ASHLAND — The Ashland mayor gave a shining review of the city’s year in 2023 and a hopeful look into the future during his annual State of the City Address.
The mayor, joined by members of council and Ashland City School officials on stage, addressed around 30 people at Archer Auditorium on Wednesday. Officials also made the event available to stream live.
Before getting into the meat of the 90-minute event, Miller pointed to Ashland police officer Soren Osicka, whom he described as an embodiment of the city’s pursuit of excellence.
Osicka, hired six months ago, performed CPR on a 3-year-old girl on Jan. 8, saving her life. The event was caught on film from his body-worn camera.
“This is someone that works for our great city of Ashland and represents the goodness that we’re seeking to achieve,” Miller said.
The mayor reviewed various sectors of the city — the financials, public safety, and utilities. But he also made some announcements that will likely pop up in the coming months.
Miller revealed the potential for two new housing developments — one on Baney Road and another on the “south side” of Ashland. He also talked about plans for installing a walking path along U.S. Route 250.
The mayor announced the sale of the former Hess & Clark property to a couple from Virginia, who have vowed to build apartments there.
Projects in the Pumphouse District continue to move forward, he said, and will result in around $60 million in investments to the city’s downtown area.
Miller also promised residents the addition of public restrooms to the downtown area, next to Foundation Plaza, in 2024.
“Ashland continues to be on the rise,” he said, adding all the progress and changes “are not easy.”
But, he encouraged, residents have the power.
“We have the resources to create the community in which we want to live,” he said.
Financials
Miller said all tax revenue streams increased in 2023. The up-ticks were not as dramatic as what was experienced in 2022, but he said the city is “still in a good place.”
The city’s $76 million budget is primarily funded by the collection of income tax. In 2022, the city collected $19.6 million, according to data provided by the city’s finance office. In 2023, that number rose to $20.1 million, a 2.5% increase.
The city also receives a cut from property tax collections. That income — $1.51 million in 2022 — rose 4.3% in 2023. Collections amounted to $1.58 million in 2023, financial data shows.
Miller said the city’s “carry over” money — funds that were not spent in 2023 — amounted to just north of $3 million.
He said that number is impressive given the overspending on the Claremont Avenue resurfacing project, which officials initially estimated to cost $2.5 million in 2018. In all, the city will have spent around $5.5 million on the project. Most of that money came from grants.
Streets
The mayor pointed to the city’s progress on resurfacing its 315 streets since the 2016 implementation of an income tax levy that funds those projects. Miller said over 200 streets have been resurfaced since 2016.
In 2023, the city spent $2.6 million on resurfacing 66 streets.
He said not as many streets will be repaved in 2024, but pointed to a $4.5 million project spearheaded by the Ohio Department of Transportation expected to begin in July. ODOT is expected to repave U.S. Route 42 from Baney Road to Cleveland Road. It will also repave Sandusky Street from west of Baney Road to Cottage Street.
In addition, Miller pointed to East Main Street’s sinkhole, which is expected to be fixed for $1.4 million this year.
He pointed to the other end of the street, to an underground bridge, where the city and county plan to partner in its replacement.
The mayor did not share a cost estimate for the project on Wednesday, but officials have said the county will spend $436,000 of its ARPA allocation. The rest will be funded through a state grant and the city will provide asphalt for the project.
Miller said that project is slated to begin after Memorial Day. It’s also expected to close the road, he said.
Police and fire
The police department, Miller said, is fully staffed at 32 officers — a first since 2020. But Chief Dave Lay said in a recent Ashland Source story that he anticipates needing two additional officers to cover the newly-annexed part of town.
The mayor highlighted the police division’s addition of a part-time officer, hired in October, to focus on traffic enforcement. Miller said there are still three part-time vacancies to fill.
He also pointed to the force’s fleet and the city’s vow to equip them with printers and dash cams in coming months.
The city’s fire division handled more calls in 2023 compared to the previous year. Chief Rick Anderson said calls are up 3.4% between both stations.
Station 1, which is located downtown, received work in 2023 — namely concrete and drainage work, Miller said.
The fire division still awaits the delivery of a brand new ladder truck, which council purchased in September 2022. Anderson said the truck isn’t expected to arrive in Ashland until early 2025.
Public transit
Miller gave an update to the city’s plans for building a new headquarters building, which is expected to be located at the intersection of Third and Union streets downtown.
“We’re still waiting on the federal government,” he said.
In February 2023, the Federal Transit Administration — the agency in charge of administering the city’s grant for the build — expressed concern for the city’s purchase of the property before a federally-mandated environmental clearance, known as the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process.
The project is still delayed until the issue is resolved, but the mayor said Wednesday the city is committed to proceeding with the project with or without the $1.3 million federal grant.
Water and sewer
The mayor reassured residents that, despite the city’s anticipated growth, Ashland has enough water. He said the water treatment plant can treat up to 5 million gallons every day but currently treats 2.5 million.
“If things would continue, we stay flush with water, we have no reason to think those wells are going to go dry soon,” Miller said.
He also reviewed the city’s need to repair and replace sanitary sewer lines and to build another EQ basin, a tank that holds water before being treated. Miller said the price tag on a new EQ basin is around $10 million and said the city would seek grants to cover most of that cost.
The city’s sewage plant was the subject of a Solutions Journalism story Ashland Source published in January 2023, which explained why Ashland could spend tens of millions there in the near future.
Watch the mayor’s entire address below:
