1 new commissioner sworn in at Butler Township
BUTLER TWP — David Rice took his seat as a township commissioner Tuesday, Jan. 2 — the one new commissioner of three sworn in during the township’s reorganization meeting.
Jim Lokhaiser and Joe Wiest, who were reelected in 2023, were also sworn in Tuesday, and Lokhaiser assumed the role of commission president, a position previously held by Dave Zarnick, who was not reelected.
Rice said he was looking forward to working on the commission. He said he plans to learn the ropes from the rest of the commissioners, and work together with them.
“It’s just an exciting day, I put a lot of work into getting here … all that hard work paid off,” Rice said. “Now I look forward to put in whatever time is needed to keep Butler Township a desirable place to live. Getting to know the processes, getting to know the other commissioners, there is a lot to learn.”
Lokhaiser, who has been on the commission since 2015, said he is happy to take the role of president and lead the commissioners’ meetings. He said the next few months will likely be busy for Butler Township, because of a few construction projects that are in the works. Commissioner Ed Natali said he and the rest of the commission have their “full confidence” Lokhaiser can do the job.
“I’ve got big shoes to fill,” Lokhaiser said. “Just going to keep going, try to get the Hansen Avenue project done and the recreation center. That’s the next few months.”
Butler Township is in the midst of a project to realign Armco Drive with Hansen Avenue and Whitestown Road, adding some left-turning lanes to make exiting Armco Drive easier. Lokhaiser said the township will likely put out a request for bids for the project in the next few weeks.
The township also is in the process of creating a recreation complex by Pullman Business Park. The first phase involves the installation of an artificial turf field near the Butler Transit Authority office that will have soccer, lacrosse and football markings. There also will be a parking lot with 68 spaces, which Butler Township manager Tom Knights said is slated to contain four chargers for electric vehicles.
Wiest, who has been a commissioner for 12 years, said he plans to make this his last terms as a commissioner. He said
“Four more years, that makes 16, I did two on the school board, that makes 18 years of community service,” he said. “My community service days are winding down.”
