MANSFIELD — Mansfield mayor Tim Theaker announced his candidacy to run for his third and final term as mayor on Monday at the Richland County Republican Party’s luncheon inside Deluxe Catering and Events.
“We’ve made great strides to bring Mansfield forward. We are safer, and we have more jobs. Our parks are looking better. We have improved the city of Mansfield tremendously,” Theaker said. “We can’t go back. We need to continue moving Mansfield forward.
“My vision is to continue to make our hometown of Mansfield the best city … to work, live and raise a family.”
Seven years ago when he took office, Theaker said the state of Mansfield was very different than today.
“The city was in fiscal emergency. We were under the guidance of the state of Ohio, unemployment was over 11 percent and the city was in total disarray,” Theaker said.
He went on to highlight how the city now has more than $4 million in a rainy day fund, the unemployment rate has dropped to nearly 4.5 percent and approximately 700 blighted structures have been torn down in partnership with the Richland County Land Bank, which hadn’t even been formed when he was first elected.
He mentioned how a building was torn down at 220 Park Avenue a few years ago, and the former YMCA is currently being demolished.
Further within his two terms, the mayor said, the city has improved its sanitary infrastructure, improved its water supply system and paved more than 140 miles of road. The city has also resurfaced its municipal lot and made that parking free.
“I want to continue making sound financial decisions with director (Linn) Steward, to continue growing the downtown area, by making it easier to navigate the downtown area, improve parking downtown, continue working with local businesses, so they can come here to Mansfield,” Theaker said.
Besides Theaker, two other Mansfield residents have already announced plans to run for Mayor. Don Bryant, who has served as an at-large councilman for nearly five years, made the announcement Saturday, Dec. 15 inside the Richland County Democratic Headquarters. And Victoria Norris-Diez, local entrepreneur of NytStnd, has also shared plans to run.
