Resignation

Dear Community,

After careful consideration, I no longer believe I can impact the positive change the people of Tyrone Township deserve in my role as Trustee. Today I submitted my letter of resignation explaining this difficult decision in detail. It's something that's been weighing on my mind and heart for some time. The juxtaposition of knowing voters were counting on me to bring about change with the reality of the daily interaction with outright dysfunction is a stark and difficult contrast.

Please know that this decision has nothing to do with the people of this community, with my commitment to the community, or aversion to doing the hard work that needs to be done. If we (the Board) were actually doing the work that needs to be done there wouldn't be a problem. When the internal mechanics are so broken, there's no forward motion, and that's the part I cannot fix from a Trustee's seat. 

After working with many people in this community directly for over 5 years, overcoming tremendous obstacles at every turn, and doing it with success, I think I have a pretty good pulse on what is wanted and needed. The truth is, what you envision for this community is not hard or unrealistic. It's the shift in culture and mindset of those elected to lead that is difficult to change. Severely lacking leadership has destroyed the Board's ability to work toward consensus effectively or even plan for the future of the Township. Additionally, old ways of thinking combined with an insatiable thirst for control have stalled forward progress.

In Tyrone Township, Trustees are essentially expected to show up and vote, not to actually have a voice, ask too many questions, bring ideas and resources to the table, or serve as a colleague. If you're not complicit you become the enemy. These attitudes aren't democratic, best practice, or acceptable. It's archaic thinking, almost as outdated as our current Township policies and processes. 

I am stepping back because my own health, well being, and family have suffered long enough under the current circumstances. I know I have tried every possible avenue to turn the tide in a better direction. There is nothing more I can offer at this time. In my humble opinion, we are not better off than we were a year ago and I see no leadership even contemplating how to move in a better direction. There's no comprehension, interest, or vision in engaging in those kinds of conversations and certainly no support for actionable steps. For this reason, my continued presence on the Board would only bring more conflict and that is the last thing this community needs. This is not the right time, role, or dynamic for my involvement with the Township Board. 

I believe my efforts and advocacy can better serve our residents in other capacities. I'm not quite sure what that looks like yet, but I'm certain time will reveal new opportunities. This is a beautiful community full of good people that deserve better than what they're getting. We will find a way to thrive even if the path isn't quite clear. I hope this experience for all of us brings growth toward something stronger and healthier.  

Sincerely,

Sara Dollman-Jersey 

As I See It: Our First Year in Office

November 20th, 2025 marks one year from the date that the current Township Board was sworn into office, myself included as a new Trustee. Those that voted for something new did so with hope for something better. Not only are we not there yet, we haven't hit rock bottom and there's zero discussion about how we will start the climb back up. Every resident and Board member should be asking how we will better serve the community in the year ahead? 

The question I keep asking administrators is "What are we doing to move this Township forward?" What's the plan, what are the goals, and where is the structure?  I've realized that I need to start asking these questions at the Board table and maybe if I use my voice and a microphone they will hear it. Maybe, but I'm not optimistic. It's become apparent in recent months that the more questions I ask and the more constructive solutions I offer, the greater the inside effort is to reprimand and exert control. They say "Stay in your lane"...but what road are we on and where are we going? Aren't we all supposed to be in the Township's lane together? 

Anyone that has the privilege of serving in elected office should set out to leave things better than they found them. Are we achieving that? By what measure? Can anyone articulate what we are even working toward? Board members are barely communicating, let alone working together for the best interest of the community. What is in the best interest of the community and who decides? Is it one person? Is it three? Shouldn't it be all seven duly elected members of the Board who work to shape the future of the Township? I have more questions than I have answers, but I do know we need a hard reset. 

It's not just a fractured Township Board, it's a community with little trust left in the people making the decisions. There are several layers that led to that broken trust that we could analyze for months, but what value is there in finger pointing? The bottom line is that we have to start the process of rebuilding lines of trust by engaging with the community and with each other constructively. This past year has been such a disappointment to many. People are exhausted of the incessant conflict, craving reliable governance and a sense of community in a world that is deeply divided. Healing starts at home, first within each one of us, then right here in our own local community and it's time to start talking about how. 

I sent a letter in early November to my Township Board colleagues reflecting on One Year in Office, asking for it to be added to the agenda so we could finally have a conversation as a Board of 7 about our concerns, our mission, our vision, and our goals. That's a conversation we have never had. It's not the first time I've asked to have this discussion and it's not the first time that my request for agenda items have been disregarded.  As I see it, a discussion about defining our goals as a Board should have been the first order of business a year ago. Why can we not have that discussion? When will it be important enough for the whole Board to discuss? 

It's also not the first time I've expressed the need for a new forum in which the Board can actually engage in discussion based decision making processes. Why? Why does that matter? Many people in this community voted for change because they did not like the way decisions were made behind closed doors. That may or may not have been an accurate representation, but when decisions appear that way to the public, it breeds mistrust. Mistrust erodes confidence. 

Openly discussing challenges, concerns, and ideas is the ONLY way to start rebuilding trust with the community we serve. Openly engaging in discussion allows the public and the Board to minimize misconceptions, deepen understanding, ask questions, and in the end arrive at decisions in which people are informed and therefore have buy-in because they've experienced the evolution of thought directly. It gives us all, board members and residents, ownership in the future of the community in which we live. 

Finally I'll say this; I have voted down every motion made at the Board table that was not part of the agenda and in part some of what I'm describing above could have been addressed sooner. Why did I vote it down? I was told motions at the table are reserved for emergencies. In reality, it's probably not best practice to motion at the table regularly because the way the Board and the public prepares for a Board meeting is through documentation provided in the packet. It's a slippery slope to add items at the table and can lead to wasted resources and time. 

However, after being backed into a corner, dismissed as nothing but a Trustee, and waiting for leadership to lead for a year, my presence at the Board table will adapt. The future of this Township has become an emergency. My voice will not be silenced and ignored and neither should that of any Board member or member of the public. I am determined that our Township Board operates impartially as democracy affords with the mutual respect that's been preached from the dias. Too many times that has not been the case and we have to do better. Actions speak louder than words and so my actions will change. The time for the Township to move forward is now. The community has waited long enough.