As your Mayor, my goal is to preserve today’s community into tomorrow. We can do this, if we focus on the following:

1. Quality Growth: Marysville is the heart of Union County, one of the fastest-growing counties in Ohio. We have a rich agricultural heritage and small-town charm. Our residents are hard-working, straight-forward and honest. We have strong employers and a healthy economy. Those assets make Marysville a wonderful place to live and to conduct business. Because we have so much to offer, growth is inevitable. If we are to preserve our quality of life yet welcome our new residents, we need to take the following steps:
   
   
   • Keep our Downtown Strong: The Uptown Renewal Team (URT) has had a strong start under the guidance of the Union County Chamber of Commerce, with much help from the prior City Administration. As your next Mayor, I will see that the revitalization of our downtown continues and grows. I pledge to ensure that we will help current downtown businesses stay strong and viable. We will also locate new businesses to fill vacant storefronts. These businesses will be family-friendly and they will welcome visitors to our town.
   
   
   
   • Plan our Growth: Marysville has grown rapidly in recent years. Decisions made now will affect us for years to come. We need to plan how we will grow. We need to get public input into those plans before they are adopted, and we need to stick with the plans. We need the courage to say no to development, if it does not fit within our plans. Yet, we also need to be flexible, if a good opportunity comes along. As your next Mayor, I pledge to get public input and update our existing growth plans. I pledge to have the courage to stick with those plans, so that we grow in a controlled, smart way.
   
   
   
   • Build Strong Neighborhoods: Marysville is known to be family-friendly, but we need to make sure our neighborhoods are family-friendly. The best way to do that is to make sure we have sidewalks in every neighborhood. We also need to make sure each of our schools is connected to our neighborhoods by sidewalks so that our children can get there safely. The current administration has just begun a sidewalk replacement program. This is a good start, but there’s a lot of work still to be done. I pledge to take a comprehensive look at our sidewalk system and to target areas where sidewalks are most needed.
   
   
   
   • Provide Strong Parks and Recreation: My personal hobbies include running and biking. My family often uses the city’s trails, sports fields and athletic facilities. Healthy residents mean a healthy community. As your next Mayor, I will support a strong parks and recreation program. New residents expect this, and current residents deserve it.
   
   
   
2. Fiscal Responsibility: With growth comes an increased need for city services. More police and fire protection are needed. Streets, water and sewer systems are used by more residents and need more repairs. The current administration has done a good job of providing these basic services but the city debt has increased. Under my administration, we will seek out all feasible financing sources. We will also seek public input consistently and we will communicate frequently with our residents so they understand our city’s economic status. We will not expand services offered by the city unless our residents or businesses can pay for them or unless outside funding is available. We will keep our city’s debt at a manageable level and will manage our money responsibly.



3. Strong Schools: Marysville’s schools have been among the best in the state for many years. As Mayor, I pledge to work with the school district to keep the schools strong. I will offer the city’s support to school programs, and we will support responsible school funding initiatives. Our city will be a strong partner with our schools, because strong schools mean a strong community.



4. Senior Services: Our senior citizens provide richness and stability for our community. As our city grows, our need for quality senior services increases. As your next Mayor, I will work with our county and city to see that tax levies and other funding provide adequate services for our seniors. We will work together to offer these services, including health care, transportation, senior activities, in-home care, assisted living communities and retirement homes. Our seniors have built our community, and we owe them the quality of life that they have so richly bestowed on us.

Marysville’s Future: If we take the steps listed above, Marysville can preserve its wonderful heritage and grow into future, maintaining its greatness. As our city grows and changes, I want to hear from you, the citizens. Therefore, when I am your Mayor, I will hold open-door sessions twice monthly. We will call these sessions, “Coffee with Chris”, and residents will be welcome to come discuss their concerns and desires for the city. This is your city. Working together, the Marysville community of today will truly be preserved into tomorrow.