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Mayor
Gerard Neugebauer began his second four-year term as the seventh mayor of Green on January 1, 2020. Most recently he served as an at-Large council member from January 1, 2012 through December 31, 2015. Prior to his service on council, he served as a member on a number of City boards and commissions.
Education & Family
A graduate of The University of Akron with a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration, he previously worked as an Engineering Projects Manager for Environmental Design Group in Akron.
A native of Akron, Gerard and his wife Maria have resided in Green since 1987. They have three grown children - Patrick, Stephen and Rachel - and three grandchildren.
Programs & Initiatives Spearheaded by Mayor Neugebauer
- Green Drug Task Force
- Project Tangerine, the City’s Volunteer Program
- Green Community Leadership Initiative
- Sister City, Beius, Romania
- Citizens Group for Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity
- Student Municipal Representatives
Boards
- Vice Chair, Summit ReWorks Board of Trustees
- Chair, Summit ReWorks, Building & Facilities Committee
- Chair, AMATS, 2023 Policy Committee
- Member, API, RP1185 Public Engagement Committee
Mayor Neugebauer welcomes comments and suggestions from residents and the business community.
- In 2022, our largest source of revenue, income tax, increased by $2.3 million, to $29.3 million, an 8.7% increase over 2021.
- After our income taxes decreased by 5.3% in 2020, we rebounded from COVI
- In 2022, other revenue was $16.4 million, which was a slight decrease from 2021, largely due to the timing of grant funding. Other revenue income of note included:
- The second and final payment from the America Rescue Plan of $1.36 million
- $32,000 in opioid settlement funds from multiple sources, the first of annual payments to be dispensed to the city over the next 17 years
- In 2022, our operating expenses were $35.9 million, including $4.4 million in debt service. $11.1 million was spent on capital projects including road resurfacing, park projects, Massillon Road south infrastructure project, the Arlington/Greensburg Roundabout, and new equipment for our fire and service divisions.
- By controlling our operating expenses and balancing our capital spending, we finished the year with $23.5 million in our general fund, allowing us to maintain a $20 million operating reserve through 2023.
- In May 2022, voters approved a 37-year, $68 million bond issue to modernize our school buildings. New elementary and middle schools will replace three schools -- Greenwood, Green Intermediate, and Green Middle, all 50 years or older.
- The Community Courts, a facility that would provide additional activity space for our community and serve as gym space for the new Middle School, was a concept that emerged as our school board worked to determine how much funding would be needed to fund our new schools. Everyone involved wanted to ensure the levy provided sufficient funding to build modern, quality educational space, but also very mindful to not overburden our taxpayers. Even with the new tax levy, Green has the lowest property taxes in Summit County.
- With the City building the gym, plus extra courts, a turf practice field, studio space for fitness classes and an indoor walking track, our entire community benefits -- not just families with school–aged children.
- The Greensburg/Arlington Road roundabout opened in late October.
- The first season of the Massillon Road South infrastructure improvement project began. Unfortunately, the project started slowly due to material supply issues. As a result, the project completion date will likely move from the Fall to spring 2024.
- The City was awarded $2.6 million in safety funds to improve the intersection of Arlington Road and Mount Pleasant Rd. This intersection, the site of several motor vehicle fatalities through the years, did have a higher rate of accidents and more severe accidents than was originally reported by AMATS, because the intersection straddles Summit and Stark Counties. By combining data from the two counties, we were able to secure federal safety funds to upgrade this intersection in 2025.
- In 2022, we had two existing Green businesses move forward with the construction of new offices. Ragon Chiropractic opened its new offices on Arlington Road. Direction Home, our local area agency on aging, is expanding in Green with the construction of a 35,000-sf office building on Town Park Blvd.
- We continue to see growth in single-family subdivisions including Spring Hill, Brier Creek, Forest Lakes, New Seasons, and Jacob’s Ridge.
- Led by Chief Jeff Funai, our Fire Division responded to just over 5,000 calls for service in 2022, an average of 13.8 per day, and about the same volume as in 2021.
