MOUNT VERNON – Mount Vernon Mayor Matt Starr signed a proclamation for October as National Disability Employment Awareness Month at New Hope Industries last week.
“We have a lot of partners in the city that employ persons with developmental disabilities,” he said, adding that those employers provide much-needed opportunities and get good workers in return.
Tax revenues post year-over-year increase
Tax revenues are up $1.5 million compared to last year at this same time, Starr said.
City Treasurer David Stuller reported the total tax revenue, with a quarter remaining, was $12,099,487, Starr told the Mount Vernon News. Last year, the city’s tax revenue was $10,585,879.
“We're up over a million dollars in the withholding this year which is really good,” he said. “We obviously hope that's just going to continue to go up as we look in the last quarter.”
Business taxes show local businesses are more profitable this year than last year. Business tax revenue this year so far has been more than $1.4 million, while last year, it was $1.1 million at the same time.
Starr said resident taxpayers have contributed a little more than $120,000 over last year.
“We hope to be able to track that data a little more closely at the end of the year, but as far as our tax revenue is looking for the city, it's looking very good,” he said.
Public can discuss planning, zoning audit
The consultant the city hired to update its zoning code will provide an overview of a preliminary audit of the existing zoning code and identify some initial direction for change in a public meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 20.
The city began to modernize its planning, zoning and subdivision regulations to ensure that it can accommodate strategic growth that meets the goals of the city and its residents. The zoning code ordinances establish how land can be used, the types of housing and businesses allowed, the density of development, and site design elements such as signage, landscaping, architecture, parking and access.
The audit will summarize the strengths and weaknesses of the existing regulations in terms of usability, organization and substantive standards, and provide options for improvement. It also includes a proposed outline for a reorganized zoning code to improve usability by staff, residents, business owners and city officials.
The zoning code audit can be found on the city’s website.
Open house at Mount Vernon Fire Department
The Mount Vernon Fire Department will hold an open house from 5-7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 13, at 200 W. Gambier St.
October is Fire Prevention Month, with Fire Prevention Week from Oct. 9-15. Starr said the city focuses on a different fire topic each week.
“Temperatures have dropped recently. So this week's fire topic is giving space heaters [adequate] space,” he said.
Portable heaters and space heaters need to be at least 3 feet away from anything that can burn. Keep children and pets away from them. He said that turning them off when going to sleep at night is also a good idea.
Meet and greet at The Main Place
On Wednesday, the mayor attended a meet and greet at The Main Place, a mental health recovery center at 117 W. High St.
Center staff told visitors what they do and showed different activities at the center, including what Starr said was impressive art therapy. They talked about peer support, counseling, case management, housing support, employment assistance and group therapy.
“Most importantly, they just said, ‘What we're about is unconditional acceptance.’ So people are welcome there,” he said.
Every day the center offers a hot meal to anyone, with no questions asked.
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