Darrell Hoeck has served on the Springwater Township Board for 38 years.
He started in 1978 as a clerk at the encouragement of his father, George Hoeck, who served Springwater Township for 25 years.
So, it’s fair to say local government leadership is in the Hoeck family roots.
“Dad always said we should all take our turn,” said the junior Hoeck, now 75. “And it’s time for new blood. There’s young people out there who can handle it.”
He said he never intended to keep the job for so long, and he even tried to get others to take his place on the board.
“I’d file for election, but I always told others to run — that I’d even campaign for them,” Hoeck said.
This year he did not file for re-election, and neither did anybody else. The election is set for March 8, and he hopes a qualified candidate is elected on a write-in ballot.
If that doesn’t happen, the board will need to appoint a new member, if one can be recruited.
Part of the reason for lack of interest, Hoeck said, is that Springwater Township has done well meeting the needs of its citizens; there hasn’t been an issue that prompted a need for change.
“You show people they’re getting something for their money, and they’re satisfied,” he said. “That basically amounts to keeping gravel on the roads and keeping up with snow removal.”
That, and replacing a culvert or bridge here and there.
Springwater Township has 55 miles of roads for roughly 250 residences.
Its budget typically runs around $150,000. That compares to about $10,000 when Hoeck’s father was on the board.
“Everything costs money,” Hoeck said. “The biggest surprise for most people is how much things cost.”
In 2015 the township applied 270 yards of gravel on its township roads at a cost of $9 per yard, or $180 per truckload.
He said the township pools resources with Beaver Creek Township, which now grades Springwater Township roads. “It’s a good deal for both townships,” Hoeck said. “They have a place to store their equipment.”
Springwater still owns some older equipment, but selling it will be a responsibility for a future board, Hoeck said.
The township budget is supported primarily by the township tax levy with some state aid in the form of gas tax revenue and Local Government Aid.
The levy amount is voted on by township residents at the annual meeting.
“If someone complains about their township taxes, I ask them how they’d like it if we’d stop putting gravel on the roads or stop plowing snow,” Hoeck said.
In all his years of township leadership, he said the board and its constituents have enjoyed relatively smooth sailing.
“They’ve kept the levy up to where we’re able to get work done,” he said. “And we’ve kept up with the work — which is never done. Road maintenance is never done … it’s an ongoing job.”
And, he said board members learn early on to prioritize funds and efforts.
For example, a big issue looming on the Springwater Township horizon is what to do with the ailing township hall, a former country school building that’s handicap inaccessible with a deteriorating roof and poor foundation.
That agenda item, however, was quickly bounced to the back burner after the 2014 flooding which required road repairs and a major bridge replacement on 151st Street.
“People have to access their farm ground and they have to haul their grain and you have to be able to get emergency vehicles down the road,” Hoeck said. “That all comes first.”
The township hall will be another decision for his replacement on the board.
Priorities were quickly rearranged in 1993 as well, when flood damage prompted FEMA reimbursements. “That was the biggest challenge of all,” he said, rolling his eyes. “Projects had to run through several layers of paperwork. There are unbelievable rules and regulations.”
When pressed for a reason why someone should consider serving in township government, Hoeck said with a smirk, “The salary is outstanding … and the good will you promote — you can’t put a price on that.”
Township board members receive $75 per meeting for their monthly meetings and $15 per hour for extra assignments.
For Hoeck, who never supported township board raises, it was never about the money; it’s about civic duty — something Hoeck said everyone should experience.
“I’d say it's a good experience to see how government runs,” he said. “You may not like what you find out, but you should try it. … I think everyone should take a shot at it.”
The Springwater Township election is from 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, March 8, in the Beaver Creek Township Hall.