A picture of the clock tower in Bowling Green.

The Big Picture

The policies I outline below are intended to promote economic growth and generate opportunity, help our residents feel more secure in their lives, from youth to old age, and secure the continued success of the city of Perrysburg well into the future.

All of these plans are subject to good finance and sound reason. If, after more careful study, a plan turns out to be unreasonable, that plan will either be modified or abandoned. My promise to you is to focus on actions that will better our community—not to get lost in action for the sake of action.

Some of these policies are bold for local politics. But they aim high to ensure that they never land too low. I think you can imagine us as being locked in a negotiation with the world, which we hope to improve, and you never start a negotiation with your minimum demand. So, these plans are aspirational, as a starting point for our hopes for the future.

A picture of a rail bridge over the Maumee river.

Land Purchase and Development

The city of Perrysburg should engage in a more proactive approach to encouraging economic development and growth. Directly purchasing and developing land for commercial and industrial use is a meaningful way to achieve this.

By purchasing undeveloped land that is still suitable for industrial or commercial use, the city gains two things: the first is the ability to entice businesses with the promise of infrastructure, such as sewer and power lines—any major business development will view certainty as an asset, even if the land costs a little more. The second is the ability to be more selective when deciding what businesses to sell to; we can prioritize businesses that will foster higher incomes and healthy tax revenue.

And this plan makes financial sense. Land is generally an appreciating asset, meaning that its value increases over time. By purchasing land at a fair value, the city still keeps its books balanced--assuming the financing is done correctly. The taxpayer dollars used for this endeavor are not lost; they are converted into assets that can be sold again for dollars.

A picture of a butterfly.

Sustainable Energy

The city of Perrysburg should invest in clean and renewable energy. The motivations for this are two fold: good financial sense and a commitment to our youth.

We know energy prices will continue to rise in the coming years. Hotter summers mean more demand for air conditioning. The new data centers being developed in neighboring communities, like the ones going into the City of Oregon and Milton Township, will also put more stress on our energy grid. Fortunately, electricity is an accumulative issue—as opposed to a discrete one, where it's either all or nothing—meaning anything we can do to curb demand or increase production will have an impact on people's energy bills.

Placing solar panels over our city-owned parking lots and—engineering considerations allowing—over our municipal buildings will make city government more self-sufficient. This will reduce the amount we need to ask of tax payers every year and will reduce the energy demanded from the power grid, lowering energy bills.

And we can partner with local industry to achieve this. First Solar, located in Perrysburg Township, is a major producer of solar panels. The University of Toledo is a significant research institute when it comes to solar technology. I have seen, first hand, projects done at the university, by students, to install solar panel farms—this contributes both to the university as an institution and to student education.

Beyond all this, I know that a major concern for our young people is the looming crisis of climate change. These projects not only make good financial sense, but they would also serve as a commitment to our future—a display that we take this issue seriously.

A picture of an open field.

Rezoning and Regulation

The city should continue its current rezoning project, with an eye towards increasing the availability of starter homes and mixed-use zoning. The idea here is to both encourage the availability of housing at fair and reasonable rates, and to promote economic activity by placing people closer to the services they need and desire.

The city should also aim to modify and update its rules and regulations, to allow for development of the same. Where reasonable, the city should aim to make development simple and cost efficient. It will help both residents looking for a place to live and businesses for a place to do commerce. And these are both wins for Perrysburg.