- In 2022, our fire division took delivery of our new aerial platform to replace our 25-year-old ladder truck. The newer truck has better turning and breaking capabilities, and the ladder extends to 100 ft -- 25ft more reach than our previous truck. The $1.4 Million purchase was supported in part by $421,000 from our NEXUS settlement fund.
- We added two new Deputies, Bobby Bowen, the handler, and Nero, the K-9 deputy. Nero is trained for multiple patrol-related services including narcotics searches, article searches, human searches-and-tracking; and aggression control.
- At Boettler Park, we finished resurfacing and added lighting on our Pickleball and Tennis Courts.
- We added two new flag football fields at Ariss Park to consolidate all our youth football activities – flag, tackle, and cheer in one location. This frees up space in Greensburg Park to build two more youth baseball fields.
- Our Drug Task Force led the effort to establish a Mindful Walk along existing trails within Southgate Park. The 10-station guided walk, paid for through a Summit County ADM Board grant, encourages mental wellness by practicing mindfulness.
- Our Park Ambassador program expanded to 30 volunteers.
- Bob Bussey, one of our park ambassadors, was awarded Volunteer of the Year for his service to Green.
- In 2022, Green’s Knit for the Needy group made and donated more than 1,200 items (hats, gloves, mittens, blankets and more) to Green Good Neighbors.
Highlights of 2021
- 2021 was our strongest year ever. Income tax, which accounts for 2/3 of our total revenues, reached an all-time high of $26.9 million, a full $3.5MM higher than income tax revenues in 2020, a year impacted by an economic slowdown in the 1st year of the pandemic.
- Our total revenue in 2021 was $44.5 million, made up of income tax and $17.7 million from other revenue sources.
- In 2021, our operating expenses were $29 million. With debt service of $4.3 million, our overall expenses were just under $33.4 million.
- In 2021, we invested just over $15.2 million dollars of capital into our community, and just two weeks ago, City Council approved an additional $16.1 million of infrastructure investment for 2022.
- Completed the two-season Massillon Road North project – an extensive reconstruction of a portion of the road between I-77 to just beyond SR619.
- This summer we will start the next segment – Massillon Road south of I-77 through the Boettler Road intersection. This latest project includes the construction of two roundabouts on Massillon Road – one at Boettler Road and the other at Corporate Woods Circle.
- We will be constructing the roundabout at the Y-intersection of Arlington and Greensburg Roads this year.
- Developers are stepping up to meet the demand for single-family housing in Green, including:
- 60 single-family lots - available in the final phase of Stoney Creek.
- 38 lots in Phase 2 of the Forest Lakes development, off Tabs Drive.
- 166 single-family lots in the recently approved Beamer Farms, off Boettler Road
- Our volunteer initiative, Green Together, started in March of 2020 as a response to the COVID 19 pandemic and continued into 2021.
- Volunteer of the year: Bev Fry
- One volunteer opportunity that we added in 2021 was our Parks Ambassador program. This volunteer program was created to give our residents a way to give back to their community, while getting some regular exercise in the process.
- Park improvements:
- The Central Park sign and the Boettler Park Pickleball and Tennis courts are still under construction due to issues related to the pandemic.
- Added a new disc golf course to Boettler Park.
- Installed new turf at the Central Park playground.
- Added a new storage equipment building at Ariss Park.
- Completed parking lot and landscaping upgrades.
- There is a clear consensus in our community that Green Local Schools should move forward with a plan to demolish all three of its older buildings – Greenwood Elementary, Green Intermediate School and Green Middle School – and consolidate that learning space into two new buildings.
- The City of Green would partner with our Green Schools to build a separate building connected to the new Middle School that will provide community facilities including multiple basketball, volleyball and pickleball courts, multipurpose active space, and an indoor track.
