LIMA, Ohio (WLIO) - In its first meeting of 2026, new members were sworn in to fill Lima City Council’s 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th Ward seats.
Todd Gordon and Thomas Jones took the oath to serve another term representing the 1st and 5th wards, respectively. Jon Neeper, who was absent from council’s meeting Monday night, was sworn in earlier to continue another term as the 7th Ward councilman.
A familiar face is also returning to council. Jesse Lowe, who previously served as the 3rd Ward councilman before departing in 2018, was sworn in to return to the seat previously held by Carla Thompson. With the new year underway, the newly sworn-in council members shared what they would like to see happen in Lima.
"This is the beginning of my 4th term, and the whole reason that I do this is for the people in the ward," says Todd Gordon, Lima 1st Ward Councilman. "I would like to see us focus on the neighborhoods more. I mean, we've done the things that we can do, but now, I want to see an approach where we're actually attacking the problems in the neighborhoods and beautify them."
"I would like to see done in Lima is for us, as council and the administration, to really start listening to the people more," says Jesse Lowe II, Lima 3rd Ward Councilman. "They're screaming at us to do certain things. Like tonight, I invited everybody. When we do our charter review, be here. When we do our budget hearings, be here. You have to pay attention. You have to come out. We are accountable for where your taxpayer money is going."
"I'll be working on next, in the near future, is on getting out and making sure that I'm speaking to the residents," says Thomas M.W. Jones, Lima 5th Ward Councilman. "Traffic calming has been a very, very huge issue here in our area, so we'll be working as much as we can with our building department."
In other business, council approved accepting four vests from Vested Interest in K9s for four Lima Police Department dogs.
