LIMA, Ohio (WLIO) – Government leaders from the City of Lima and Allen County gathered for their annual collaboration meeting, continuing their efforts to work together to improve the community.
The round-table discussion included members of Lima City Council, the Lima administration, and the Allen County Commissioners. This marks the fourth meeting of its kind, allowing officials to meet in an informal setting and discuss a wide range of topics.
Among the items up for discussion were OneOhio settlement funds to address opioid addiction recovery, brownfield funding for revitalization and development, and joint efforts on animal control. All discussions centered on a shared goal—improving the quality of life for residents in both the city and county.
"It's important to keep ongoing dialog between our counterparts and county government,” said Lima Mayor Sharetta Smith. “As we said before, our residents don't know, you know, when the city stops and the county line starts. And so being able to come together in these joint meetings, discuss issues that are of concern to our residents, but also to celebrate successes that we've been able to have together is very important."
Allen County Commissioner Brian Winegardner echoed those sentiments.
“When a resident—it doesn't matter if they live within the City of Lima or Allen County—they just want answers, right?” Winegardner said. “So it's good to streamline some of our services that may oversee one another, and so you don't have conflict when you call one number and they say, 'Well, you need to call this number.' So these contacts that are developed here, it goes a long way for our citizens."
Officials say the collaboration doesn’t end with these meetings. A strong line of communication remains in place year-round, helping both city and county governments work efficiently together for the benefit of their shared community.