Highlights of 2020
- Green Together Initiative
- Community volunteers came together to make 6000 free home-made masks
- Emergency response team lead by Jeff Funai
- Community outreach teams
- 70 volunteers called all senior citizens to check in 2x week
- Established hotline
- Churches delivered groceries and made home repairs to those in need
- Food drive more than 15k items then 10k more items in October
- Take-out Tuesday to support local businesses
- Offered up to $6000 interest free loans to businesses
- $50,000 to help Akron-Canton Airport
- Income tax revenue $23,400,000
- Down 5.3% from 2019
- Other Revenue Sources Breakdown
- Received $30,500,000 in other revenue sources
- $10,000 Issued bonds (Massillon Rd N Project)
- $2,100,000 CARES act grants
- $4,800,000 Federal grants
- $575,000 Refunds
- Total revenue was $53.9 Million, up $13.7M from 2019
- Operating Expenses Breakdown
- $28,500,000 Total
- $1,000,000 staff and operate Fire Station #3
- $700,000 COVID-19 grants and business loans
- $90,000 COVID-19 supplies and facility modifications
- $400,000 additional pay week (compensate for biweekly pay)
- $300,000 Income tax refunds
- $28,500,000 Total
- General Fund balance $21,300,000
- Didn’t have to lay off staff due to COVID-19
- School closures, bars and restaurants closed, Senior Centers and Adult Day Cares closed
- Mayor Gerard Neugebauer declared State of Emergency in Green
- New inclusive playground at Boettler Park
- Opened Fire Station #3 -Video Tour
- Able to host COVID safe events:
- 4th of July Raintree 5k and Fun Run in-person
- Halloween Trunk-or-Treat
- Twisted Wilderfest
- Construction
- Paved neighborhood streets
- Massillon Road North
- Resurfaced busy roads
Highlights of 2019
- Income tax revenue increased by 2% for a total of $24.7 million.
- Total revenues– income tax and other revenue combined in 2019 was $40.2 million.
- Operating expenses were $25.7 million. We made $3.9 million in debt payments, reducing our debt principle by $2.8 million. Overall expenses in 2019 were $29.6 million, a decrease of 5.4% from 2018, and, even more significantly, below our spending levels in 2015.
- The City’s revenue in 2019 was just over $40 million and our expenses were $29.6 million, leaving $11.4 million available for capital investment.
- In 2019, we used the $11.4 million in “discretionary” funds to invest in our infrastructure including:
- Spending over $3 million dollars in roadway resurfacing.
- Completing the Corporate Woods Roundabout in front of Giant Eagle.
- Constructing the Myersville Road roundabout.
- Beginning construction of Fire Station #3.
- Rebuilding the Lichtenwalter Schoolhouse.
- Completing the Ariss Dog Park.
- Completed the Myersville/State Route 619 Roundabout
- This year the City will begin the largest infrastructure improvement project in our history – the Massillon Road North project. The $14.5 million project will take two construction seasons to complete, beginning this summer through the fall of 2021. The project is funded in part by $4.6 million in federal grants, representing 1/3 of total construction cost.
- Completed the final design of the Arlington and Greensburg Road roundabout slated for construction in 2021
- Advanced the design of two roundabouts on Massillon Road at Corporate Woods Circle and Boettler Road, south of I-77.
- This past year, Green became the first city in Ohio to establish a Community of First Responders – a community made up of compassionate people who are willing to step in and administer NARCAN, to save a life following an opioid overdose.
- Encouraged five hotels in the I-77 corridor to place Naloxboxes, containing Narcan behind their front desk. In addition, the Akron-Canton Airport also requested Naloxboxes, installed next to their AEDs in the terminal. Then we trained their staff to administer NARCAN in the event of an emergency.
- Upgraded our Computer Aided Dispatch System in partnership with other Summit County municipalities through the leadership of Summit County Executive Ilene Shapiro.
- Upgraded emergency alert system –Code Red. Join by texting GREENOH to 99411.
- The City of Green is also in the beginning stages of a yearlong planning process to develop the City’s Parks and Recreation Master Plan.
- Added 176.5 acres of park land and green space. Raintree Golf & Event Center makes up the bulk of this land with 147 acres. We added 20 acres of parkland adjacent to Boettler Park, through which we are developing trails to connect Boettler Park to Koons and Thursby Roads. This section of trail, anticipated to open in 2021. And in late 2018, we were given 4.7 acres of land from the Rayl family, now named Rayl Park.
