MANSFIELD — Mayor Jodie Perry marks the end of her first year in office at midnight on Tuesday as 2024 comes to an end.
Richland Source City Editor Carl Hunnell recently sat down for a conversation with the mayor in her office to talk about her first year as an elected official — the wins, the challenges and what she learned along the way.
Perry also talks about what she has planned for 2025 at the dawn of her second year in office.
Below is the conversation, lightly edited for clarity.
Question: Describe some of the biggest surprises you have seen in the last 12 months, the best and the worst.
Perry: “That’s a good question. I would answer it this way. I think things generally have been what I expected, but perhaps the depth of them maybe has surprised me a little bit … (including) change tolerance … though in some cases, I think we’ve been able to get things moving faster than I expected.
“All the work we did in the parks has been fantastic, and I think I almost maybe was underestimating how much we could get moving as quickly as possible. Of course, we wanted that, and that was the goal. That’s partially why I hired someone like (Public Works Director) Louis (Andres).
“But even at the end of the year, I’m really excited by the amount of things that we’ve been able to to get moving there.
“Conversely, there’s some things that I thought maybe I could get moving more quickly that are just taking a little bit longer. Some of those are in the economic development realm, and I think, honestly, a lot of that is just a matter of my point of view changing into the public sector.”
She cited the recent retirement of long-time economic development director Tim Bowersock and the ongoing transition into using the Richland Area Chamber & Economic Development. Perry led the chamber before being elected mayor.
“We’re underway with that, but that all takes time and it’s maybe slowed things a little bit more than I thought I could do this year. So I guess maybe the stuff I’m more versed in went a little slower than I had hoped.”
Question: You talked about the difference in economic development between the private and public sides. Explain that a little bit.
Perry: “The work is the same in a lot of ways. But obviously on the public side, there’s just a lot more input … there’s a lot more. At the chamber I wasn’t the one in the seats, so I was there suggesting and and advocating for things. When you’re the one in the seat working with others, it’s just a little bit different perspective.
“The other difference is that I have to balance a lot more in terms of competing interests here, where over there (at the chamber), I could be much more focused on economic development.
“I take a pretty holistic view on all of this stuff. So to me, safety and parks is as much economic development as trying to get the businesses here. They at least are very complimentary, but that’s some of the difference.
“I will say this, I am pleased with how the year is ending from a prospect perspective. We are seeing an uptick of interest from residential to commercial to industrial developments and I think that bodes well for 2025.
“Of course, in economic development, you just never know how it’s going to work out. But I would say in some of the conversations that we’ve had directly with these developers, they’re saying ‘We’re coming because we see the changes you’re making. We like what we are seeing. We like how you’re really being aggressive on some of these quality-of-life issues, you’re being responsive.’
“So I feel good that the changes that we’re making are starting to … the word is getting out, I guess.”
Question: You you wrote three words on the board in your conference room at the beginning of the year — growth, infrastructure and safety. Those three words have remained all year. Talk about each of those and evaluate yourself. Give yourself a letter grade on each one.
Perry: “I am my own worst critic, as we all are. I don’t want to grade myself. I think I would say growth is not as strong as I would have liked it, but there were some significant steps forward this year.
“Adena (Corp.) taking a step on the (next) spec building really is a game changer. Obviously that’s going to take some time to build. But having a building, whenever that’s done, to market in the community is really a big deal.
“I also think figuring out what the future of economic development for the city looks like is a significant step forward, too. We had a long-serving director. We are going with the chamber now … we are taking steps … you will see some more things coming out at the beginning of next year on that. I think there’s been a lot more behind the scenes on that.
“Also in the growth area, I had to do things like get new Planning Commission members set up, working through a lot of changes in that internally on development, and just making sure that we’re as business-friendly as possible.
“I think that we’ve taken some really good steps forward. I definitely want to take more next year. There’s room to grow on that.
