Hillsboro mayor highlights four years' worth of progress in annual State of the City report

Hillsboro Mayor Justin Harsha shared his annual State of the City report with council members during the Jan. 31 special city council meeting, as he recapped his first term in office and previewed what he hopes to accomplish in 2024 and subsequent years.

As previously reported, the regular Hillsboro City Council meeting scheduled for Jan. 11 was canceled due to lack of a quorum, but its agenda was considered in its entirety during the special meeting Jan. 31. 

January 2024 marks the start of Harsha’s second term in office, after he won the May 2023 primary (contested) and was officially re-elected mayor in the November 2023 general election (uncontested).
 
He began this year’s report by thanking voters as well as his family for their support.

“I’d like to start my report by thanking the citizens for the opportunity to serve as mayor of Hillsboro for not only the last four years, but also the next four years,” Harsha said. “Your vote of confidence resonates deeply for our accomplishments, our goals and the state of our great city. 

“I’d also like to thank my wife Sarah and our children for embarking on this journey with me and for their unwavering support.”

From there, Harsha reviewed some of the strides the city has made during his tenure in a number of areas, including economic growth, infrastructure improvements, cleaning blight, enhancing recreation and developing strategic partnerships.

“Looking back on the last four years show the possibilities of what a team can accomplish,” the mayor said. “We've worked hard to build the relationships needed to grow our city and look forward to the challenges that lie ahead. 

The city’s economic development department, formed in late 2020, as well as their partnership with the county’s economic development department, which began in 2021, have led to some of those relationships, Harsha said. Through those economic development efforts, the city has been among the municipalities working on the formation of the Highland County Workforce Leadership Council and Highland County ACCESS program “to build a strong workforce and align students with intern opportunities with our existing and emerging industries.” 

Hillsboro has also partnered with Hillsboro City Schools by offering a scholarship to graduating seniors each year and sponsoring a “Senior Week,” Harsha said, along with a collaboration on their “Drive to Succeed” initiative for driver’s training using state funds. The city’s relationship with Southern State Community College has also led to “$100,000 in state capital funding to assist with” improvements at Crossroads Park.

Other county partnerships include working with Highland County Emergency Management Agency “to provide one-call service for emergency situations” and using the county’s Community Development Block Grant program to purchase new tornado sirens,” the mayor said.

From an infrastructure standpoint, the city broke ground on the Roberts Lane extension last fall, after two years of planning. Work on the $10.4 million project extending Roberts Lane and Fenner Avenue has included obtaining grant funding (which includes another contribution from the county), completing engineering and purchasing 69 acres of land for the addition that Harsha said in January 2023 “will open commercial and residential opportunities that will take us years into the future.

“It will provide much-needed residential, commercial and light industrial opportunities,” Harsha told council Wednesday. “This project is expected to be completed in August of this year and is a catalyst for growth for Hillsboro.” 

Other infrastructure upgrades have included three phases of a “storm sewer project;” a water line replacement project; and the paving of several streets, with money budgeted to pave numerous other streets in 2024.

At their December 2023 meeting, council voted to approve “a $1 million worth of paving” in 2024, including some or all of West Walnut, Johnson, East South, East and West Pleasant, Oak, Vine and South Elm streets. 

On a similar topic, Harsha also said the city’s “financial outlook is greater than ever,” comparing the totals when he first took office to the present-day outlook. 

“Starting in January of 2020, the city had a bank balance of $7,739,000, with a projected carryover of $156,451,” Harsha said. “As of today, the city has a bank balance of $14,579,336, with an expected carryover of $1.8 million. 

“Tremendous growth and fiscal responsibility has put us in a position to fund more and more projects for the betterment of our city, and our administration, alongside the city auditor, will continue these practices, offering us more growth and a successful future.”

Harsha also noted that close to $6 million in grant funding has been obtained by the city over the past four years for use on various projects, including infrastructure, parks and the tornado sirens, as well as the EV charging station in the uptown district. 

During Harsha’s first term, several “nuisance properties,” including the former Parker Hotel in Hillsboro in 2020, were demolished, with the city’s building and code enforcement departments also working on cleaning up “dilapidated residential properties. 

“Additionally, we have formed a great relationship with the county land bank that has assisted in the abatement of a structure  [an abandoned barn with asbestos] on city property and multiple residential properties within the city,” Harsha said. “The city has also hosted annual cleanup and Dumpster days to encourage residents to keep our community clean.”

City council voted in 2023 to form a new parks department and hire a parks director, as improvements have taken place at several parks in the past four years with additional changes coming in the near future.

Previous improvements outlined by Harsha include the addition of Crossroads Park on West Main Street to the parks system, which is the home of the Hillsboro Festival of the Bells and other city events; construction of a pedestrian bridge that connects Shaffer and Liberty Parks; and painting and resurfacing of the courts at the Railroad Street Park. 

Also in the works are a new ADA-accessible playground at Liberty Park, targeted for completion this year, as council voted on legislation for that project later in the meeting; an ampitheater and playground at Crossroads Park; walking trails on former railroads; and Railroad Street Park bathroom renovations. 

Over the past few years, the city has sponsored or participated in several events, including the “Pack the Park food truck event, farmers market, Easter egg hunt, HUBA [Hillsboro Uptown Business Association] events, Jeepers Creepers, Christmas tree lighting, Christmas parade, Movies Under the Stars, community appreciation cookouts and the Festival of the Bells,” Harsha said.

“We're looking forward to adding more events for the community to enjoy,” he added.

Also, in 2023, the city enacted legislation for the formation of a DORA [Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area] in the uptown district, which “will promote entertainment and encourage shopping and tourism,” Harsha said.

The mayor also read a list of nearly 70 businesses in the city of Hillsboro that have either opened, relocated or expanded in the last four years. 

“The administration has worked with each of these developments to help support their projects,” he said. “We understand the obstacles facing new and existing businesses and are dedicated to helping them succeed.”

Other accomplishments listed by Harsha included “working together with the auditor to refinance bonds and improve credit ratings; conducting a transportation study to assist in alleviating traffic congestion; incorporating new welcoming gateway landmarks, which we will continue to beautify; and working with Horizon to provide fiber to home for enhanced internet connectivity.”

“The state of the city is good,” Harsha concluded. “I’m happy with where we're at, I'm pleased with where we're headed, and with your help, the next four years are going to be fruitful.”