Republican Mel Severns, who holds an at-large seat on the Mount Vernon City Council, is hoping to be able to do his part to make Mount Vernon a better place. He took a few minutes to discuss what’s ahead for the city.
The council is aware of changes on the state and national levels that could affect smaller towns, and Mount Vernon leaders need to be able to take the town in the best direction.
One thing to plan for, Severns told the Mount Vernon News, is the Intel semiconductor plant that is coming to Licking County.
“(That) will be a huge impetus for change in the coming years,” Severns said.
“Just the other evening, I saw where Johnstown, Ohio, is having much debate on how this will affect their seemingly rural town,” he said. "Many people in a community like Johnstown do not want to see growth. I understand that view. People who choose to live in smaller towns and cities do not want the large city complications and problems. It will be up to the officials in those entities to control the growth through good planning, proper zoning and legislation.”
In the national picture, Severns said he supports sound fiscal management and conservative government.
“We need to feel safe in America, but that seems to be at risk these days on so many fronts,” he said. That can be attributed partly to, in his opinion, the fact that the national political environment is “messy at best.”
On a more local level, the council wants to make decisions that are best for Mount Vernon residents, and one topic that needs to be addressed is housing.
“We need housing, so passing the rezoning of the property out on Upper Gilchrist Road was important,” he said of a recent decision. “Not everyone will like the decision. I understand that fact. However, our city needs housing, so this project will help us over the coming five or more years. In the meantime, we do need to solve some traffic issues. It will take good and smart planning to achieve improvements in traffic flow through our city.”
One reason people think more things might get done is that Republicans hold the mayor’s office and all of the city council seats, but Severns doesn’t think that party affiliation alone makes much of a difference on a local level.
"We are here to help the residents of our city enjoy living in safe, affordable neighborhoods,” he said of those who run for a city council seat.
He agrees, however, that Mayor Matthew Starr has a vision that will improve Mount Vernon.
“The mayor is planning ahead for the growth of Mount Vernon,” Severns said. “There will always be challenges to address, but that is why we go to work every day.”
Two issues that people have concerns about locally are homelessness and drug abuse.
While Severns said he’s not aware of any resolutions related to those topics that would be coming to the city council, he recognizes that individuals and organizations in the community are doing what they can to help the homeless. He described the problem as a complex issue that “tax dollars alone will not solve.”
On the matter of drug abuse and crime, Severns said he has ridden along with police officers on several occasions and he praised their work.
“These women and men are front line workers when it comes to keeping us protected and safe,” he said, adding that the latest quarterly police report shows the town is headed in the right direction.
