Oxford resident Timothy Derickson is one of three Republicans vying for the March 4 primary vote for Ohio's House District 53.
Derickson explained that there are 99 elected representatives in Ohio that cover the 99 districts and he said each representative has a fairly equal number of constituents.
Butler County is made up of three districts with three state representatives, respectively. District 53 happens to be the most rural out of the three,
he said.
"This district is made up of very diverse groups of people from two very different geographical areas," Derickson said. "It is important to be able to represent those in the city and those in rural areas as well."
According to Derickson, there are 13 townships in Butler and nine of these are located in District 53. In addition to Oxford, Trenton and Middletown, there are several villages governed in the district. These include Millville, New Miami, Seven Mile, Jacksonburg, Summerville and College Corner.
The primary responsibility of state representative is to represent the constituents throughout his or her corresponding district, according to Derickson.
The two other Republican candidates running against Derickson are Paul Nenni and Terri Sue King, both from the Middletown area. Rocky Day, from Middletown as well, is on the Democratic ticket, unopposed, according to the Butler County Board of Elections Web site.
Derickson said his experience as township trustee for Hanover Township and knowledge of the district is what makes him qualified to run for the position.
In last November's election he was elected to his third consecutive term as Hanover Township trustee.
In this position, he said he has acquired grants that brought $375,000 to Hanover Township. This has allowed him to make changes in zoning in the township as well as the entire county.
Derickson explained that he changed the zoning code in Hanover Township to no longer allow correctional facilities to be set up in residential areas.
"In the end I know that the zoning decision made Hanover a safer community to live in," he said.
Derickson is also currently serving as vice president of Butler County Emergency Management Agency (EMA), a type of Homeland Security for the county.
From 2006-07 he served as president of the Butler County Township Association. The members meet to discuss issues in each of the 13 townships.
Each year the association holds a golf outing fund raiser that supports Butler County 4-H. The event, which has been held for 20 years, raises nearly $10,000 each year for young adults in 4-H, according
to Derickson.
Derickson is also a chairman for the Northwest Butler Co. Regional Alliance. Members of the alliance serve Oxford, Miami University, Talawanda schools and four townships, including Oxford, Milford, Hanover and Riley townships.
Derickson is confident in his abilities to serve the district on a state level.
"I have been encouraged to run for state representative by others in the community, and with my experience I feel that it is the next logical step for me to take. I am really excited," Derickson said.
Derickson has lived in Oxford his entire life and owns the Indian Ridge Golf Course and a furniture shop on U.S. Route 27. In District 53 there are both city areas and rural areas, as it covers heavy industrial areas in Middletown as well as farm townships such as College Corner and Summerville.
The current representative of District 53 is Shawn Webster. His major focus has been on education, primarily higher education.
His priorities have been to make sure there is a seamless transfer of coursework into public institutions, according to Webster.
He also worked on making the transition from regional campuses to a four-year institution a smoother process.
Webster is not seeking reelection because he is in his fourth and final term in the House.
Terms are two years long, and representatives can serve for a maximum of four terms. Webster said his term would end Dec. 31, 2008.
Webster offered a piece of advice for the next representative to take his place.
"It is important to serve your district well," he said. "You must remember that you are a state legislator representing not only your district but your state."
Webster said that he has congressional session once a week from January to June. The representatives are off during the summer months and resume session in September.
