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Mayor: USPS will accept 'Green, Ohio' as a mailing last line; council to consider sharing cost of Senate lobbying effort
Summary
The mayor told the planning committee that the U.S. Postal Service confirmed residents and businesses may use “Green, Ohio” with their current ZIP code immediately and proposed the city join a 12‑city coalition to share the cost of a Senate‑focused lobbyist (cap $144,000; roughly $12,000 per city). He cited lost tax revenue and safety/identity reasons for pursuing a unified ZIP code.
The mayor told the Planning, Community and Economic Development Committee on Tuesday that the U.S. Postal Service has confirmed residents and businesses may begin using "Green, Ohio" with their current ZIP code immediately.
"You may now begin to use Green Ohio with your ZIP code immediately," the mayor said, describing the change as "a small change with big meaning" for civic identity, visitor marketing and municipal services. He said the city also received a second TIF distribution and reiterated an anecdotal estimate that the city was about $600,000 in unpaid taxes from 2023, which he attributed in part to ZIP code confusion.
The mayor told council he and a coalition of cities are pursuing a parallel federal path: a House bill referenced in committee materials has passed the House and a Senate push is underway. The coalition selected Van Sciosc and Associates (identified in committee as Van Sciosc) to handle Senate lobbying; the total contract cap is $144,000, which the mayor said would divide to about $12,000 per participating city for a year of representation and roughly $1,000 per month.
"This is probably the best chance we will ever have to obtain that unified number," the mayor said, urging council support. He said residents need not change billing addresses immediately but may begin using Green; the post office indicated implementation steps would likely take several months if a formal coding change moves forward.
Council members asked whether the preferred last line should be "Green, Ohio" or "City of Green, Ohio." The mayor said "Green, Ohio" is sufficient and shorter. Several council members supported pursuing the opportunity while noting that some businesses' external marketing (for example, car dealerships using regional city names) may be governed by separate contractual or corporate arrangements.
Pat Karleski, a resident, later said he noticed Stark County ballot items appearing on his ballot and raised broader concerns about schools and ballot jurisdiction related to overlapping ZIP codes.
What’s next: The mayor will introduce legislation at the next meeting to approve cost‑sharing for the lobbyist; council will consider the measure at first reading.
