MANSFIELD — The City of Mansfield plans to end 2025 with a bang … and then throw in another boom midway through 2026 on the nation’s semiquincentennial birthday.
Despite the ongoing Main Street Corridor Improvement Project, the city still plans its fifth-annual “Ringin’ The Square New Year’s Eve Party,” which will include live music and food during the evening and then a giant ball drop and fireworks at midnight.
During Tuesday night’s City Council meeting, as Mayor Jodie Perry went over the 2026 temporary spending plan, she told lawmakers the city is working with Matt Tifft, the new owner of the Mansfield Speedway, on Independence Day fireworks in July.
“This has been a request every year … fireworks on the 4th of July,” Perry said. “Next year is America’s 250th anniversary and we are talking with Mansfield Speedway about working together on that.
“So there is money (in the budget) for that, as well as continuing fireworks on New Year’s Eve,” the mayor said.
Perry also provided an update on the Main Street project, which began in March and is expected to be complete by October 2026. She said the intersections at Third and Fourth streets should be open by Thanksgiving.
“You never know with construction, but it is the (planned) time,” she said. “We had a good meeting with Kokosing (the general contractor) a couple of weeks ago and talked through some of the timing issues.
“Mother Nature has gotten cold right when we didn’t want her to, but they are working hard on that and hopefully, we will see some relief, as far as the through traffic being able to get through,” the mayor said.
“Things will quiet down then in December, before starting back up in the spring.
“And yes, it’s going to stay dug up. Some of it will stay dug up through the winter, but they are going to be pouring some temporary sidewalks in front of both of the banks in that plaza. We know that’s very narrow there and it needs to be fixed,” the mayor said.
(Watch the Tuesday night Mansfield City Council meeting below. The meeting begins at the 7:39 mark with a public hearing on a requested parcel rezoning issue.)
Also at City Council on Tuesday:
— Safety Service Director Keith Porch said Jerry Botdorf has returned to work for the city managing the 9-1-1 communications center. Mark Huckleberry had been doing “double duty” managing the center while also heading up the city’s IT department, Porch said.
He said Huckleberry will be full time in IT going forward.
“Jerry Botdorf was our previous supervisor who went down to the crime lab and then left for a short while. He missed us so much (that he) wanted to come back and so we’re definitely glad to have him back,” Porch said.
He also said the Mansfield Police Department will be accepting applications for lateral transfers by the end of February.
“We currently sit at 89 officers. We’re budgeted for 91, but we had an officer just give us notice that he’s resigning (to take) a position with Tampa Police Department. So he’ll be departing for Florida,” Porch said.
— Lawmakers approved a proposal to renew an annual agreement with the Richland County Board of Commissioners on payment of legal counsel fees for indigent criminal defendants.
— Lawmakers approved trading in a rotary cutter used for land management at Mansfield Lahm Regional Airport for $5,000 and purchased a new one at a cost not to exceed $22,058. Funds will come from the airport’s capital funds.
— Lawmakers rejected the proposed rezoning of a parcel on Annadale Avenue to B-2 (general business district) from its current B-1 status (neighborhood business district). The property owners will work with the city to instead seek a variance to allow parcel to be developed.
— West Cook Road resident Charles Butler, during the public participation segment of the meeting, criticized lawmakers for recently approving a law that stiffens penalties for truck drivers headed north and south through the city that stray from the approved truck routes through downtown.
“Next time you go to the store to buy groceries, thank a trucker. Next time you go get gas, thank a trucker. Next time you order something off of Amazon, thank a trucker. Next time you order supplies for your job, thank a trucker,” Butler said, telling lawmakers there are more important things they should be worried about.
“Instead, let’s complain about truckers not using the truck route. Let’s mess with the ones who risk their life every day, the ones who do not know when and if they’ll make it home to their families,” Butler said.
“Are the (truck route) signs up to date? Is the construction rerouting by sign or currently by GPS? Do you still want your deliveries in areas that aren’t accessible? Do you realize how hard it is to turn a rig in areas that are rerouted?” Butler asked.
“Maybe finish up road projects before starting 900 others. Every day there’s a new temporary temporary close or detour,” he said. “All truckers should boycott all deliveries within the city of Mansfield.”
Mansfield City Council’s next scheduled meeting is Dec. 2.
