“Water rates and sewer rates will be going up,” said Lakemore Mayor Mike Kolomichuk at the May 5 council meeting.

“We have been operating at a deficit,” added Kolomichuk. “We need to address the problems that are going on with the system. The rates we have been charging over the years are ridiculously low. Our water is a tremendous asset and we have to protect that asset.”

The village was unable to get a low interest loan to make repairs to the system because its rates are too low to cover the expenses of the water and sewer maintenance.

“We have talked about this several times, that we are operating at a deficit and we do need to do something about it,” he said. 

Kolomichuk stated recently there was a meeting with the Springfield Superintendent William Stauffer regarding the CRA (Community Reinvestment Act) and how it affects the school district. The schools will not lose any money they are currently receiving. The district may stand to gain some increases when new businesses come to Lakemore.

Kolomichuk also said that the community does need to create incentives to get businesses into Lakemore. “We need to work to revitalize the plaza and get some tax base for the village. I have a meeting with them next week,” he said.

“What we can do with the plaza, Edwin Shaw and the Canton Road corridor project, that is our lifeline that is what is going to keep this village going. I hate to beat a dead horse but this was to be done years ago and we were told it was filed in Columbus. It turned out to be a bunch of hocus-pocus. This is for real. We are getting it done,” Kolomichuk stated.

Nuisance abatements are currently being addressed in the village. “The responses I got from the house on front street coming down was like years of frustration on the residents parts being relieved,” said Kolomichuk.  “Seeing something happen, I think people finally understand that this village is going to be cleaned up and this village is going to get back in shape. For the people that don’t want to get with the program and do the right thing, then we are going to step in and do it for them. You can ignore the abatement letters but it just gets more expensive,” he stated.