TRUSTWORTHY. COMPETENT. NEIGHBOR.
A neighbor you trust, a trustee you know.
Focused on safer roads, strong emergency services, fiscal transparency, and well-kept neighborhoods.
Meet Joe Merritt
11 years teaching Diesel Power Equipment (budgeting, maintenance, workforce readiness)
Supervisor, Chesapeake Energy (project scheduling, team leadership)
Owner, Merritt Property Solutions (small-business operations)
Former volunteer firefighter (coordination, readiness, safety)
Board member, Leetonia Youth Athletics (youth development, teamwork)
Why Joe?
Our township’s history is simple: we build, we maintain, and we look out for each other.
From the coke ovens in Leetonia to the Teegarden Bridge, this place runs on hard work; by our road crew, firefighters, EMS, deputies, utility crews, and volunteers. A trustee’s job is to back the people who back this community: line up resources, clear roadblocks, and keep folks informed.
I’ll publish a public road-and-ditch schedule, support our responders with training/equipment grants, show where every dollar goes, and keep properties clean and respected so neighborhoods hold their value. We’ll take care of what we’ve built, and do it together.
Stay in touch.
Emergency Services
Response time and readiness depend on coordination, training, and reliable equipment. Joe will hold regular check-ins with police, fire, and EMS, support grant-seeking for gear and training, and align road work with first-responder needs.
Outcome: faster responses, safer crews, and residents who know what to expect in an emergency.
Fiscal Transparency
Budgets shouldn’t be a mystery. Joe will post plain-language summaries, show actuals vs. plan, and explain projects in terms of cost, timeline, and benefit. He’ll insist on careful equipment maintenance and competitive purchasing.
Outcome: open books, fewer surprises, and more trust in how your money is spent.
Roads & Infrastructure
Our Salem Township road crew shows up in every kind of weather to keep roads open and water moving. As trustee, my job is to support their work and keep residents informed: a public, season-by-season schedule, a simple way to report trouble spots so the crew gets good intel, and equipment plans that keep trucks running. We’ll line up priorities with safety and school-bus routes and post progress updates so everyone sees what the team is getting done.
The Outcome: fewer washouts and potholes, better drainage, safer travel, and dollars spent where they make the most difference.
A Legacy of Service
Our township’s history is simple: we build, we maintain, and we look out for each other.
I wore the pager and the boots for seven years as a volunteer firefighter. That time taught me this is a team effort. Road crews, firefighters, EMS, deputies, linemen, plow drivers, and volunteers keep neighbors safe in every kind of weather.
As trustee, my job is to back the people who back this community. I will meet with departments on a regular schedule, push for training and equipment grants, and plan road and ditch work so routes stay open and crews get there fast. I will post budgets and progress in plain language so you can see where every dollar goes.
Connect with Joe
Election Day: November 4 (Polls Open 6:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.) Find your Polling Location Here.
Joe Announces His Campaign For Salem Township Trustee
Hands-on leader focuses on roads, emergency services, open books, and well-kept neighborhoods
LEETONIA, Ohio — Sept. 8, 2025 — Joe Merritt, a diesel technology instructor, small-business owner, and longtime community volunteer, today announced his candidacy for Salem Township Trustee.
Merritt has taught Diesel Power Equipment at the Mahoning County Career & Technical Center for the past eleven years. He previously served as a supervisor at Chesapeake Energy and owns Merritt Property Solutions. He also spent seven years as a volunteer firefighter and currently serves as a board member for Leetonia Youth Athletics.
“I’m running for trustee to keep our local government focused on what works,” Merritt said. “That means safe, well-maintained roads and ditches, strong and coordinated emergency services, clear financial reporting residents can actually read, and fair property standards that protect everyone’s home value.”
If elected, Merritt said he will prioritize:
Roads & Drainage: a public, season-by-season maintenance schedule residents can track.
Emergency Services: regular coordination with police, fire, and EMS to support response readiness.
Fiscal Transparency: plain-language budget updates so taxpayers know where every dollar goes.
Property Upkeep: consistent, helpful enforcement that keeps neighborhoods clean and safe.
“I’m a hands-on leader,” Merritt added. “I’ll publish clear timelines, return calls, and be present where the work happens. Township government should be accessible, courteous, and accountable.”
Merritt holds a degree in Auto Diesel Technology from Nashville Auto Diesel College, a degree in Technical Workforce Development from Bowling Green State University, and teaching licensure as a Medium/Heavy Truck Technician. He and his wife, Jennifer, are raising five children in Salem Township.
Residents can learn more, volunteer, or request a yard sign at www.joemerritt.com or by contacting Friends of Joe Merritt at joe@joemerritt.com.
About Joe Merritt
Joe Merritt is a Salem Township neighbor who brings practical experience in maintenance, budgeting, and public service. His career spans workforce education, energy industry supervision, and small-business ownership. Joe believes every public dollar should be spent as carefully as the money around a kitchen table—and that residents deserve timely answers and results they can see on their road.
Media Contact:
Friends of Joe Merritt
Email: joe@joemerritt.com
Website: www.joemerritt.com
Facebook: Elect Joe Merritt
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