Just as he did en route to being elected in 2005, Wong has been biking the campaign trail for the past several months, logging hundreds of miles on a door-to-door grassroots approach.
But it’s more than just a political tactic, Wong said. It’s become part of his milieu; a backdrop to a better understanding of his constituents.
“I never forget where I came from. I represent the residents,” Wong said.
Biking at least a portion of the township’s 220 road miles “lets me feel the pulse of the community,” he said. “And then I can bring (that information) to the table.”
“Sitting on the board, you don’t know everything,” he added. “You have to get out and listen to the people.”
Wong, a 20-year veteran of the U.S. Army who holds a masters degree in criminal justice from the University of Cincinnati, said he is most proud of taking part in managing growth in West Chester Twp. during his first four-year term.
He also has fought with intensity to make bike/ hike paths a township priority and increase pedestrian connectivity throughout the community; items he helped to accomplish without raising local taxes, he said.
“You have to be fiscally conservative and be able to maintain the quality of life,” Wong said.
He said he is happy to have served during a time trustees have worked to build the township’s bottom line, while taking steps like delaying the need for a police levy.
Although it’s been four years since he first took his seat behind the dais, Wong said he quickly came to learn the complexities of the position; and especially that decisions don’t please all the people all the time.
“I learned that human problems are very complex,” he said. “It’s not black and white. You have to be a good listener, and make the best decisions for not just one person, but for the rest of the people. And sometimes you have to do things that some people don’t like.”
If elected to a second term, Wong said he would maintain a focus on strengthening the township’s police and fire departments and other core services.
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