“Infrastructure is a really strong one, if not the strongest. Obviously a lot of the projects, when you’re talking these major projects, they were all in progress long before I became mayor. Some of them long before I even thought of running for mayor.
“Some of them I was involved with, like (the) Main Street (Corridor Improvement project) with my previous role, but there’s been a lot of other things that are smaller that people haven’t seen … happening behind the scenes.
“I think we’ve been really responsive to some complaints in neighborhoods where (residents) were just running into issues repetitively. We’ve been able to get our crews out there to get things fixed, whether it was a drain problem or those kind of things. That always makes me feel good when we can really solve issues that citizens are having. Of course, we can’t solve everything.
“Obviously, the water main initiative tax passed in March and there was a lot of work that the engineering team had to do to make sure we had a project lined up for next year. People may not realize how significant that project is going to be.
“At the end of it, if the tax continues to get renewed, we’ll have one of the newest water systems in the state for a community of our age. That’s going to be pretty significant and a big deal.
“And of course, public parks, we have made a lot of investment in the parks.
“When it comes to safety, also, I think there’s been some good steps forward. The impact of violent crime was less this year, though it was not nothing, and so we still certainly have a ways to go with that.
“We’ve got a new chief and a new assistant chief on the police department side. There’s been a lot of promotions in both the police and fire departments. Both of those chiefs are really doing a lot of investing in their teams, making sure that everyone is as well-trained and ready to respond as possible.
“We’ve also made some infrastructure, or capital investments, obviously the biggest being that mobile command vehicle, but I think there’s been other things that move that area ahead. But there’s still a lot of work to be done.”
Question: Police staffing has been an issue for the last few years. You will end 2024 with 81 or 82 sworn officers in a department authorized for 87. What’s the biggest challenge now in terms of staffing?
Perry: Staffing is the highest it’s been in a number of years.
Question: What’s the likelihood you might actually be able to get fully staffed in the MPD?
Perry: I think we are closing in on that possibility. We just closed another round of lateral transfers.
“I think the thing that took me time to understand is the length of time it takes to work through the hiring and training process. So I understand why the general public may not understand it.
“You’re not just hiring for something that you can put someone in tomorrow (to start). Even lateral transfers … someone that’s already serving as a police officer somewhere else … still has to go through a really extensive background check process and there’s a lot of things that we do with them.
“And there’s good reasons for that, right? We want to make sure that we have people who are the most mentally, physically and well-trained serving the public. They have really important jobs and the decisions they make are really important. So it all takes time.
“The recruits that we just swore in still need to go through the academy. I think their test was in May. We’re swearing them in December and they’re going to spend nine months in the academy next year. So it’ll be a year before they’re really out in (police cruisers) doing police work.
“We’ll work through this next lateral list. We’ll be giving a test early next year for folks who are non-sworn already. The end is in sight on this, but it’s still going to take a little bit more time.”
Question: Are you gonna write three new words for 2025 in terms of priorities? Or are you going to stick with those three? Are they kind of your cornerstone?
Perry: I think those are probably still the cornerstone for the first few years. There’s still an awful lot that’s going to have to happen in those areas.
“I do need to do some reflection also, though. What I would like to do is maybe give a little more definition of what those look like for 2025.
“Obviously it’s things I thought about as we were (financially) budgeting (for 2025) but I need to actually put pen to paper and narrow things down.”
Question: What do you see as your biggest challenges for 2025? You have union contracts to negotiate. The contract with AFSCME expired at the end of April. Police and fire contracts are to be re-done in 2025. Describe the management/labor relationship at this point and what should the public expect in terms of those contracts?
Perry: “I think the challenge you have … and this is going to be true anywhere … but you have a completely new administration coming in. But certainly (there are) frustrations or things that (AFSCME) employees have that doesn’t just reset with (the new administration), which we understand.
“I want to take a step forward that certainly is positive for our employees. My goal as the mayor is that we can have a strong work culture here. I think the impacts of fiscal emergency still loom very large here. I get that. I understand why that is.
