Kelly Gutshall works for you.

The work she performs is not free, but it is inexpensive and invaluable. There are those who would argue that the work of a township supervisor is a bargain at any price.

"I look at it as an opportunity to give back to a community that has given so much to us," said Kelly, who's been a Warwick Township supervisor for six years. "We are very fortunate because the township has a really stellar staff who have been with us for a long time. Because the township is so well run, being a supervisor is not a huge commitment. They make it easy."

Kelly is one of five members of the Warwick Township Board of Supervisors. As a supervisor, Kelly is a public official who is elected, serves terms of six years and is compensated for her time and energy.

Kelly and Warwick Township's other supervisors meet as a board twice a month, virtually at 7 a.m. on the first Wednesday and in person at 7 p.m. on the third Wednesday. Both gatherings are open to the public.

"We have a really, really great board," said Kelly. "When you're managing a municipality, it's similar to running a business, but a diverse business. One of the things that's great about our group is we all have an expertise related to the township. We're pretty consistent in how we do things, and we work well together."

Warwick Township's Board of Supervisors represents one of the most basic forms of grassroots government. The actions taken by the board, the decisions made and the ordinances passed directly affect the everyday lives of the citizens of Warwick Township.

Working closely with township manager Brian Harris, the Warwick Township Board of Supervisors oversees services like the Northern Lancaster County Regional Police Department; fire, ambulance and emergency services; trash and recycling collection; sewer and water services; the budget; road maintenance; recreation; and employee turnover.

"The main thing is to address the needs of the community and to be financial watchdogs," said Kelly. "We make our decisions based on what we think is best for our community. We have a lot of things going on here. I think one of the things we do very, very well is plan, and we plan ahead. If you can plan ahead and spend money up front to address future needs, you can get yourself set up so much better. We also work well with Lititz Borough and Elizabeth Township. But everything you see that is really good in our township is a result of that planning."

Formally established in 1729, Warwick Township is currently home to more than 19,000 residents. Twenty square miles in area, Warwick Township maintains more than 87 miles of roads.

"I think we have an excellent quality of life here," said Kelly. "The township does an awesome job of managing so many different balls. Our public works department is top notch; they take great care of our parks and open spaces. I think we do a great job of responding when there are questions. We're fiscally very strong. We haven't raised taxes since the (1990s). Through pursuing grants, millions of dollars have come into our municipality. We've done really, really well leveraging funds and grants to make improvements to the township."

A native of Millersville, Kelly and her husband, Mark Gutshall, moved their water management business, LandStudies, to Lititz from Chester County 26 years ago. Before becoming a supervisor, the civically minded Kelly served on the Warwick Township planning commission.

"Our community was really supportive of what our business does," said Kelly. "This position came up, and I thought it would be a good opportunity to use the experience I had with the planning commission and work with this great group. I've worked in a number of municipalities in Pennsylvania, and we have one of the best in the state, and the community should be proud of that."

For additional information, go to http://www.warwicktownship.org.