From the Mayor’s Desk
On Feb. 3, at a council work session meeting, Fire Chief Jeff Hajek and I spoke about the continued need for a new fire station to replace the Broadview Road station, located on our city campus. We again presented the plan created by VAA Architecture, which was initially shared with the community and council when we went on the ballot in 2022 to request funding for it. Members of the selection committee at that time included department heads, council members and me. Despite the failure of that initiative, we publicly committed to finding other ways to fund it because the need still exists.
Additionally, residents shared that they were in favor of the new fire station, but they could not afford a tax increase. We heard that loud and clear and promised to find alternate ways to complete this important community project. One method has been to seek grants. We did not receive a $5 million grant we tried for, but we did receive a grant of $250,000. That money is currently in the fire construction fund, which was created to designate funds for the future construction of a fire station.
Council also appropriated $2 million from the city’s general fund and moved it into the fire fund with the grant money. Along the way, we started to see an increase in revenue, partially attributable to income tax collections (from remote work that started during COVID), increased wages that also increased income tax collections and our interest income that was generated by strong interest rates on a growing general fund balance.
So it begs the question: If we had the money to build the station with money we were collecting via those funding sources, why go to the voters? The answer is simple. As we were coming out of COVID-19, we weren’t sure if people would continue to work from home or maintain those higher wages, so we did not know if the increased money would keep coming in. Also, interest rates fluctuate, so we didn’t know if we could rely on the health of the market and interest rates. Fortunately, all of those positive factors have remained steady, so our general fund balance grew by nearly $11 million between 2021 and 2024.
Another question asked by a few residents is why we have not been saving all along for a fire station. When I became mayor in 2007, our country was in a financial crisis. Our general fund balance was not strong. We instituted significant austerity measures, while establishing a timeline of immediate priorities. When Jeff Hajek became our fire chief in 2009, he set a timeline that addressed the fire department’s needs. He focused on increasing manpower (from four to seven firefighters per shift), then upgrading equipment (turnout gear, breathing equipment and a filling station for breathing apparatus), and finally purchasing machinery (ambulances, fire engines and a ladder tower). The money allocated in their budget went to those three critical areas. Now it’s time to address the need for a new fire station.
As I’ve said over and over and over…we have outstanding employees in this city. They work hard, care about your needs, and work as a team to support one another. I am beyond blessed to be able to work alongside them each day. So as the mayor of this city, I know that we must build a new fire station because our firefighters truly need it and our community agrees that we have to provide them with whatever we can to keep them safe – because that’s what they do for all of us every single day. My own family has utilized the services of our firefighters and paramedics through the years, and we have been most grateful not only for their expertise and professionalism, but also for their kindness and ability to keep us calm. Every day, I witness the community’s immense respect and gratitude for all of our first responders, including our fire department, so I ask for your continued support as we enter this next chapter of progress in Broadview Heights. As I said when I first campaigned for mayor over two decades ago, and as I’ve said ever since I was fortunate enough to be elected: Together, let’s do what’s right for Broadview Heights.