Mike Wolanin | The Republic Columbus Mayor Jim Lienhoop addresses guests at the Rally in Support of the Asian American Community event at Columbus City Hall in Columbus, Ind., Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023.
Mike Wolanin | The Republic Columbus Mayor Jim Lienhoop addresses guests at the Rally in Support of the Asian American Community event at Columbus City Hall in Columbus, Ind., Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023.
Columbus Mayor Jim Lienhoop will deliver the 2023 State of the City address in person, after two years of going virtual.
The event is set for March 6 at The Commons. There will be a 5 p.m. reception, with guests able to meet and greet with the mayor, Columbus City Council members and city administrative staff. The program begins at 5:45 p.m. The event is free and open to the public, city officials said.
“We intend to spend a little time talking about some of the accomplishments over the last seven years, but more importantly focus a little bit on the future and what we hope to get done here in the rest of 2023 and then perhaps kind of a stage we can set for what comes after me,” said Lienhoop. “We’ll also spend a fair amount of time talking about NexusPark.”
In 2021 and 2022, Lienhoop delivered his speech via a prerecorded video. Prior to the pandemic, the State of the City was a public event that showcased entertainment and local food and often included additional speakers.
City officials plan to have a virtual option for this year’s event but are still working out the details of what it will be, said Jody Coffman, the city’s communications and events coordinator.
“It’s great,” said Lienhoop, of the return to an in-person event. “I’m really looking forward to being able to interact with people and just get a little bit a closer to the folks we serve.”
He added that they plan to “have some fun” with this year’s event, and a choir from The Sanctuary Church will perform the national anthem and a few other selections.
Light refreshments will be available during the reception, and musical entertainment will begin at 5:45 p.m., said Coffman.
This will be Lienhoop’s final State of the City address as he announced in November that he would not seek a third term. He said that this is due to a variety of factors, such as a desire to spend time with family, a sense that it is time to slow down, and the feeling that he has achieved most of what he set out to do.
Lienhoop has endorsed Columbus Director of Administration and Community Development Mary Ferdon, a fellow Republican, in the upcoming city mayoral race. He said Ferdon will give an update on NexusPark during the State of the City event.
When asked how it felt to give his final annual address, Lienhoop replied, “It’s bittersweet. I mean, on the one hand, we will have 10 months to go, so it’s not like we’re at the end of my tenure. But it is a bit of a milestone, so we want to recognize it for what it is. It’ll be an opportunity for me to say thanks for all the folks who’ve helped us.”
