Kent, Ohio - Government

Government

Kent is governed by a charter form of government with a council–manager system of nine council members and a mayor. The city is divided into six wards and voters select a mayor, a council member representing their ward, and three at-large council members in staggered four-year terms. The city charter, adopted in 1963, is reviewed by a charter commission every 10 years who then make recommendations for changes, the last review being in 2005. The city council hires a city manager who oversees the day-to-day operations in the various city departments and enforces policies set by council. The mayor serves a largely ceremonial role as president of the council and votes only in the event of a tie. Kent voters approved the change from a mayor-council system to council-manager in 1975 and it went into effect in 1977. Jerry Fiala began his term as mayor January 1, 2010 and Dave Ruller began serving as city manager June 15, 2005.

As part of the city government, Kent also has departments of community development, health, human services, law, parks and recreation, public safety, and public service. The Public Service Department oversees a variety of construction and maintenance works as well as the city's water treatment and water reclamation systems while the Public Safety Department includes both the police and fire departments. The Kent Police Department is housed in the city's Safety Administration Building and includes 911 dispatch for Kent and Franklin Township. Kent State University also operates its own police department, which mainly patrols the KSU campus and KSU property in and out of the Kent city limits. The two departments frequently communicate and for several years were headed by identical twin brothers: James Peach in the city and John Peach at the university. The fire department operates two stations, the main station adjacent to the Safety Administration Building and the West Side Fire Station along North Mantua Street on the western side of the Cuyahoga River. Kent Fire also provides fire and emergency medical service coverage for Franklin Township and the village of Sugar Bush Knolls.

The city's main sources of tax revenue come from income tax, set at 2.0%, and property tax. In 2009, the city operated on a budget of approximately $40 million. The largest percentage of the budget, 22.8% or $2.6 million, was spent on the Fire and Emergency medical services and the city's Income Tax Safety Fund, respectively. Expenditures on Capital Projects accounted for 22.4% or $2.5 million of the budget, 17.5% or $2 million towards the city's General Fund, and $550,000 allocated for street repair and maintenance.

At the state level, Kent is in the 68th district of the Ohio House of Representatives, represented since 2011 by Democrat Kathleen Clyde, a Kent resident. In the State Senate, Kent is part of the 28th district, represented since 2007 by Democrat Tom Sawyer of Akron. At the Federal level, Kent is included in Ohio's 17th congressional district, represented since 2003 by Democrat Tim Ryan of Niles.