Dear Portsmouth Residents,
I hope this letter finds you well. As someone who has lived in this beautiful city for many years, I want to express my gratitude for everything that makes Portsmouth such a wonderful place to call home. Compared to other cities in Southern Ohio, Portsmouth offers a unique combination of beautiful natural surroundings, cultural diversity, and strong community ties.
However, there is always room for improvement. In my opinion, the local government can do more to enhance the quality of life for all residents. Here are five suggestions to consider:
- Invest in local infrastructure: Improving roads, sidewalks, and public transportation options will allow residents to access essential services more easily.
A great example of this is the recent tax levy that was passed. This shows that the citizens of Portsmouth are willing to invest in the future of our city and make the necessary improvements to make our lives better.
However, there is still much work to be done. One of the areas where improvement is desperately needed is in making the city more accessible for those with disabilities. While there have been some efforts to improve handicap ramps on sidewalks at intersections, there is still much more that can be done to make our city more accommodating to everyone.
- Increase support for small businesses: Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and play a critical role in keeping our community thriving. Providing tax incentives and other support to help small businesses grow will be beneficial to everyone. Greatly advance the support for home-based businesses, internet connectivity, and attracting remote workers.
In today’s rapidly changing world, technology has opened up new avenues for work and commerce. With the rise of remote work, we must make sure that Portsmouth is ready to support and attract this growing segment of the workforce.
One of the ways we can do this is by ensuring that we have strong internet connectivity across the city. This will allow people to work from home or run home-based businesses without the constraints of poor connectivity. Additionally, we can explore the creation of “smart apartment” spaces that cater to remote workers, offering them an upscale living experience in a location that provides a great quality of life.
By supporting home-based businesses and remote workers, we can help diversify our economy and create new job opportunities for our residents. This will be a win-win situation for everyone involved, as we will not only provide our residents with more job opportunities but also bring new talent and energy to our community.
- Focus on public safety: Keeping our citizens safe should be a top priority. Providing adequate resources and training to our local police and fire departments will help ensure that our city remains a safe and secure place for everyone.
Let’s talk about one of the most critical issues facing our community – the shortage of emergency workers, especially EMTs and Paramedics.
As you may already know, our city has been working hard to address the immense shortage of emergency workers. Despite our efforts, the shortage remains a pressing issue and one that needs to be addressed. This is especially true for our EMTs and Paramedics, who are often overworked and stretched thin due to the high demand for their services.
In addition to being overworked, emergency workers also face the added stress of dealing with “Compassion Fatigue.” This is a phenomenon where workers are exhausted and feel unsupported, especially when they are forced to turn criminals back to the streets due to State Mandates on the Courts.
While we should certainly celebrate the fact that our city now has a fully staffed police department, it’s important to remember that our emergency workers play a critical role in keeping our community safe. We need to do everything we can to support them and ensure they have the resources and support they need to do their jobs effectively.
- Support local education: Our schools play a critical role in shaping the future of our children and our community. It is important that our local schools receive adequate resources and support in order to provide the best education for our children.
One of the biggest challenges facing our schools today is a lack of adequate funding. This can have a significant impact on the quality of education that our children receive and can limit the resources available to teachers and staff. The good news is that much of the funding for our schools comes from taxes, and this is an area where the county can do a better job of collecting back taxes that are owed.
By working together, we can ensure that our schools have the resources they need to provide the best possible education to our children. This can include improving the collection of back taxes, which will allow us to invest in our schools and provide the resources necessary to support our teachers and staff. Whether it’s hiring additional staff, providing professional development opportunities, or investing in new technology and equipment, these investments will help ensure that our schools remain at the forefront of educational excellence.
- Encourage community involvement: Building a strong community requires the involvement and participation of everyone. Encouraging residents to get involved in local government, volunteer, and participate in community events will help create a sense of unity and belonging in our city.
There are hundreds of individuals in Portsmouth who generously donate thousands of hours and hundreds of thousands of dollars to support various causes and organizations. These volunteers are truly the backbone of our community, and they deserve to be recognized for their unwavering dedication and hard work.
However, recognition alone is not enough. It’s important for our local government officials to actively engage with these volunteers and help mentor the next generation of leaders. By bringing young people behind the scenes and showing them how government works, we can spark their interest in making a positive impact in our community.
Mentoring the next generation of volunteers and community leaders is a crucial step in ensuring that Portsmouth continues to thrive for many years to come. By supporting our youth and fostering their interest in community service, we can build a brighter future for all.
I believe that by implementing these suggestions, we can make Portsmouth an even better place to live, work, and raise a family. Thank you for considering these ideas, and I hope that together, we can make a positive impact on our community.