A Christmas Message from Mayor Ben Garlich

Mayor Ben Garlich

Hello Residents,

I want to initially wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a healthy and prosperous New Year. I know personally, my time with family and friends has grown more precious. Social networking, which I often took for granted, is now special. I hope you use this holiday season to enjoy family and network with friends.

We activated our Village Christmas lights the weekend prior to Thanksgiving. I often hear comments that it is too early, and I also hear positive comments from people who appreciate them being lit. Personally, I love when the lights come on. I’ve had Christmas carols playing on my car audio the entire month. I think it is the most calming beautiful music of all. Our Village looks great, and I appreciate all residents who make the effort to enhance the festive spirit. The month of December goes too fast for me. We are currently working to install a sound system to pipe music at the intersection of High Street and State Ave. Phase 2 of this project is to place a camera at the intersection and provide visibility of this area for all residents.

It seems like everything I touch has skyrocketed in price. I’m old enough to remember the Carter policies of the 70s when inflation skyrocketed, and interest rates made financing almost impossible which in turn killed all business expansion. It was a depressing time for all. I’ve never felt more strongly about praying for our prosperity in the coming year. I am still thankful for the liberty we have as Americans. I love this country and this Village.

It is hard to believe 2021 is almost behind us. It seems like I just got used to using 2021 on correspondence requiring a date and soon I will need to reprogram myself to write 2022. The year has flown, but it has been a very positive and successful year for your Village. We were able to complete many capital projects to improve the infrastructure within the Village. Next year ODOT has scheduled the repaving of East and West High streets. This, in addition to our streets repaved in 2021, and the side streets we have slated to repave in 2022, the majority of our streets will be in excellent condition.

During the year, we developed a succession plan for our Village staff. During this process, we realized the wealth of knowledge and expertise that someday will be leaving. In addition to our staff, we have hired a new solicitor, since our current solicitor, Tom Lee, is retiring after 29 years of service. We wish him the best. We have been fortunate to have his expertise in all areas. We have and will continue to add to our staff to ensure that local knowledge is transferred, and this expertise isn’t lost as we move forward.

I am often aggravated, but deep down thrilled, with the amount of traffic in the Village. Traffic means the local businesses are being utilized, our employers are vibrant and the Village is alive. I am always conscious how fortunate we are to have individuals and corporations that invest in our area and have residents who realize how critical it is to shop local. When you sit at a light or wait in line, remember without that inconvenience, the amenity you are utilizing would not survive without your support.

We have a limited meeting schedule in December but have a lot on our agenda for 2022. With your support we look forward to another active and successful year.

Exercise your right to vote, be informed, be involved, shop Middlefield and visit www.middlefieldohio.com

Sincerely,
Mayor Ben Garlich