Mayor delivers State of the City; officials highlight infrastructure projects, grants and fiscal position

Mayor Cindy Dickey delivered the City of Salem's 2024 State of the City report at the Feb. 18 council meeting, outlining department activity, capital projects, grant awards and the city's fiscal position.

The mayor said the city ended 2024 with "a little over $1.3 million" in carryover and reported completed and ongoing projects across departments. Public-safety and emergency services highlights included 2,354 total incidents handled by the Salem Fire Department in 2024 (67 fires, 1,567 emergency medical calls) and 3149 hours of training. The mayor reported police dispatch received 11,179 9-1-1 calls and that patrol activity generated 6,687 officer reports and 826 arrests for the year.

Infrastructure and utilities work cited in the address included progress on a multi-phase wastewater treatment plant project (phase 3 work and reconditioning of digesters), replacement of filter components and the delivery and installation of a new generator for the plant. The mayor said the Water Treatment Plant Phase 1 contract was awarded and that shoreline protection work at the reservoir was bid and scheduled.

The report listed several grant awards used in 2024: a $40,000 Ohio Bureau of Compensation grant toward two mobile traffic lights, $49,508.90 in grants and fees received by the fire department, $156,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds for officer retention over two years, and multiple state and federal awards totaling about $1.4 million for Lincoln Plaza, traffic signal software upgrades, road paving, and safe routes-to-school projects. Parks and community programming received grants covering pool renovations, AED purchases required under House Bill 47 and event sponsorships.

Economic-development figures included four private expansion projects the mayor said accounted for about $57 million in private investment and, she said, work by the local economic development center that produced roughly $21 million in direct economic impact for Salem. The building department reported issuing 125 permits in 2024 and cited approximately $27 million in construction investment.

The mayor also listed recent personnel changes and promotions across departments and specific equipment purchases, including a 2024 Western Star plow-dump truck and new public-safety equipment such as ballistic plates and a canine unit vehicle. She said council formed a committee to renew a quarter-percent income tax for 2025 to be used for streets, alleys, sidewalks and parking lots.

The mayor's report included many operational details across city departments; she encouraged residents to remain engaged and noted continued grant-seeking and capital work in 2025.