Re-Elect Barbara Spaeth for Mason City Council

ACHIEVEMENTS

Council Terms: 2011-2015, 2015-2019, and 2021-2025

Barbara has been proud of her accomplishments during the years she has served on Mason City Council.

“Leadership is not about being the best. Leadership is about making everyone else better.”

Accomplishments as Mayor
December 2021-November 2023
  • Barbara changed the tone on City Council to return civility and decorum to Council meetings and regain respect from the community and surrounding communities. She demonstrated a steady and even temperament in leading Council meetings so that all Council members and citizens felt listened to and were treated with respect.
  • Alongside all the City Council members, Barbara worked to repair connections and partnerships with community organizations and businesses that had been severed or broken.
  • Barbara demonstrated consistent leadership to regain the trust of citizens.
  • Barbara led by example to bring back the feel of community for residents, businesses, and everyone who comes to Mason to either “live, work or play.”
  • Barbara joined County and State leaders to ensure the Cincinnati Open tournament stayed in Mason. Along with these leaders, she worked with the Mason City Staff and Beemok Capital to come to an agreement to keep tennis in Mason for the next 25 years.
  • Barbara encouraged a partnership with the MADE Chamber and continues to support the work of the “Make the Mile” project, which is taking steps to revitalize the downtown business community.
Economic Growth
  • Barbara will always support job creation. Economic growth lowers the tax burden on our citizens. The city’s tax revenue is what pays the bills.
    • In 1985, residents paid 80% of the city’s tax revenue and businesses paid 20%. In 2024, residents paid 12% of the city’s tax revenue, while our businesses paid 88% of the city’s tax revenue.
  • During 2022, 2023 and 2024, 2,120 jobs and over $92 million in capital investment were added in Mason, bringing in the necessary revenue to pay for essential services and to enjoy some of the finest amenities in the Country, like improvements in our parks, the Cincinnati Open, the Community Center, the Grizzly Golf Course, the Mason Municipal Aquatic Center and Makino Park.
    • Mason’s international presence and business attraction is enhanced by keeping the Cincinnati Open in Mason, attracting unique businesses like Dorothy Lane Market, international businesses like Procter & Gamble, and so many other international companies.
  • As of May 2025, the unemployment rate in Mason is 2.2% compared to the State of Ohio which was 4.90%.
    • Between 2021 and 2024, the City continued to be fiscally responsible by paying off almost 20 million dollars in debt.
  • Expansion of companies:
    • P&G, Festo, Rhinestahl, Cintas, L3, C.M.Paula/Remtec, Haag-Streit, AtriCure, Mira Precision Health and more
    • Mason’s Research and Development Park – addition of VEGA makes the future bright for companies to build in Mason.
Road Improvements
Traffic Flow & Safety Issues
  • Several roundabouts were planned and built while Barbara was on Council:
    • One of these roundabouts, at Bethany Road and Mason-Montgomery Road, made a huge impact on the flow of traffic.
    • In the last four years, several roundabouts have been added on Snider Road & Mason Road, US Rt. 42 & Bethany, US Rt. 42 & Mason-Morrow-Millgrove Road, and Western Row Road & Butler Warren Road.
  • Western Row Road full interchange at I-71
    • This project took many years to finish. It has had a tremendous impact on improving the traffic situation in that area, as well as on Fairway Drive and Kings Mills Road.
  • Kings Island Drive upgrade
    • Traffic flow was improved on Kings Island Drive.
  • Route 741 and Kings Mills Road
    • The planning for these improvements was started during Barbara’s terms and is now almost complete.
Key Partnerships
  • Common Ground playground at Makino Park
    • The Mason Parks Foundation and the City of Mason brought a multitude of groups together to build this park. It is an inclusive, one-of-a-kind park that has made Mason a focal point for children of all abilities to interact and play together.
  • Olympic-sized 50-meter pool next to the Aquatic Center
    • Mason partnered with A Matter of 50 Meters to help build this facility, where the Mason Manta Rays are now able to practice and hold swim competitions.
  • Warren County Drug Task Force
    • While Barbara was Chair of the Safety Committee, all aspects of the opioid/heroin problem in the community were considered to make sure Mason’s first responders were protected and citizens were kept safe.
    • The City also significantly increased its contribution to the Warren County Task Force so our police officers could continue to partner with the Task Force. The Task Force provides services to our community that our police officers do not have the man power to do alone.
  • Mason City Schools
    • Barbara supported a partnership with the Mason Police Department to maintain the campus safety program to ensure the security of all children and adults in the schools.
  • American Legion and the V.F.W.
    • Barbara supports the City’s partnership with these community groups to honor veterans and active military personnel.
Safety
  • As Chair of the Safety committee, Barbara understands the needs of both the Police and Fire Departments. It is essential to have all the personnel and equipment needed to keep our community safe.
    • Currently, there is still much work and planning to be done to improve the response times of our Fire Department. Eventually, a third fire station will be needed, and Barbara wants to ensure this happens in the coming years.
  • The campus safety program was expanded to St. Susanna and the Warren County Educational Services Center.

Citizens expect the best out of their council members. When there is a council willing to work together for the best of the City of Mason, the above achievements are just the tip of the iceberg of what can be accomplished.