Tribune editorial staff

On Saturday, Ralph Cox literally gave his life for the area of the county in which he lived and loved, Decatur Township.

Cox, 43, died while doing road work on Township Road 236. His brother, Garold, was also working on the road when Ralph collapsed and was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.

While Ralph Cox's untimely passing is sad news in itself, it serves as a reminder of the hard work and dedication of the trustees and clerks of Lawrence County's 14 townships. Officially, they fill their offices on a part-time basis, but they are always ready to meet their responsibilities and put in many hours of work to serve their constituents.

Township residents expect a lot out of their local government. Armed with limited budgets and time, trustees have more responsibilities than many of us know. Furthermore, they do not do it for the money as trustees are paid between $4,800 and $8,000 a year, depending on the budget of the individual township.

The care and maintenance of township roads is the largest function of most of township trustees. This includes such tasks as snow removal and weed control. To help cover the expense of this service, Ohio townships receive part of the state's motor vehicle license fees. These revenues, however, are modest in relation to the total cost involved.

Trustees also manage and care for cemeteries in their township, provide mosquito control and bridge and other structural maintenance. In addition, they are the first line of defense when a constituent has a complaint they wish to take to a higher government entity.

Township officials understand local problems and can devote more attention to individual concerns than can the county, state or federal levels of government. Therefore, their intimate knowledge of their community, its needs and its citizens makes them able to offer more personal service than any other unit of government.

So, the next time you see a township trustee, tell them "thank you." These men and women are doing the best they can with what they have.