Here's what's coming from new Akron Mayor Shammas Malik in 'next 100 days and beyond'

Akron Beacon Journal
Updated ·1 min read
Akron Mayor Shammas Malik takes the oath of office, administered by retired Judge Ted Schneiderman, second from right, as Alice Duey holds the Quran and Malik's aunt, Mary Theofanos, right, watches during a swearing-in at a public ceremony at EJ Thomas Hall in Akron on Saturday.
Akron Mayor Shammas Malik takes the oath of office, administered by retired Judge Ted Schneiderman, second from right, as Alice Duey holds the Quran and Malik's aunt, Mary Theofanos, right, watches during a swearing-in at a public ceremony at EJ Thomas Hall in Akron on Saturday.

On Monday, Shammas Malik became the 63rd mayor of Akron. And he's got change on his mind.

During a public swearing-in ceremony Saturday at EJ Thomas Hall, Malik vowed that his administration will do three things to harness Akron's positive energy in the next 100 days and beyond: construct a team, deliver high-quality city services on a consistent basis, and make tangible progress on the challenges facing the city.

Malik has already been working on some of those changes. For example, he's put the fire chief and police chief directly in the mayor’s cabinet "because the leaders of our safety forces need to be as close to the mayor as possible," he said Saturday.

A public swearing-in: 'It's time to get to work': Akron Mayor Shammas Malik sworn in during public ceremony

Here are some other changes he plans on making in his first 100 days as mayor:

  • Revamping the operation of the Recreation and Parks Department.

  • Simplifying the way city contracts are bid.

  • Making the city website more user friendly.

  • Implementing a snow plow tracker designed to keep residents informed about winter weather events.

  • Improving the way the city mows, mitigates speeding and engages with residents.

  • Rolling out initiatives meant to kick-start positive changes to safety, education, economic development, housing, the environment and more. "What’s needed is the persistence to get things done. Things like: community policing, quality preschool for all our children, violence intervention, more opportunities for young people, strengthening our neighborhoods with infill housing, a downtown and neighborhoods that support high quality jobs, and so much more," he said Saturday.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: These are the changes coming from new Akron Mayor Shammas Malik