New Avon Lake Mayor Mark Spaetzel takes a business call on Jan. 24 at Avon Lake City Hall, 150 Avon Belden Road. (Martin McConnell — The Morning Journal)
Avon Lake Mayor Mark Spaetzel has spent 38 years in some form of municipal service job.
From Bay Village police chief, to a seat on Avon Lake City Council, and now moving up to mayor, he considers himself a lifelong servant of municipal government.
Spaetzel said going from police chief of Bay Village to a legislative position on Avon Lake City Council, initially was hard for him.
However, he said being in an executive position as the city’s new mayor following Gregory Zilka was a natural fit.
“When I came into Council, it was a little frustrating because you’re now a legislator,” he said “But, you’re not the doer.
“It was a little hard, because you want to just go do (the work yourself). So, when the opportunity came up to run for mayor, that’s where my mind was.”
On Jan. 1, Spaetzel was sworn in as Avon Lake mayor.
He said the transition from councilman to mayor has been a busy one, as he expected it to be.
However, Spaetzel’s previous relationships inside City Hall made his transition from council to mayor a smooth one, where he could hit the ground running very quickly.
“Very busy, obviously,” he said of his first few weeks in office. “Twelve hour days, but I don’t complain because I actually enjoy what I’m doing.
“Walking in the door in a new place, the first thing you’ve got to do is establish new relationships, and that was already done.”
Naturally, Spaetzel has big plans for his first term as Avon Lake’s chief government official.
Specifically, he noted he still has a few hires to make before all of his new department heads are set.
“Engineering, HR and public works (department heads) right now, we’re focusing on,” Spaetzel said. “I’ve been talking about that, and I think council will be on board with that.”
Spaetzel explained that 2024 is going to be largely about infrastructure in Avon Lake.
In addition to adding new positions at City Hall, a few roads around the city are going to be completely replaced, he said.
“We need to spend more on maintaining some of our infrastructure, so we’re not looking at these huge bills,” Spaetzel said. “It’s a matter of allocating your limited resources and prioritizing all of that, and we’ve already begun that process.”
The list of roads selected for replacement includes a large stretch of Walker Road, which will be replaced to last 30 to 40 years, the mayor said.
Additionally, Spaetzel mentioned that he wants to make major progress on the Avon Lake Power Plant lakefront project.
While slow moving, he said he wants to keep on top of the project as it moves along throughout his term.
Spaetzel said he is excited for the challenges of the new position, and looks forward to working with the community throughout his first term.
“I’m a born and raised Avon Laker,” he said. “I don’t really see this as a job.
“I love being involved in municipal government and serving. I picture myself as a servant leader.”