“So I think it’s going to take time to build that trust back. And then, of course, there’s an election every four years.
“I think my perspective on that has evolved through the year. What I have been used to in other jobs and understanding a little bit more of what it will take here to really impact that culture change.
“But obviously, when you’re talking about negotiations, that’s a two-way street. That’s about what I can say on that.
“I think with the other (unions), it’s similar. We want to take some steps forward that we think will be helpful to the management side and obviously, employees, very understandably, want to take steps forward.
“We understand the world that we’re living in. I hope in balance, if I am lucky enough to be elected again, that in time that culture and that trust will get built up.
“There’s definitely been a shift. I try to be patient with that, because I understand that I inherit everything that has come before me, even though I wasn’t responsible for it.”
Question: What else in 2025? I know one of the things that people will always talk about, until it’s something else, is the deteriorating West Park Shopping Center. I heard the law director at City Council say negotiations (with the out-of-state owners) haven’t gone well and the outside law firm is talking about the need for either pushing for a settlement or filing litigation. From your standpoint, what’s 2025 gonna bring for the West Park?
Perry: I hope progress of some nature. I have been open about that I would like to see that property end up in local hands, versus where we’re at now.
“I think there’s been further conversation lately. I don’t know the outcome of that at this point, but it’s definitely something that is a priority to this administration. I do have some thoughts of a company that has allowed it to go in to decay … I just want to make sure that at the end of the day, it’s either ending up in different hands or that they’re paying for it.
“I don’t think that the taxpayers should have to benefit a company that has allowed it to go into this. That’s a little different, and there’s ways of doing it, but I also want to make sure that we’re as thorough as possible, because sometimes there’s ways of getting out of paying for it, too.”
Question: Let’s move on to the former Westinghouse properties. It’s owned now by the Richland County Land Bank, but the city has certainly invested a lot of money into what’s going on down there. You’re on the Land Bank board, but you’re also the mayor of the city. What are your expectations for that property in 2025?
Perry: “My hope is that in 2025 we can solidify the process with the developer so that it can start to take some steps forward. I certainly know that that’s going to be a long-term development. It’s not going to come back to life overnight.
“But I do think there are some things we can do (now). It also doesn’t have to sit idle forever. Let me say it that way. So maybe it’s not fully revitalized overnight, but I think it can take some steps.
“I think this is the debate that the Land Bank is having just in general, whether it’s that property or Ocie Hill or the (former YMCA). What kind of process do we want to set up so that we can make sure that we’re finding developers that are going to be good partners … good neighbors … take care of it … that have the means to do the development that they’re proposing, and that it fits the neighborhoods where the developments are going in.
“That has just not been a process that the Land Bank has done before. These are much larger lots than they’re used to. So it’s taking us some time to figure out that process, but I think you’ll see that come to fruition in 2025.”
Question: Let’s wrap up with this. What’s the single biggest thing you have learned as mayor of Mansfield in 2024?
Perry: “I would say this … it’s not necessarily something I learned … but I think what has been affirmed to me is there are lot of opportunities for this city.
“It is not a guaranteed thing. Growth and development is not guaranteed. But I do believe there’s a lot of opportunity if we take the right steps to move things forward the way that we need to.
“I would also add to that that while there can be a lot of negativity and pessimism, there’s an awful lot of people here that also believe in the future of the city and have been really excited to see the changes.
“Those are the kind of things that when you have really tough days and you feel like you’re hitting a brick wall everywhere you go, a resident that just stops to say, ‘Hey, thank you for making this change in my park,’ or ‘Thanks for getting this drainage issue cleaned up’ or ‘We really like what you’re doing.’
“Those kind of things keep you going. In balance, there are a lot of really great things happening and I remain just as bullish on the future of this community as I started in January.
“And maybe I kind of have a little better idea of specifically some of the things that we can do to make that happen.”
