Ohio mayors from both parties and every corner of the state gathered in Findlay on Thursday with one goal in mind: to make the state better.
FINDLAY, OH (WLIO) - Ohio mayors from both parties and every corner of the state gathered in Findlay on Thursday with one goal in mind: to make the state better. Our Bethany Ulrick will tell us how the Ohio Mayors Alliance is doing just that.
The mayors discussed public safety issues that are affecting municipalities across the state, like gun crime, mental health, and homelessness.
"What is your community doing that is working well that we may be able to implement? What are changes that we need to be advocating for at the state and federal level? And what are the action items that we can move forward with to get those things accomplished?" asked Mayor Christina Muryn, City of Findlay.
Those three questions were asked about a wide range of topics during the Ohio Mayors Alliance regional meeting in Findlay this week. Mayors from 31 Ohio cities with the largest population come together to discuss a variety of issues that they are seeing and maybe learn from each other about possible solutions. The mayors also discussed public safety issues that are affecting municipalities across the state, like gun crime, mental health, and homelessness. Meeting and talking about what each one is doing in their own city will help drive change across Ohio.
Findlay mayor Christina Muryn speaks at 2024 Ohio Mayors Alliance meeting.
"Recognizing that it just can't be the three C's advocating for certain change, but also other mayors coming and seeing that this important because there are not mythical boundaries to our cities. So, a crime that happens in Toledo, the perpetrators may come down 75 and hit my city, hit Lima, and that's unacceptable. So we need to have a statewise strategy," explained Mayor Muryn.
The mayors also discussed the housing crisis that Ohio is seeing. There is not enough building of new housing to meet the demand. They discussed possible solutions, like streamlining the process with the building department and updating zoning laws. Mayor Sharetta Smith also discussed a problem she is seeing in Lima with getting developers to build in the city.
Lima mayor Sharetta Smith speaks at 2024 Ohio Mayors Alliance meeting.
"We have over 2,000 vacant lots, but our specific challenges it costs $155,000 to build a house, but our median house only sells for a little under $100,000. So that need for get financing to encourage developers to come in and build is a very real need is what we're seeing all across the state," said Mayor Sharetta Smith, City of Lima.
The mayors also say another problem they want to address is getting the word out that Ohio is a great place to live, work, and run a business.
"You heard about the 40% crime reduction in Columbus; you know, in Lima we've been talking, we have an overall reduction in crime of 10%; property crimes are down 24%. People want to move into communities that are safe, so we need help telling the story that Ohio communities are communities worth investing in, worth living in, and we are places that you know people want to come and live," added Mayor Smith.
Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther was elected president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. He says he will recommend to other states that they develop a Mayors Alliance like Ohio.
