The month of March marks the start of my third month serving as your Congressman for Ohio’s 7th District, and I would like you to know it has been an honor to serve you.  In past weeks, I have updated you on a number of the important issues that have come up so far in this Congress, such as the stimulus bill, the closing of Guantanamo Bay and the DTV transition. 

This week, I would like to discuss what I feel is the most important part of my job, which is representing and assisting the citizens of the district.  I want you to know that I consider it the number one priority of serving in public office to provide quality service to you and your neighbors. 

My district offices have been restructured to provide better outreach throughout the district. That means better constituent service, more office representation at community meetings and events and better communication using new technology, such as e-mail newsletters, teletown halls and our Web site at Austria.house.gov.  

As the 7th Ohio Congressional District is large and spans eight counties, I felt it was important to have offices in both Lancaster and Springfield, so there are staff in both these locations to assist you.  I have maintained a small staff in D.C., with 1/3 of the staff in D.C. and 2/3 of the staff in the district offices.

The Lancaster District Office serves: Fairfield, Perry, Franklin, Pickaway and Ross counties.  The address for the Lancaster District Office is 212 S. Broad Street, Room 55, Lancaster, Ohio 43130.  You can reach the staff in Lancaster by phone at (740) 654-5149. For easier accessibility and in order to provide better service, we will be moving the Lancaster Office across the street to a new location in the coming months, but we will still be located in the heart of downtown Lancaster.

The Springfield District Office serves: Clark, Greene and Fayette counties and is located in the Huntington Building at 5 W. North Street, Suite 200, Springfield, Ohio 45504.  The staff in Springfield can be reached at (937) 325-0474.

In addition to making sure the district staff is available to assist you with any questions or concerns you may have, I also wanted to create a system where I could hear directly from you on the important issues we vote on every day.

That is why I am setting up advisory committees in the areas of: health care, national security and veterans, agriculture, education, economic development and energy. The advisory committees give individuals from the district, with a background and expertise in these issue areas, the ability to directly give me their opinions and thoughts on legislation.  I want to ensure when I vote on bills that I am representing the citizens of this district. 

In addition to being able to help you with any questions or concerns you may have with the federal government, we can also be of assistance if you have a trip planned to D.C.  The newly unveiled Capitol Visitor’s Center is a wonderful, educational experience for children and adults alike. And, my staff can set up Capitol tours, assist you in getting gallery passes to watch a session of Congress or even set up White House tours.  If you are interested in learning more about these opportunities, please contact the D.C. Office at (202) 225-4324.

We can also help students interested in attending one of the nation’s four military service academies.  I am responsible for nominating eligible students from the 7th Congressional District to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Air Force Academy and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.  If you are planning on applying to one of these great institutions and would like more information on the process, please contact the Lancaster District Office at (740) 654-5149.

As I mentioned before, constituent service is the main concern and focus of my office and I would like to encourage constituents to stop by and talk with the district staff anytime, or feel free to call us, or visit my Web site at Austria.house.gov. We are here to help you and want to be of service in any way we can. 
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