On December 1, I had the honor of being selected as the 41st Mayor of Madeira. I thank the voters and my colleagues on Council for placing their confidence in me.
The City of Madeira is a city of nearly 10,000 people and consistently ranked among the top communities in Ohio. It’s known for its high-quality schools, strong neighborhood feel and exceptionally convenient location.
Madeira has momentum. We are in the midst of renovating a re-imagined McDonald Commons Park, the primary park in our community, to serve the next generation of residents. Miami Avenue is being reconstructed to increase safety, improve the pedestrian experience, and increase the vitality of our neighborhood business district. Preliminary work has begun on a roundabout at Galbraith and Miami to improve safety and traffic flow at this misaligned and dangerous intersection. Our purpose must be to execute well on these projects and lay the foundation for continued success.
That foundation will include attention to the budget and preservation of the city’s AA+ credit rating. Our public safety and services are second to none and I am committed to providing our police, fire fighters and public works with the tools they need to effectively do their jobs and serve our community.
The “what” we will do is important, but equally important is the “how” we do it. When assuming the responsibilities of Mayor, I shared with my colleagues my expectation that our meetings be conducted in a respectful and civil manner. We have a talented, committed team on Council, and I expect nothing less – but I also continue to see other government bodies devolving into gridlock because some people refuse to compromise, pursue a “win-at-cost” agenda and choose chaos over governing.
My goal is for our “how” to be a good example of governing. Disagreeing without being disagreeable. We can challenge spending priorities and debate policy while remaining colleagues, neighbors, and friends. We can and should be an example of an effective, civil, functioning government capable of making decisions, meeting timelines, and balancing a budget.
I plan to look back in two years, at the end of my term, and celebrate not only our successes but how we achieved them.
