Mayor Drucker: Teamwork Helped Solon Thrive Despite Financial Crisis

Mayor Susan Drucker touted teamwork and a conservative budget approach as reasons why Solon still thrives despite these challenging economic times.

Delivering her State of the City speech Tuesday during a Solon Chamber of Commerce event at the Macklin Event Center, Drucker said that despite the difficult budgetary environment Solon accomplished a great deal in 2010 because the various sectors of the community – the city, the businesses, the schools and others – know how to work together.

"It is all about coming together, working together and succeeding together," she said.

Drucker's speech focused on the successes of city government and how the government works well with other local interests, particularly the business community.

Those accomplishments ranged from cutting back the budget to adding jobs to hiring a new police chief who is working to restructure the department and reach out to the business community.

Here are some highlights from the mayor's speech:

• Drucker expects difficult budget times to continue. She mentioned, which would cut funding to local governments by 25 percent in 2011-12 and 50 percent in 2012-13. Those numbers applied to means a loss of $157,000 this year and $269,000 next year, Drucker said. Still, she said the city is prepared for because of its proactive moves. She said the city paid off $4.7 million worth of debt, which freed up revenue to cover other operating expenses.
• In 2010, Solon added 47 new businesses and 24 businesses relocated or expanded in the city. Overall, the city had a net gain of 468 jobs.
• Drucker touted some of her changes at the police department, starting with the hiring of the new police chief, Christopher Viland. Viland is shaking up the structure of the department by not adding an assistant chief. Instead, the four lieutenants will have expanded duties and the department will add an eighth sergeant.
• Speaking of the police, Drucker praised the newly reformed K9 unit, which includes Officer Matt Troyer and Stryker, a German shepherd. Since they completed their training in late 2010, the unit has made drug finds on more than 20 traffic stops. Stryker also.
• Drucker acknowledged that residents don't like construction when its going on, but she said the city strives to be as proactive as possible with its infrastructure repairs. In 2010, the city worked on $15 million worth of projects and has another $7.6 million planned for 2011.

Video of the entire state of the city speech will be up on the city website soon. We'll provide a link as soon as it's live.