community values with the energy and a passion for service.
Education: H.S Firestone High School (1984): B.S. International Business, Bowling Green State University (1988); M.S International Business Troy State University (1997); M.S. Military Operational Art, Air Command and Staff College (2002); M.S. Strategic Studies Air University (2010)
Campaign phone: 703-944-4719
Website: jamesmc4bathtwp.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61579299700428
Previous public office: None
Campaign email address: jamesmc4bathtwp@gmail.com
Why are you the best candidate for the office?
Born and raised locally, I’m a 32-year Air Force veteran who lived on 3 continents and moved 16 times. My wife Lisa and I chose Bath Township as our forever home as it is the best place to live and raise a family.
As such, I’m committed to preserving the unique character of the township while advocating for high quality essential and safety services, and promoting transparent, fiscally responsible governance.
What sets me apart from the pack is my extensive and successful experience of leading teams from 6 to 1,600 people and managing multimillion-dollar organizations. Through this unmatched experience, I learned to lead from the front but listen actively and then act decisively. I learned that positive coordination, collaboration, and communication is the key to achieving goals.
Most importantly, I offer a fresh, energetic perspective rooted in family and community values, with the experience needed to keep Bath Township safe, desirable, and well-managed.
What are the top priorities you seek to address once in office?
My focus is to preserve the township’s unique character with public safety as the foundation. I will lead from the front and champion high-quality public safety services. This includes a focus on recruitment and retention of dedicated personnel. More importantly, a focus needs to be placed on the development of a long-term sustainment plan to support and upgrade equipment and facilities.
I am committed to maintaining our unique rural character through responsible and measured growth that thoughtfully balances the needs and aspirations of our residential, commercial, and environmental concerns. I believe in promoting orderly and efficient land use by maintaining a zoning code which is align to the comprehensive plan and sustains—not hinders—our quality of life.
Finally, I am dedicated to supporting initiatives that deliver high quality, cost-effective public services while upholding principles of sound, transparent fiscal management.
What strategies will you use to accomplish those priorities?
First, I will work with my fellow Trustees, the Township Administrator, and the Police and Fire Chiefs to ensure the township continues to hire and keep talented and well-trained personnel for police, fire, and EMS roles.
To develop an equipment and facility sustainment plan; first, conduct an audit of equipment and facilities, then develop a multi-year capital improvement plan with clear budgeting and timelines. Finally, include action steps to seek grants and state/federal funding to offset costs.
To preserve our rural character, I support the zoning commission’s review of the new comprehensive plan and update the code. I will work to set up a dedicated committee to oversee the plan’s vision as it is a strong idea.
To ensure cost-effective and transparent fiscal management, I support the prompt publication of meeting minutes and annual posting financial reports online. This allows residents to access vital information conveniently—wherever they are.
Sharon A. Troike
Nonpartisan
Training/experience: 14 years as Fiscal Officer, Bath Township and 4 years as Trustee, Bath Township
Education: Bachelors Degree – Business Management
Website: www.troikefortrustee.com
Previous public office: Bath Township Fiscal Officer 2008-2021
Campaign email address: sharont61@roadrunner.com
Why are you the best candidate for the office?
With my combined 18 years of experience – 14 years as Bath Township Fiscal Officer and 4 years as Bath Township Trustee – I have the depth of knowledge of our history, challenges, and issues going forward. My knowledge base is extensive in all areas of township governance; finance, land use, administration, personnel and equipment planning, budgeting, and crisis management.
What are the top priorities you seek to address once in office?
Legislation has been introduced by the State to eliminate property taxes. The primary funding source for townships in Ohio is through special levies for police, fire, roads, general operations, and parks (where applicable). Unless the State determines another way to fund township services, they – the services and, effectively, the township – will cease to exist. If so, what will that look like? Will townships be annexed by cities and villages? What level of services will be extended to the populace of a township under a different form of government?
While the idea of not paying property taxes is appealing, it will be devastating to the township form of government, of which there are 1,308 in the State of Ohio. This uninformed proposal must be brought to light to voters.
What strategies will you use to accomplish those priorities?
Bath Township is a member of TASC – Township Association of Summit County. We are actively communicating with our state lobbyists, Ohio Township Association (OTA), in Columbus for representation at the State level. We, also, are trying to educate our residents as to the dangers of the elimination of property taxes and, ultimately, townships in general.
This initiative will, most certainly, go before the public next year as a ballot issue and we must have voters well informed of the consequences of its passage.
