Mayor St. John & Sunbury’s Future

In an effort to familiarize others—and myself—with our local government, I sat down with Joe St. John, Sunbury’s Mayor. In a group of 1,000 residents, the tall, middle-aged, goateed man known as Mayor St. John would not stand out by appearance alone. But as our conversation got underway, Mayor St. John’s passion for service revealed itself as undeniably unique.

Being the Mayor comes with many tasks, such as serving as the head of City Council—a seven member board including the Mayor. “City Council is ultimately responsible for all of the financial expenditures of the city,” says Mayor St. John, “such as investing in the future, depreciation schedules, capital investments, and placing investments where the community needs it most.” At the current moment, much of City Council’s investments are going towards “parks, infrastructure, and technology to benefit Sunbury residents,” says Mayor St. John.

On a very basic level, City Council works in a similar fashion to the state or federal legislature. “City Council has the ability to enact laws and pass resolutions, which allows Sunbury to be governed in the way that it needs to be governed,” says Mayor St. John. As the head of City Council, it is Mayor St. John’s task to make recommendations on Sunbury’s budget. If it is deemed necessary, the other City Council members have the ability to discuss and adjust his recommendations.

“It is also my job to ensure that we are operating within our budget and avoiding deficit spending,” says Mayor St. John. And when it comes to spending, St. John aims for sensibility. “Overall, Sunbury is very fiscally responsible,” says Mayor St. John, “and only in the early stages of the pandemic did we endure deficit spending.”

Mayor St. John also has the task of overseeing the Sunbury Police Department. On a regular basis, the Chief of Police reports directly to Mayor St. John, and they work together to promote and enhance Sunbury’s safety. One specific example includes the addition of drone technology and an all-terrain vehicle to better assist emergencies that may occur in the community or throughout the local park system.

City Administrator Steve Pyles, a full-time employee of the city, also oversees many facets of Sunbury’s government. “The Administrator manages many important facets of Sunbury's government such as economic development, zoning, the services departments, and the wastewater treatment plant,” says Mayor St. John. Overall, Sunbury’s leadership primarily stems from these two people: Mayor St. John and City Administrator Steve Pyles.

Unlike many local government positions in Sunbury, the Mayor is not a full-time occupation. “In terms of time,” says Mayor St. John, “being the Mayor takes up about 20-25 hours a week on top of my role as a Senior Vice President at Huntington Bank.” Despite the long hours, Mayor St. John values a strong work ethic. “My father was a coal miner and I grew up on a farm,” says St. John, “so hard work has always been ingrained in me.”

Along with hard work, Mayor St. John has always been well-acquainted with the ambiance and values of a small town. St. John grew up in the small town of St. Clairsville, Ohio, living half the time with his father on the farm and the other half with his mother in a more urban setting. “Through this,” says St. John, “I got to experience the best of both worlds within a small town.” Sunbury’s small-town feel greatly appealed to the St. John family when they moved here in 2014.

The truth about Sunbury, though, is that it’s only growing, and the small-town ambiance that many locals enjoy is slowly withering away. “Sunbury is the fastest growing city in central Ohio based on census data,” says St. John. For those unaware, the company Intel is building a state-of-the-art semiconductor plant in New Albany, which will only encourage and expand Sunbury’s growth.

“I don’t know that most people grasp the full size, scale, and scope of Intel and what twenty billion dollars of investment really looks like,” said Mayor St. John while discussing the new Intel plant. The growth that will stem from Intel will forever change Sunbury and many other surrounding towns and cities, including Galena, Johnstown, Granville, New Albany, and others. To put it bluntly (and in my own words), the growth that Sunbury is about to endure is nothing short of inevitable, and only a fool would sit back and cling to their romanticized affinity for Sunbury’s “glory days.”

Thankfully, Mayor St. John is not a fool, and he realizes that Sunbury stands at a crucial inflection point that requires level-headed planning for the future. He and his colleagues are currently delving into potential patterns of development for Sunbury’s future. This process encompasses everything from planning new sewer lines and housing developments to preparing the already existing roadways for a dramatic increase in vehicles.

Mayor St. John is also focused on Sunbury’s economic future, too. “I aim to capture some of the spin-off businesses that will be created as a side effect of the Intel semiconductor plant,” said St. John. In doing so, more job opportunities will become available for Sunbury’s residents, while also creating more tax revenue for the city of Sunbury to properly adhere to the needs of its growing population.

The Intel-inspired growth that Sunbury is about to endure will not happen overnight, but in 10-20 years this town will not look nearly the same as it does now. Just as this reality weighs on many longtime residents, it also weighs on Mayor St. John, as it is part of his job to ensure that Sunbury’s outlook is promising for all of its citizens. “Even though I can’t change everything for the better, I am going to try my damndest to do it,” says St. John, “and I want this to be a great place for families to live for generations to come.”

Mayor St. John’s leadership experience is transferable to all student leaders in Big Walnut Schools, and he urges students to “carve out time for service even as life becomes busier because what you do to serve others matters.” Mayor St. John is proof that servant leadership is a crucial part to strong relationships and success as a whole. Such a sentiment is seldom found on mainstream news where the words of national leaders are strategically maneuvered to divide the people.

Not all forms of our local government are as well-rounded as the Mayor’s Office, but they all carry immense weight in the trajectory of our community. If it’s within your heart as a Sunbury resident, put down the remote and place more emphasis on our local institutions.

It matters more than we know.