Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan To Mark The Start Of Second Term Oath Of Office Ceremony Will Be January 4t

Akron, Ohio, December 17, 2019 – On Saturday, January 4, 2020, Daniel Horrigan will take the oath of office, marking the beginning of his second term as Akron’s Mayor. The ceremony, which will take place at Bounce Innovation Hub at 10 a.m., will be open to the public as well as to members of the media.

Mayor Dan Horrigan took office in 2016 as Akron’s 62nd Mayor, having previously served as an educator, City Councilmember, and Summit County Clerk of Courts. Mayor Horrigan immediately began laying the groundwork for his vision of a stronger, healthier, and more vibrant Akron. He championed the passage of the Safety and Streets income tax in 2017, which has tripled the city's annual repaving budget and provided much-needed funding to Akron's Police and Fire Departments. These additional funds have already supported the construction of two new fire stations, purchased new body cameras, vehicles and safety equipment, and re-opened the Akron Police Academy with a new class of 45 diverse recruits. Additionally, more than 150 miles of Akron roadway have been paved since 2016.

One of Mayor Horrigan’s top priorities has been shoring up the City’s finances, and reducing the overall cost of the City’s federally-mandated sewer program. By working with state and federal partners, championing green projects and seeking better financing, the City has reduced the cost of the program by $83 million in his first term. Additional improvements to the program, pending before the federal district court, will save ratepayers an additional $77 million once approved.

Mayor Horrigan introduced the City’s first non-discrimination ordinance, continues to convene annual Health Equity Summits to address maternal and child health, and spearheaded the community-wide Youth Violence Prevention Plan. Mayor Horrigan initiated the Age-Friendly Akron initiative in collaboration with the AARP, and partnered with the United Way of Summit County in opening the City’s first Financial Empowerment Center to offer free financial coaching services to residents. He is a leading partner in the community-wide efforts to stem the tide of the opioid epidemic and invest in recovery for Akron residents and families.

With a concerted focus on reinvigorating business and entrepreneurship, Mayor Horrigan founded Bounce Innovation Hub, making it the ideal setting to kick off his second term. He also created the Office of Integrated Development and the Great Streets Akron initiative, both designed to better focus the City’s human and financial capital to generate greater community impact. He partnered with eBay on the nationally-recognized Retail Revival initiative, and is a leading partner in the Elevate Greater Akron strategy to enhance economic inclusion and grow opportunity locally.

During his first term, Mayor Horrigan released the Planning to Grow Akron report, which outlined strategies to grow the City’s population to 250,000 by 2050. With tax abatement available for new home construction or renovation, Akron now has more than 1,000 units of new housing in development or under construction. He also recruited the City’s first community college in Stark State Akron to the region, while partnering with the University of Akron on efforts to enhance safety, beautification, and connections between the university campus and the downtown community.

In his second term, Mayor Horrigan will usher in continued investment in Akron’s infrastructure, neighborhoods, economy, and people. “This is a time of great expectations for our community,” Mayor Horrigan said. “Akron is bold and resilient—we rise to meet our challenges head on. As we look to 2020, we are well-positioned to continue our upward trend and to move Akron into our next phase of growth and vibrancy.”

There are many big events on the horizon for Akron. The City is on track to complete the Main Street project next summer, and celebrate the opening of a more dynamic, beautiful and accessible downtown corridor for all residents, businesses and visitors. The $42 million Bowery Project is nearing completion and is expected to create millions of dollars in economic impact. Additionally, the $100 million development from Amazon at the site of the former Rolling Acres mall is scheduled to open in 2020, bringing more than 1,500 new jobs to the area.

“I’m excited to see some of our larger projects come to fruition so that our residents can reap the benefits of these investments,” Mayor Horrigan said. “I am truly honored to have been elected to serve a second term as your Mayor, and I look forward to continuing our work to create the best Akron that we possibly can, together.”

The January 4th event is free and open to the public, however space is limited. Individuals interested in attending the Oath of Office Ceremony should register here. Tours of Bounce will be available after the event.