BY JOHN A. DARNELL JR.
      associate editor
      One of the longest-serving public officials in the history of Boardman Township, William D. Leicht, 80, passed away on Sat., Jan. 3 following complications after suffering a severe stroke.
      Mr. Leicht was first elected into public office in Nov., 1980 as a member of the Boardman Local School Board. He served 12 years on the school board, including three terms as president.
      In Nov., 1994, he was elected as Boardman Township Fiscal Officer and served in the post until early 2025 when he announced his retirement, ending 44 years of public service.
      His tenure as a member of the Boardman Local School Board was marked by his leadership in assisting the school district recover from a debilitating teacher’s strike and restoring public confidence in the system.
      During his lengthy tenure as Township Fiscal Officer, Boardman never had a major finding in annual state audits.
      Mr. Leicht led the township through a variety of leadership changes, particularly among the Board of Trustees and the post of Township Administrator.
      Under Mr. Leicht’s tenure, the Township Fiscal Office introduced programs that strengthened systems for safeguarding township assets, and his investment policies over a four-year period earned some $502,101. In addition, annual motel tax collections rose to nearly $290,000.
      He also instituted a program of ‘mini grants’ that provided additional funding for the Boardman Police Department, including its Narcotics Enforcement Unit (NEU). Those grants resulted in many arrests of criminals whose assets were seized, and in part, redistributed back to the township.
      Mr. Leicht 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.
      Mr. Leicht was also the custodian of township cemeteries, responsible for their upkeep, including the selling of lots and internments and maintenance for Boardman Cemetery located on Boardman-Poland Rd. and Zion Cemetery on Tippecanoe Rd.
      Perhaps his most significant achievement in office was figuring out how to finance a new main fire station at Market St. and Stadium Dr., at a cost of more than $3.2 million, without going to the electorate for new tax monies to finance the project.