Latest news with #JodiePerry
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Mansfield Mayor Perry highlights her first year in State of the City address
The city of Mansfield is strengthening, according to Mayor Jodie Perry. Now in her second year, Perry delivered her State of the City address Thursday night by livestream. She wanted a larger audience to be able to hear the address. "We are a city on the cusp of great opportunity," Perry said. "We are a city seeing the first fruits of major changes that will strengthen us even more. While it is true that we have many challenges yet to face, my first 15 months as mayor has confirmed to me that there is great reason for optimism as we look at our collective future." The mayor called growth the first priority. Jodie Perry reflected on her first six months in office as the mayor of Mansfield for a previous News Journal story. "We cannot just count on the success of the past because eventually that will start to tarnish, and we will be left with gaps," she said. "We need new businesses creating jobs and new residents moving to town to continue our forward motion." Perry pointed out that the city is now partnering with Richland Area Chamber & Economic Development to serve as the chief ambassador for growth. Mayor highlights economic development She highlighted a few examples of growth, including a new manufacturing location for Adena-NCF. The investment will add 10 jobs and millions of capital expansion dollars. Eaglemark 4 opened a new location in the old foundry property, expanding to more than 80 employees and investing significant money. Adena Development will begin constructing a second manufacturing building at Airport West this year. "Why is this important? Businesses looking to relocate often base their decisions on three factors: speed to market, lowest risk and lowest investment cost," Perry said. "Having a building that is 90% ready to go will positively impact all of those factors." The mayor also referenced activity at Westbrook Country Club and Lahm Regional Airport. The Niss family is involved in both projects, which will include "The Sky Club" restaurant at the airport. Building will begin this summer. Housing inspectors issued 2,432 code violations across the city and ordered mowing on 335 properties. City crews also completed 224 cleanup and board-up orders on blighted properties. "We will soon be introducing legislation for a property maintenance code, which will give us greater options to enforce better property management to help protect your investment as homeowners and taxpayers," Perry said. Community development started the design and engineering work for phases 2 and 3 of the West End Target Area along Glessner Avenue. Jodie Perry "This project is revitalizing a strategic corridor leading to the county's largest employer, OhioHealth Hospital," Perry said. In news involving city departments, the water treatment plant is in the final stages of a massive, multi-year rehabilitation project, providing updates to a vital service. The utility collections department took steps forward in 2024. Residents now see itemized charges on their bills. The city also transitioned to measuring in gallons. Both were longtime goals. "Soon, we will have a new customer portal available so that you can look at your water usage in real time," Perry said. Parks continue to be priority for Perry Parks are another focus under the mayor. They were closed for eight years during fiscal emergency, but are making a comeback. The city completed 88 projects in 12 of the city's 22 parks in 2024. A grand opening will be held in May for Sterkel Community Park for All. "The large majority of the work was completed throughout 2024," Perry noted. "If you have not had a chance to visit this park yet, you will be blown away by the extensive investment that has been made." Perry said public safety is another top priority. The police department saw changes last year, with Chief Keith Porch retiring to become safety-service director. Jason Bammann was sworn in as the new chief in March, followed by Assistant Chief Mike Napier in April. "I'm pleased to report that Part I crimes, the most serious ones, saw an overall decline of 20%," Perry said, adding the detective bureau was able to solve a 40-year-old cold case. The fire department saw the retirements of six members, the addition of five firefighters and nine promotions. Chief Dan Crow also created the department's first strategic plan, along with a new mission, vision and core values. Perry's other top priority is infrastructure. "It is the thing you never think about when it works right, but you notice right away when it is broken," she said. Mansfield is getting a major upgrade to its local bike/walk trail system. Workers completed the first phase, a tunnel connecting the Cook/Trimble trail under the four-lane roadway last year. This year, they will add a connecting piece from the tunnel to the B&O Bike Trail, as well as along Millsboro Road from Trimble Road to Marion Avenue. More: Trees cut down on Millsboro Road to expand Richland B&O Trail Next month will see the first significant replacements of water mains in decades, thanks to voters approving a 0.25% income tax for the project. The Main Street Improvement Project has gotten underway after six years of planning. The $19.5 million project will convert Main Street to two-way traffic and upgrade the city's streetscape. One of the areas Perry said she has worked hard to improve is communication, especially through social media. The City of Mansfield Facebook page, on which people can watch Perry's State of the City address, has grown to more than 6,000 followers. The mayor also thanked the city's 465 employees, including department heads and her administration. Porch and Public Works Director Louis Andres have more than 70 years of public service between them. "I have talked a lot about the idea of 'Team Mansfield.' What do I mean by this? In this day and age, Mansfield is not just competing locally, regionally or even nationally," Perry said. "We are competing on a global stage for development and growth. Team Mansfield is the idea that we all have a role to play to make our community successful." Perry moved to Mansfield 11 years ago to run the local chamber, calling it her adopted hometown. "I am so humbled and honored to serve as your mayor, and I look forward to all that we will be able to accomplish together throughout 2025," she said. "The state of our city is strengthening each and every day." mcaudill@ 419-521-7219 X: @MarkCau32059251 This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Mayor Perry reviews 1st year in State of City address
