Commissioners debut 2023 'State of the County' video
Richland County’s success in 2023 was the direct result of responsible fiscal management through a balanced budget and living within those means, investment in maintaining county infrastructure and building partnerships between agencies to promote responsive local government service.
Those were the main points of a four-and-one-half-minute “State of the County” video that was released Tuesday by the county commissioners as the second of three community branding videos that will spotlight the advantages of living in Richland County.
In the video, Commissioner Tony Vero pointed out that county government had its best ever financial rating in 2023 by passing a balanced budget, having money set aside, paying off debt and investing money in the right places even though it has one of the lowest sales tax rates in the state.
Commissioner Darrell Banks outlined several of the infrastructure projects started last year, including relocating the Clerk of Courts office into renovated former jail space and expanded court and meeting space while Commissioner Cliff Mears highlighted the community effort to connect the Richland B&O Bike Trail with the core of the Mansfield community.
Also featured was Sheriff Steve Sheldon, who described how cooperation between his department and the commissioners brought a high level of training with a new virtual law enforcement simulator.
Other achievements noted in the video included using American Rescue Plan Act funds to pay for building improvements at the Richland County Fairgrounds, infrastructure work in the Bellville area that will benefit the YMCA of North Central Ohio's new $22 million soccer complex and other development near the Ohio 97 and Interstate 71 interchange and support for the Black Fork Commons area in Shelby. Also mentioned was the MARCS (Multi Agency Radio Communications System) tower in Lucas that included upgraded cell phone service and cleanup of the former Westinghouse site in Mansfield.
On hand for the video unveiling were Greg Timberlake, interim CEO of the Richland Area Chamber and Economic Development, Jessica Gribben, economic development manager for Shelby and northern Richland County and Destination Mansfield-Richland County President Lee Tasseff. Tasseff said the main county branding video is expected to be released “later in the spring,” adding, “We’ve seen the rough drafts of it and we’re going through the edits right now.”
The state of the county video was paid for with county general funds and is expected to be an annual production. The video can be viewed by going to richlandcountyoh.gov or YouTube.
Bonds approved for charter school
Also on Thursday, commissioners held a public hearing on and voted to approve a resolution authorizing the Marion Port Authority to issue up to $15 million in tax exempt bonds for New Leaf, the parent company of Buckeye Community Schools. The bonds include $9 million to help the state-funded charter school to buy its current building at 1404 Park Avenue West and $6 million to purchase its facility at 356 and 366 W. Center St. in Marion that currently is undergoing renovation and expansion.
“In Mansfield, it is for the purchase of a building that was just renovated with the renovations completed in the fall,” said bound counsel Ben Kitto. “The $9 million not to exceed amount is almost all allocable to the purchase price of the facility. The landlord financed the renovation and is essentially selling the renovated building.”
The bonds are being issued through the Port Authority because of Internal Revenue Service requirements for their tax exempt status. Officials say they do not incur debt or create a financial liability for the county.
Buckeye Community School is a dropout prevention/credit recovery school that serves students ages 14 through 22.
“Our kids are credit deficient. They’re economically disadvantaged. We have teen parents. It’s a credit flex model currently approximately 550 students in Mansfield and the surrounding areas,” said Principal Steve Vanderhoff. “We’re primarily focused on career readiness. We have career tech programs approved by the state in construction, automotive, STNA and we have a program focused on customer service and retail.”
Vanderhoff said students get one-on-one attention in a non-traditional environment that helps remove the barriers that have prevented them from completing their education. “When I look at all of the notes of students who enroll with us — anxiety, being bullied, depression, all of these things — we have an onsite school psychologist to meet them where they’re at to get that tier one high school diploma,” he said.
This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Richland County commissioners release 2023 State of the County video
