Valentín runs unopposed in caucus for Wabash Township trustee

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Only interim Trustee Angel Valentín filed to run for Wabash Township trustee at Tuesday evening's caucus, making him trustee by default.

Valentín steps into an office that has been shrouded from public inspection by an absentee trustee for more than two years. The office became vacant on Jan. 5 after Jennifer Teising, the former trustee, was convicted of 21 counts of theft for taking her township paycheck while residing outside of the township.

Teising is scheduled to appear in court at 9:30 a.m. Jan. 28.

Valentín's goals are to undo the damage that Teising created within the fire department, and he plans to secure a revenue stream to fund the fire department — a task that Teising failed to accomplish in three years in office.

"We want to bring back the paid guys," Valentín said about the three paid firefighters whom Teising fired on June 30, as well as the former Fire Chief Ed Ward, whom Teising fired on Dec. 21, 2020.

Ward still has a pending civil lawsuit against the township, Teising as trustee and Teising as a private citizen.

Valentín did not comment about the lawsuit, which both the township and Ward put on hold, for now.

Fire Chief lawsuit: Former Fire Chief Ed Ward's lawsuit against ex-trustee Jennifer Teising put on hold

Former trustee: Wabash Township Trustee Jennifer Teising tells first firefighter to look for another job

Over the next three months, Valentín plans to put together a petition to the Department of Local Government Finance that — if approved — will allow for the township to increase the property tax levy for fire protection based on increased population in the township.

"That will allow us to fund the fire department for many years to come," he said, noting that if it's approved, the increased tax levy would begin in 2023.

"We've been working with volunteers for longer than we should have for our population growth," Valentín said. "Fire protection is an important service, and to be able to do it right will mean some tax increases."

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Valentín estimated the proposed adjustment for population likely would increase property taxes, similar to the 2021 increase that was used to pay off the emergency loan for the fire department.

"We want to make sure we're providing the best fire protection available," he said.

Wea Township did a population adjustment, and it caused an increase in the township property taxes in 2021. Meanwhile, Wabash Township's levy for fire protection increased because of the emergency fire loan, which the township paid off earlier this month and is scheduled to roll off the levy.

Local taxes: Most property tax rates in Tippecanoe County increasing to fund township fire departments

If there's a positive side to a potential tax increase, ValentÍn noted that better fire protection can reduce property owners' insurance costs.

After Tuesday's caucus, ValentÍn will be sworn in again — his second oath in as many weeks — and while he's at the courthouse, he plans to file his paperwork to be a Democratic candidate for the Wabash Township trustee's office in this year's elections.

Asked about updates on the 2021 payments for the township board, which had not been paid during the board's June 4 meeting, ValentÍn said one of the last things Teising did was to contact the payroll company to fix that error. ValentÍn, who was formerly the board president, said he and other board members were paid on Friday for their 2021 service.

However, Teising did not adjust the minimum $250 stipend paid to every volunteer firefighters. He pledged to correct that in the near future.

"There's a lot of work to do, and it's going to take some time to get the office straightened out," he said.

After Tuesday night's caucus election, he said he plans to hire office help.

Reach Ron Wilkins at rwilkins@jconline.com. Follow on Twitter: @RonWilkins2.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Angel Valentín runs unopposed in caucus for Wabash Township trustee