Mills ready to lead Coshocton
Mills
COSHOCTON – Mayor Mark Mills was officially sworn in on Dec. 12 and is ready to take office.
His first day at Coshocton City Hall will be Thursday, Jan. 2, but he’s been busy preparing for his new position since winning the election in November 2019.
“I’ve been meeting with employees, union heads, boards, companies, and others,” Mills said. “Since a week after the election I’ve been in meetings.”
One of the top items on his agenda is to improve technology.
“Our internet is slow at city hall,” Mills said. “I want more technology for our departments, but we need better infrastructure first. Those are some of the things I’m digging into now. Technology to me is huge to fixing the City of Coshocton as a whole. The only way we are going to do anything is to set ourselves apart. We have to be like no other place. There are things going on here that go on everywhere, but we can change that and say it’s not going to happen here. We need to be game changers.”
He also hopes to see groups work together to accomplish change.
“There are so many organizations that want what is best for our community and our county,” Mills said. “Let’s pick something and lets accomplish it. People may think they just have a little idea, but that idea might not be something that’s been brought up before. There are a lot of people who sat on the sidelines for a lot of years watching people be negative. Those people are ready to come together and make things happen and make this a better place overall. I think it’s time to take our personal differences out of the equation and come together. We can accomplish whatever we want.”
He is thankful for those who have already stepped up to make a difference.
“This holiday season we had the downtown lights that Our Town was responsible for and The Salvation Army, the fire departments and even M2 Drive Thru collected toys,” Mills said. “There are so many people already giving. You don’t have to give four hours either. Give a half hour or just pick up in front of your own house. Instead of calling Jeff Corder to complain about someone’s tall grass, mow it for them. We spend so much time being negative and complaining, but we need to see what we can accomplish by being nice and taking care of each other.”
His vision for Coshocton is a thriving downtown and a community with less of a drug epidemic.
“I want Coshocton to be a place people want to say they are from and proud to be from,” Mills said. “I want them to feel they are part of something and see that we are going somewhere.”
He is still working on a set schedule for his office hours, but is going to make sure he is available.
“I’ll be accessible, but people also will have access to their council member and I want people to know where to go for information and to get things accomplished,” Mills said. “I want to make people feel part of the community. City hall is everyone’s house. It belongs to the people. I want people to be educated on how the system works. Instead of not voicing their concerns and just complaining, I want them to know who to come talk to.”
Other than dealing with retirements, Mills doesn’t plan to make many immediate changes with employees.
“I may create a couple of positions like a technology position,” he said. “I’m going to look at what we need and how we can do it with the people we have and the best places for them and then what positions should be created to move us forward.”
For Mills being mayor is not about politics. It’s about getting something done and bringing people together.
“I’d rather try something and fail than try nothing and still fail,” he said. “In the 70s, 80s, and even 90s we were an industrial, manufacturing community. That was our identity and we haven’t had one since then. We need to figure out who we are and where we are going. I want to bring people together more than anything. I’m ready to work for the people. I want people to understand this is their town. Share your ideas about what direction you want us to go. I want that involvement. If you see me, say something.”
Category: Government
