On Sept. 28, Steve Staton took office as the mayor of the village of Batavia following the retirement of former Mayor C. Scott Runck.
In a letter to residents later that day, Mayor Staton shared what can be expected from Village leadership:
”Today I was sworn in as your Mayor. I do not take that lightly, and I want to begin by thanking Mayor C. Scott Runck for nearly three decades of service to this village. Scott’s greatest gift to Batavia was bringing people together and creating a meaningful dialogue between the Village and Batavia Local Schools. I wish Scott and his family a long and healthy retirement.
For more than 18 years, I have served Batavia on the Batavia Local School Board, the Great Oaks Board of Directors, and Village Council.
A change in leadership is the right moment to tell you plainly what you can expect from me.
I will be straight with you. Everything a village government does is public, and it should be. When Council considers an ordinance, the full draft will be posted online with the agenda, so you can read it before you come to comment, not after. When we get something wrong, we will say so, figure out why, and not repeat it. The truth, told early and plainly, is the best communication a village can offer.
Decisions will be made in public, at the table. You will not see this Council walk in lockstep, and you should not want to. Each member answers to you. We will debate openly, we will sometimes disagree, and then we will do the work. When a council agrees on everything, somebody is being left out of the conversation.
Everyone has a seat. Whether your family has been here for generations or you moved in last month, whether you have supported this Council or questioned every decision it has made, this is your village. Batavia is at its best when neighbors who disagree still show up, speak up, and look out for one another. I will listen to all of you, including the people who do not agree with me.
Our first 100 days. Between now and Council’s first meeting in January, we will build a 100 day plan together. I am asking every member of Council, our Village staff, and you for your ideas: your wish list, your dream sheet. From there we will build consensus on what matters most. Then we will run it through the budget, because good ideas still have to be paid for, and the budget keeps all of us grounded.
Some priorities are already clear.
Fire and EMS protection comes first. When you call 911, help must come, and it must come fast. That is not negotiable. Whatever changes around us, Batavia residents will be protected without interruption. I will put every reasonable option on the table, weigh each one on cost and response time, and bring the facts to you in public before any decision is made.
Our cemetery follows closely. Batavia Union Cemetery holds generations of the families who built this village, and it deserves the highest standard of care. I will call for a meeting of the full Cemetery Board to consider moving Batavia Union Cemetery to direct Village oversight, with professional management, dedicated stewardship, and a renewed standard of care that honors our history and our loved ones. Caring for the people who built this community is part of caring for the community itself.
Growth is coming, and we will be open about it. There is renewed interest in development in Batavia. When proposals come forward, you will hear about them from the Village, with the facts, in public meetings, before decisions are made. Council has already adopted principles for how we evaluate development, and those principles, along with what is best for the people who live here, will guide us.
Years ago, residents told the Village they wanted a more walkable community. Riverwalk Park, along the East Fork of the Little Miami River, is one result of listening. I intend to keep listening.
Our Village staff are professionals. I will give them clear direction and clear deadlines, and then let them do their jobs. My door is open. Come to a Council meeting, email me at [email protected], or stop me on Main Street. To hear Village news first, sign up for text alerts at bataviaoh.gov/events.
Batavia has been part of Clermont County’s story since 1814. Let’s get to work.
Respectfully,
Steve Staton”
Mayor, Village of Batavia