At the most recent regular Miami Township Trustees meeting — the first of the year — Trustee Marilan Moir, at right, was sworn in for her second term. New elect Lori Askeland, center, was sworn in for her first. (Photo by Lauren "Chuck" Shows)
New Miami Township Trustees board settles in
- Published: January 15, 2026
The Miami Township Trustees began their first meeting of the new year Monday, Jan. 5, by swearing in Trustee Chair Marilan Moir for her second term and newly elected Trustee Lori Askeland for her first.
As part of a slate of first-of-the-year business items, the trustees appointed Moir to serve as board chair for 2026; Mucher, who served as chair last year, was appointed as vice chair.
The trustees also approved their 2026 public meeting schedule; meetings will be held the first and third Mondays of each month at 5 p.m., unless a meeting falls on a holiday, in which case the meeting will shift to the following Wednesday.
Also approved for Miami Township Fire-Rescue was the purchase of battery-powered hydraulic rescue equipment — also known as the “jaws of life” — for $50,030. The trustees went on to approve two large purchases brought forward for consideration by Chief James Cannell last year: a 2026 Ford Police Interceptor Utility Explorer, for $66,962, and a 2026 Ford F-250 XL pickup truck, for $80,249. Both vehicles will be purchased via five-year leases.
The new Explorer will be assigned to be used by the fire chief, and Cannell said MTFR plans to repurpose the current fire chief vehicle for use by MTFR’s newly hired community paramedic, Steffinie Brewer. The new pickup truck, once it arrives, will serve as an additional emergency response vehicle that can follow MTFR’s ambulance on calls, allowing some staff to return to the fire station quickly when not all staff are needed for ambulance transport.
The new vehicles, Cannell said, are part of MTFR’s ongoing effort to ensure the department can respond to more than one emergency call at a time; he noted that MTFR logged 1,038 runs in 2025.
The board also approved hiring Jax Lawrence as a part-time firefighter and EMT. Lawrence, who is certified as a Firefighter II and EMT-B, has completed the department’s screening and interview process, according to Cannell.
Near the end of the meeting, the trustees briefly discussed placing a moratorium on cemetery spending. Moir, who brought forward the motion, said she believes the Township needs clear budgeting and a more defined purchase approval process before further upgrades to the Township’s extant cemeteries are performed. The board voted 2–1 to limit cemetery spending to “vital maintenance and burials” until April 1, when budgeting and permanent appropriations for the year are expected to be finalized.
Mucher cast the dissenting vote, arguing that any agreed-upon spending moratorium should apply to MTFR and the road department as well, but the majority vote carried the motion forward.
The trustees’ next meeting will be held Wednesday, Jan. 21, in observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday on Monday, Jan. 19.
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