Longtime Boardman Township Fiscal Officer William Leicht has announced he will seek re-election for a sixth term in November.
      Leicht was first elected to the office in 1995. During his tenure, the annual budget of the township has grown from some $11.3 million, to $17.5 million, and the number of employees has increased from 128 employees to 155 employees.
      Prior to his election as Township Fiscal Officer, Leicht served 12 years on the Boardman Board of Education.
      He has operated his own CPA firm for more than 35 years.
      During his lengthy tenure as Township Fiscal Officer, Boardman has never had a major finding in annual state audits.
      Leicht has led the township through a variety of leadership changes, particularly among Boards of Trustees and the post of Township Administrator.
      Under Leicht’s tenure, the Township Fiscal Office has introduced programs that strengthen systems for safeguarding township assets, and his investment policies over a four-year period earned some $502,101. In addition, annual motel tax collections have risen to nearly $290,000.
      He also instituted a program of ‘mini grants’ that have provided additional funding for the Boardman Police Department, including its Narcotics Enforcement Unit (NEU). Those grants have resulted in many arrests of criminals whose assets have been seized, and in part, redistributed back to the township.
      The current Fiscal Officer was instrumental in providing the initial language for House Bill 426 that was approved by the State Legislature in 1997. The measure allows townships to restrict monies for specific obligations.
      Leicht is also the custodian of township cemeteries. He is responsible for the upkeep, including the selling of lots and internments and maintenance for Boardman Cemetery located on Boardman-Poland Rd. and Zion Cemetery on Tippecanoe Rd.
      Leicht pledges to continue efforts to keep Boardman Township in a leadership role.