In addition to the 20 percent raise, Adkins, over the next four years, will receive annual raises of $5,000 and additional contributions toward his Ohio Public Employee Retirement System account.
The day after Middletown Mayor Larry Mulligan made the announcement, there were nearly 100 comments on the Journal-News website, and most of them criticized council for the decision it is expected to approve Tuesday, saying, among other things, the $25,000 could have been better spent on the city’s deteriorating roads, the heroin epidemic and reducing crime.
What’s ironic about some of the readers’ comments, though, is that Adkins has been the driving force behind fixing many of the same problems residents talked about.
He was the one who started the Heroin Summit last year to address the city's drug problem. A group of community and health leaders have met numerous times and, under Adkins' leadership, are devising solutions to an epidemic that is affecting more areas than just Middletown.
Recently, several Middletown roads, including Central Avenue, were repaved, and police officials have said crime is down, and credited Adkins for hiring additional patrol officers.
Adkins is the perfect person to lead the city now, and into the future.
I have worked as a reporter and columnist in Middletown since 1987. The city, during that time, has been going through a transition — from a steel town to one that focuses on the medical field and higher education.
In just the last few years, Middletown is showing life again, both in the East End and downtown.
Mulligan said the city has enjoyed several successes, including the AK Steel Research and Innovation Center, NTE's $600 million natural gas fired power plant, the development of apartments on Towne Boulevard, improvements of the Towne Mall Galleria and the opening of businesses downtown.
He also cited quality of life improvements such as fireworks on the Fourth of July, the establishment of the Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area downtown, downtown concerts, and improvements of the city's appearance through beautification and code enforcement.
Adkins, he said, is doing “a great job.”
Mulligan, a Middletown native, knows the city’s history as well as anyone. It won’t be a quick fix, he said.
“We’re on the right path,” Mulligan said. “But we can’t stop. We still have much work to do to reach our full potential.”
Rick Pearce, president of the Chamber of Commerce serving Middletown, Monroe and Trenton, said when Adkins was hired in June 2014, he “hit the ground running” with a plan to set the city on a path of financial solvency and economic growth.
“This is an exciting time for Middletown and the positive direction it is headed, and Doug is a big reason for that,” Pearce said.
Then there’s this from Rodney Muterspaw, the city’s police chief: “If we lost Doug, the city would take a step backward. I wouldn’t want to work with another city manager. He’s the right person for the job and he’s the reason, or at least one reason, we’re succeeding.”
Muterspaw said those who complain about Adkins’ salary don’t understand the work he does. Muterspaw said it’s common for him to get a text message from Adkins late at night.
“He’s a 60- to 70-hour-a-week guy,” Muterspaw said. “He’s always bouncing off ideas on how to make Middletown better.”
Muterspaw has been in meetings and witnessed Adkins’ leadership style. A former city prosecutor, Adkins demands much from himself and his staff, Muterspaw said.
“He has made me a better chief,” he said. “He has changed the attitude and culture. That’s all Doug.”
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