Mt. Healthy Mayor Speaks at Wilmington Town Hall
- 23 minutes ago
- 2 min read
"I think a charter's the way to go... I'm not saying the Ohio Revised Code is wrong, but... it's a structure, it's a framework. But that framework and structure might not work for your city," stated Jennifer Moody, Mayor of Mt. Healthy, Ohio, at the February 10, 2026, Wilmington Charter Town Hall held at the Murphy Theatre. The meeting was led by Sydney Murtland, Director of Individual Giving at Wilmington College, and joined by Mayor Moody and Joseph Roetting, a Mt. Healthy city councilman. The two shared their backgrounds and how they got into politics, both stating that they were asked to run by local party officials.
Moody and Roetting shared that Mt. Healthy voted to become a charter city in 2012 after its third attempt on the ballot. They pursued a charter because they were struggling to find qualified people in the city to fill certain positions, and they wanted to extend city council terms to four years. Roetting stated, "It seems like two years was like a blink of an eye." Moody added, "Our charter is not big and involved, but it was customized to what we felt we really needed at the time."
Mt. Healthy's charter outlines a Council- Mayor-Administrator plan, with seven city council members, a council president, mayor, and city manager. The two shared that the city's finances are doing well and have received commendations from the state. One of their goals now is to revitalize their historic theater.
When discussing "partisanship", Moody recommended nonpartisan elections, but encouraged residents to honor Wilmington's needs. In response to questions about "electing" versus "appointing" a law director, the two shared that Mt. Healthy hires a law firm and that it works well for them.
Attendees of the town hall also shared that Wilmington currently lacks a building inspector. Moody shared that Mt. Healthy has a part-time building inspector who has "done great things in their downtown district."
Finally, attendees shared frustrations over Wilmington's current system, to which Moody stated, "now's the time [for a charter]" and encouraged personalizing it for the city's needs.
To learn more or watch previous meetings, visit wilmingtoncharter.com.