Highlights of 2018
- Revenues were $46.7 million. Income tax revenues were up 5% or $1.2 million more than 2017. Other revenue (bed taxes, property taxes, federal and state grants, etc.) was up significantly due to the $7.5 million Nexus settlement agreement and $2.6 million settlement from the developer of the Springhill property
- Reduced debt by $6.5 million in 2018
- Completed the Pickle Road/SR619 roundabout
- Welcomed 33 new businesses including Aldi's, Chase Bank, The Ramp Restaurant, Liberty Green Quilt Shop, Belladonna Florist, Dental Support Services and more
- Purchased Raintree Golf and Event Center for $3.3 million without taking on new debt
- Acquired 20 acres of park land adjacent to Boettler and Southgate Parks
- Received a donation of 4.7 acres in the southwest corner of the City along with $88,000 from the Rayl family to create a future city park. This land will be joined with 9.4 acres of city-owned adjacent land previously donated to the City by the developer of the Deer Valley Allotment
- Created four Pickleball Courts, the first dedicated Pickleball Courts in Summit County, at Boettler Park
- Began construction of the Dog Park at Ariss Park to open in April 2019
- Saw drug overdoses decrease in 2018 by 33% from 60 in 2017 to 40 in 2018 (based on number of times Narcan was used by Green Fire in response to an EMS call)
- Our Green Outreach (GO) Team visited 71 residents following an EMS call, related where drugs or alcohol was involved, to offer drug and alcohol recovery assistance
- Launched our inaugural class of Green Community Leadership Initiative with 16 class members
- Hosted our first Arbor Day Celebration in April 2018
- Launched our first year of Adopt-A-Spot, a volunteer program for organizations or families to plant flowers and maintain flower beds in our parks and public spaces. More than 33 groups participated throughout our City
- Began design on Fire Station Number 3 to be constructed at the corner of Mayfair and Raber Roads
Highlights of 2017
Watch Mayor Neugebauer's 2017 State of the City Address.
- Revenues were up 5.6% in 2017.
- Dedicated the Green First Responders Monument on September 11, 2017 with more than 300 people in attendance. The final phase of the Green Veterans Park was paid in part by donations of more than $90,000.
- Completed design of two new roundabouts to be constructed in 2018 -- Pickle Road and SR619 and Corporate Woods Drive and Corporate Woods Circle.
- Completed design of the Massillon Road North project. In 2018, right-of-way acquisition will begin.
- Retired $4.8 million in debt in 2017, $2 million of which was for the construction of Central Park.
- Logged more than 2,400 volunteer hours for City-sponsored activities.
- Launched the Student Municipal Representative program to seat high school students on our various boards and commissions.
- Welcomed more than 35 new businesses to Green including The Lodge at Brier Creek, The Gables of Green, The Boulevard, Securitas, Splash Carwash and more.
- Began the Green Outreach (GO) Team in January 2017 to visit homes where a drug overdose occurred. In 2017, the City saw a reduction in drug overdoses from 83 in 2016 to 60 in 2017. The GO Team is one initiative of the Drug Task Force.
Highlights of 2016
- Completed upgrades to Massillon Road to improve traffic flow and relieve congestion including adding a double turn-lane at Corporate Woods Circle onto Massillon Road; adding a dedicated right turn lane onto Boettler at Massillon; and realigning the stacking lanes on Massillon Road north onto I-77
- Initiated the Cities Without Drugs - Green Task Force to educate, assist and support families battling drug addiction
- Launched Project Tangerine, a program to encourage volunteerism throughout the City and community
- Charged the Green Veterans Memorial Park Committee to raise $125,000 to complete the Green Veterans Memorial Park with a first responders' monument and a second Stories of Service Grove Walkway by September 11, 2017
- Welcomed more than 25 new businesses to Green in 2016
To hear more about the accomplishments of Mayor Neugebauer's first year in office. View his annual State of the City presentation.
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Gerard Neugebauer
Mayor
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Kelly Lavaco
Assistant to Mayor
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Mayor's Office
Physical Address
Central Administration Building
1755 Town Park Blvd.
Green, OH 44685
Mailing Address
PO Box 278
Green, OH 44232
Phone: 330-896-6602
Office Hours:
M-F, 8a.m. to 4p.m.