County Commissioner Jeff Fix Trashes Trustee Wilde

Mr. Fix, on FaceBook, belittles Melissa Wilde for re-election while saying it’s not personal or political. Excuse me, it is exactly that. Violet Residents for Responsible Development, VR4RD, takes issue with his 4 main points as follows:

(1) He states: “I served for two years on Pickerington City Council with Melissa and then watched as she quickly exited our scene to go be a Township Trustee”, and after “[t]wo years as a Trustee she tried to leave early to jump to State Rep”.  Here, Mr. Fix fails to acknowledge that he, himself, left Pickerington City Council early.  Mr. Fix committed to his re-election in 2017, for a four year term, only to leave early when he was elected as a Fairfield County Commissioner in 2018.  Why is it that Mr. Fix can pursue “the next step up the ladder” while Mrs. Wilde cannot?  Is there a glass ceiling in Violet Township? Is this sexism?

(2) Mr. Fix next recalls his perspective of the Community Center defeat over 2 years ago, in May 2019.  Why?…because it is controversial.  He fails to address all that Mrs. Wilde has done since May 2019.  Mr. Fix opines that “Melissa is not a team player – doesn’t know how to – or care to – build a coalition or consensus around an idea or project that she would like to pursue.”  As admitted by Mr. Fix, the Community Center concept was “a reasonable idea put together by a leadership group”.  If anything, Mrs. Wilde supported grass-root efforts of Violet Township residents, including a committee named Citizens for a Better Violet.  Why is Mrs. Wilde being ridiculed for supporting Violet Township residents and backing Violet Township resident efforts with action?  Is she “not a team player” and “causing problems” because she is willing to challenge someone else’s agenda?

(3) Mr. Fix opines that Mrs. Wilde, “without a vision for what growth should look like in Violet Township, has now glommed onto the group that is pushing for Zero Growth”, an “’anti-growth’ group”.  Is Mr. Fix referring directly and/or indirectly to VR4RD efforts?  If so, VR4RD is NOT for anti-growth.  VR4RD seeks responsible development, not zero development.  Here, it is not up to Mrs. Wilde to decide what Violet Township growth should look like.  Mrs. Wilde (who has a Master Degree in Public Administration with an emphasis on Urban Planning) took responsibility for the Violet Township Comprehensive Plan.  This Comprehensive Plan (currently being developed by a citizen’s steering committee and feedback from residents) will reflect the appropriate vision for Violet Township growth.  Mrs. Wilde has championed the Comprehensive Plan efforts and is the only Trustee to attend all the citizen steering committee meetings and community workshops.  This is a clear example of what Mrs. Wilde has done to support the interests of Violet Township residents.  Does Mr. Fix’s vision, as a Fairfield County Commissioner, differ from that of Violet Township residents?  What kind of “smart growth” is Mr. Fix referring to?  Take a look at Fairfield County’s vision for Violet Township here:  https://www.co.fairfield.oh.us/rpc/pdf/Fairfield-County-Future-Land-Use-Plan-2021.pdf.  Please notice that Violet Township (upper left portion) is the only township in the County designated as primarily pink (growth areas) and includes very little light green (agricultural preservation areas), no dark green (conservation resource areas), and no orange/white stripes (protected farmland areas).  Is this what Violet Township residents want for their future?

(4) Lastly, Mr. Fix asserts (without support) that Mrs. Wilde is “on again, off again” with “facts and truth” and that “what she says or posts is only partially factual, and that is inexcusable”.  Based on the statements presented herein, has Mr. Fix presented all the facts?

After conducting interviews with Violet Township Trustee candidates, VR4RD supports Melissa Wilde and Lori Sanders.  Please get out and Vote!