Mayor

Welcome to the City of Mount Vernon. Founded in 1805 and named after George Washington’s home, Mount Vernon has been selected as one of Ohio’s Best Home Towns. We are home to over 17,000 residents, in 7,200 households, offer a wide variety of business and industry, and are growing in many ways, which provides for a vibrant community full of opportunities. The partnership among local government, the business community, the educational sector, spiritual leadership, and the non-profit agencies are among the many reasons that make Mount Vernon a special place to live, work, play, and raise a family.

Our downtown being of particular interest to residents and visitors alike with our strong presence of higher education schools like the Mount Vernon Nazarene University, Kenyon College, and Central Ohio Technical College. Mount Vernon is also host to popular arts and entertainment attractions such as the world-class Ariel~Foundation Park, the historic Woodward Opera House, and the Knox County Memorial Building.

A unique blend of neighborhoods and businesses provide a quality of life and offer a sense of inner peace and pride. We are large enough to provide excellent products and services, but small enough to know our neighbors by name.

Historically, we are proud of a rich heritage with an entrepreneurial spirit, of finding ways to reinvent, reuse, and repurpose aging infrastructure, and in working together as a community to take care of our neighbors, friends, family, and newcomers to our city. I urge you to stop into our different places of business, sample a variety of wonderful restaurants, explore our spacious and charming parks and bike paths, and recharge your spirit by taking in a show, concert, or art class downtown to connect with our delightful city. Welcome!

 

ABOUT MAYOR STARR

Matt came to Knox County in 1991, then to the city, in 1995. Originally, from Indiana, Matt graduated from Manchester University and entered graduate school at Kent State University, where he received his Master’s Degree. He started in Knox County working for the Mount Vernon Developmental Center, then as a part-time instructor for Central Ohio Technical College, an Assistant Football Coach for Kenyon College, and then started a corporate film and video production company where he is the Executive Producer. Matt is also an actor in various platforms such as TV, film, and the stage. He has served on many non-profit boards and volunteer agencies in the community, as well as, Mount Vernon City Council. He and his wife, Joanne, have been married since 2004.

“When I came to this community, I immediately fell in love with it. There are so many opportunities here, and the community spirit is one of the attractions that make Mount Vernon such a wonderful place to live, work, play, and raise a family. Very few places provide me with such an inner peace. I am very proud of this community and will do what I can to protect it and help us all grow.”

Todd Hill
Administrative Assistant
40 Public Square, Suite 206
Mount Vernon, Ohio 43050-3241
Office Telephone: (740) 393-9517
Office Hours: 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
clerkofcouncil@mountvernonohio.org