City honors Seavolt, Woods for years of service

The city of Mount Vernon wrapped up 2025 and said good-bye to two long time council members during its meeting Monday.

Janis Seavolt (14 years) and Tammy Woods (six years) were honored by council and mayor Matt Starr near the end of the meeting. Starr presented both ladies with an American flag and read a proclamation thanking them for their service to the community and its residents.

In 2026, Taylor Jacklin will take over Woods' seat as 3rd Ward council member, while Dale Miller will sit in Seavolt's seat as council member at-large.

During the session, council wrapped up several items before the end of the year.

The first was a resolution designating where the lodging excise tax funds will be allocated for 2026-27. The city levies a 3% lodging tax on transient guests lodging in the city. Five percent of that money received goes into the city’s general fund with the remaining deposited for distribution to qualified not-for-profit organizations engaged in tourism, including 85% contracted to certain organizations.

Of that money, Experience Mount Vernon is allocated 35%, with Knox Partnership for Arts & Culture (Woodward Opera House) and the Knox County Convention and Visitors Bureau each receiving 25%. The Mount Vernon Arts Consortium gets 10% and Ariel-Foundation Park receives 5%.

Council also approved the sale on govdeals.com a house and garage recently purchased for a project at the intersection of Mansfield Avenue and Fairgrounds Road. The property, 200 Mansfield Avenue, will be used to change the intersection to connect Fairgrounds Road with Clinton Road, and the house and garage are still in good shape, so they will be sold and the purchaser must move them to another location.

In other news:

•Council approved amending the city’s Ohio natural gas aggregation plan of operation and governance.

•Authorized the auditor to wrap up the financial year by paying bills, transferring funds and making an appropriation to receive grant funds for the upcoming Sandusky Street widening project. Engineering received the grants totaling $1,201,468 to be put in roads and bridges capital improvements.

•Council approved the amendment of chapter 187 in the codified ordinances.

•Approved adding the Founders Grove LLC property on Upper Gilchrist Road to the New Community Authority District.