Mayor Matt Miller: Ashland is where people want to be, pledges exciting 2023

ASHLAND − There was an incredible amount of progress in the city over the past year and residents should expect the trend to continue in 2023.

That was the message Ashland Mayor Matt Miller delivered during his annual state of the city address Monday night in Archer Auditorium at Ashland High School.

"It’s an exciting time in Ashland's history," Miller said. "There is no doubt that we are living through a transformation in this community's history."

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He said that 2022 was highlighted by unity among members of the city's government who have been dedicated to making Ashland a better place each day.

"The truth is, that is why we are able to make such rapid progress in this great city," Miller said.

Tax revenue up across the board

They mayor compiled several numbers for his speech that he believes tell the stories of the past 12 months.

He started with property tax revenue, saying it had increased by 6% in 2022. The rate, he clarified, had remained the same.

"That’s $2.5 million more than the previous year," Miller said.

He called it a "substantial increase," adding that while nobody enjoys paying taxes, that number is a good sign for everyone because it shows that property values have risen citywide.

"We want that number to go up," Miller said. "People want to be here."

Sales tax revenue has also continued to rise, a sign, the mayor said, that shoppers are choosing to spend their money in Ashland County rather than drive elsewhere for their purchases.

"Over the last two years, our sales tax revenue in this county has climbed by almost 22%," Miller said. "That is unheard of, folks. That is record setting."

Income tax numbers have also been on the rise — the mayor said that over the last two years, they've increased by at least 27%.

"That's not the rate, that's the collections," Miller said.

That brought $2.7 million more into the city's treasury in 2022 than in 2021, the mayor explained.

"That shows our businesses are being profitable," Miller said.

He said it also means the city's residents are working and being paid well.

"That is a huge figure," Miller said.

Many dilapidated Ashland properties torn down

The mayor told the audience the city's progress should be evaluated the same as any business would be judged.

Like a business, he said, the city provides services in exchange for income. The city's revenue is about $75 million each year.

One of the services the mayor said he's been most proud of recently is the substantial blight cleanup with the city's limits.

"In the last couple of years, we have cleaned up more than 22 properties," Miller said.

Some of those have been abandoned buildings and warehouses, but he said the majority were dilapidated houses.

"Every time you get rid of one of those properties, it’s as if those communities get new life," Miller said.

The mayor said he notices that neighbors clean up their properties once the eyesore on the block has been removed, which helps the spirit of cleanliness spread throughout the community.

'A city on the rise'

Miller said that the city's public schools, Ashland University, the many businesses and nonprofit organizations and other entities are all parts of the same body called Ashland.

"The way I look at it, the city government is the heart of this body," Miller said.

He pointed to improvements like the new bridge on Claremont Avenue, the new apartments on George Road, the new arch over Main Street and the new Rotary clock downtown as signs that the body of Ashland was functioning at a high level.

There were also many improvements within the police and fire departments, and he pledged that improvements within those departments — as well as the entire city — would continue in 2023.

"I think you have every reason to be excited about the future in this great city," Miller said. "We're going to do everything we possibly can to make sure Ashland continues to be … a city on the rise."

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This article originally appeared on Ashland Times Gazette: Mayor's 2023 state of city speech: Ashland is where people want to be