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Primary election: Mansfield voters approve pair of income tax renewal levies
Mansfield residents continued their support of a pair of 0.25% renewal levies in Tuesday's primary election. They approved the so-called P.R.I.D.E. and pothole haters tax issues by comfortable margins. The pothole haters tax passed by a margin of 1,658 votes to 843, or 66.2% to 33.8%, in final, unofficial totals from the Richland County Board of Elections. As for the P.R.I.D.E. tax, it collected 1,555 "yes" votes to 922 "no" votes, a winning margin of 62.8% to 37.2%. Each levy will generate $4.8 million during each of the four years. The pothole haters tax has been renewed each time since it was first put on the ballot in the late 1980s. Jodie Perry "I'm very thankful that voters decided to give us another four years to work in both of these areas," Mayor Jodie Perry said. "That's a sign they're satisfied with the things they're seeing." The pothole haters tax funds 100% of the city's resurfacing each year. Perry previously said the city does anywhere from $4 million to $6 million in resurfacing annually. P.R.I.D.E. stands for parks, recreation, illumination, demolitions and emergency services. Half of the money goes to the safety services, 22% for parks, 20% for demolitions and 8% for street lights. "This will help us get staffing numbers up in the police department and keep the fire department fully staffed as well," Perry said. The levy covers 100% of the parks budget and provides the only funding for demolitions. "The demolition money is very unique and has helped us clean up a lot of blight," Perry said. "We'll continue getting things cleaned up, so we can build for the future." Parks have been another focus of Perry's administration. "We've made some great strides in the last 15 months," the mayor said. mcaudill@ 419-521-7219 X: @MarkCau32059251 This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Mansfield voters give thumbs-up to pair of renewal levies
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Primary election: Mansfield voters asked to pass pair of income tax renewals
Two 0.25% renewal income tax issues on the May 6 ballot have been consistently passed by Mansfield voters. Mayor Jodie Perry is hoping for more of the same. "Anytime you have something on the ballot, you just never know what the will of voters will be," she said. Residents will consider the so-called PRIDE and pothole haters tax issues next month. Each levy would generate $4.8 million during each of their four years. "So much of what we do at the city is dependent on those levies," Perry said. The mayor said the pothole haters tax has been renewed since it was first put on the ballot in the late 1980s. "It funds 100% of our resurfacing every year," Perry said. "If we were to rely just on the streets budget for that, we would not be able to do much of anything." Perry said the city does anywhere from $4 million to $6 million a year in resurfacing. PRIDE stands for parks, recreation, illumination, demolitions and emergency services. Half of the money goes to the safety services, 22% for parks, 20% for demolitions and 8% for streetlights. "We're calling it parks and safety at this point. It's 100% of our parks budget," Perry said, adding it also provides the only funding for demolitions. Both the PRIDE and the pothole haters taxes were resoundingly approved the last time they were on the ballot in 2021. The pothole tax earned 76% approval from voters, while the PRIDE tax garnered 72% of the votes. Perry emphasized the city is not asking for new money. "We've had some good momentum over the last 15-18 months," she said. "There's a lot of good projects taking place." mcaudill@ 419-521-7219 X: @MarkCau32059251 This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Mansfield residents asked to pass income tax renewal levies
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Celebrate Earth Stewardship in Richland County with Planting Pride
The 29th Anniversary Earth Stewardship Celebration is about to get underway with Planting Pride in Richland County. According to an announcement, the Earth Stewardship Steering Committee will hold an official kickoff at 1 p.m. Tuesday at the Richland Area Chamber & Economic Development, 55 N. Mulberry St. The event will mark the beginning of Earth Stewardship Months from April 1 through Aug. 1 in Mansfield and Richland County. Local leaders, including Mansfield Mayor Jodie Perry and Richland County commissioners, will participate. Planting Pride invites community groups to work on projects throughout the spring and summer. Activities can include litter cleanups, tree planting and beautification projects. Citizens are encouraged to organize efforts with friends, neighbors and co-workers to promote environmental stewardship. Participants can register their projects by calling the Earth Stewardship Steering Committee at 419-522-3211. The deadline for registration and project completion is Aug. 1, with photos due on the same date. This initiative aims to remind residents that Earth Day, Arbor Day and Soil and Water Stewardship Week should be celebrated year-round. Over the past 28 years, more than 58,922 volunteers from Richland County have completed over 786 projects, contributing more than 2.2 million hours of service. The Earth Stewardship Steering Committee is composed of the City of Mansfield, Downtown Mansfield Inc. North End Community Improvement Collaborative, OSU Extension, Richland Area Chamber and Economic Development, Richland Public Health, Richland County Regional Solid Waste Management Authority and Richland Soil & Water Conservation District. This story was created by Jane Imbody, jimbody@ with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at or share your thoughts at with our News Automation and AI team. This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Plant Pride and celebrate Earth Stewardship in Richland County
