Mayor Lehner delivers 2024 State of the City, highlights financial awards, parks investment and public-safety upgrades

Mayor Peggy Lehner delivered a prerecorded State of the City address at the Kettering City Council meeting on Feb. 25, 2025, outlining achievements in 2024 and priorities for 2025. The speech highlighted continued fiscal awards, technology upgrades, public-safety investments and large parks projects.

The mayor opened by tying the city’s future to its history: "My name is Peggy Lehner and as mayor of the city of Kettering, I am honored to serve alongside our dedicated city council members," she said, and summarized the city’s strategic plan and the Spark Kettering community engagement campaign.

City finance staff earned recognition: the finance department received the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for the 40th consecutive year and the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for the 39th consecutive year; the city also received the Ohio Auditor of State Award with Distinction for the 2023 audit. Officials said a major upgrade to the city’s finance and human-resources computer system and a new electronic filing module for city income tax returns went live in early 2025.

Lehner and department heads outlined several service and accessibility improvements. The Montgomery County Board of Developmental Disabilities funded a universal changing table at the Kettering Recreation Complex. Senior Services reported expanded outreach in 2024: the senior-services coordinator, Natalie Storms, assisted more than 300 residents, performed nearly 400 home visits and handled nearly 1,000 phone calls; weekly blood-pressure clinics served 288 residents.

Public-safety upgrades included new body and in-car cameras for the police department, the creation of an intelligence-led policing unit and additional training in de-escalation and mental-health response. The police department added nine patrol officers and one dispatcher, and announced a new canine team member named Blue. The Fire Department described awards and equipment purchases, including new pumper engines and Lifepak 35 cardiac monitors; staff said the department will add two road-rescue medic units and other medical equipment in 2025.

Economic-development remarks covered life-sciences growth and redevelopment projects, including progress at the Dayton STEM School in Solvita and redevelopment of a former Tennaco manufacturing site. Planning and community-development staff noted a $250,000 grant to rehabilitate five owner-occupied homes and residential projects in Research Park and near Gentilly Park.

Parks and cultural-arts highlights centered on Gentilly Nature Park, which officials said opened in June 2024 after a $2,480,000 investment converting 19 acres of former federal property into parkland with zip lines, playgrounds and 250 new trees. Parks staff said the city will begin a comprehensive parks, recreation and cultural arts master plan in 2025.

Public-services staff recounted infrastructure and maintenance metrics for 2024: completion of East David Road improvements (cited total investment $1,500,000, with state and federal grant support), $2,000,000 invested in curb, sidewalk and drive approach repairs, placement of more than 2,300 tons of asphalt and specific winter-salt and brine usage figures. The Dorothy Lane resurfacing project was presented with a $3,500,000 budget and $1,800,000 in federal grant support.

Lehner closed the address by thanking staff, volunteers and MVCC for production work and noted volunteer-program growth (132 new volunteers in 2024 and a 59% increase in volunteer hours compared with 2023).

The address was presented as a taped video produced with Miami Valley Cable Council resources and aired during the council meeting; no formal council action was taken on the speech itself.