Since I first took office in 2016, I have demonstrated strong leadership skills, enhanced community relationships and upheld fiscal responsibility. In addition to ensuring the day-to-day functions of Summit County government are accessible to our constituents, I have also developed creative and innovative projects that benefit all 31 communities in our County. In leading the County through challenges such as the opioid epidemic, COVID-19, and a changing economic landscape, I have proven I can navigate our community through turbulent moments.

My top priorities for my next term are to continue to provide high-quality services to our community, grow and strengthen public safety initiatives, and implement transformational projects made possible by the federal American Rescue Plan Act. We have earned a reputation in Ohio as a leader in service delivery. Our teams excel in assisting residents and connecting them with programming, and we will continue to identify opportunities to better serve our residents. To support public safety, we opened the Summit Emergency Communications Center, a regional, state-of-the-art 9-1-1 dispatch center that now serves over half of all residents. We hope to expand this operation to additional communities. Additionally, we have now invested over $16 million from our landmark settlement to stem the tide of the opioid epidemic. Our ARPA funds give us a special opportunity to invest in projects we could never have previously supported. I look forward to completing these projects in my next term.

To accomplish our priorities, my team and I rely on strong relationships with our 31 cities, villages and townships, our state and federal partners, business and nonprofit leaders and the philanthropic community. We leverage the best assets of our community, facilitate dialogue and harness the power of collaboration to achieve significant outcomes for Summit County. We do all this while always keeping fiscal responsibility top of mind.