The Mayor of Bexley

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The Mayor of Bexley Pretty sure this is the best job in the world - working for the best community in the world

Mayor Mike here, and I'm thrilled to close out this week celebrating one of Bexley's wonderful public servants, Chief Ga...
10/16/2026

Mayor Mike here, and I'm thrilled to close out this week celebrating one of Bexley's wonderful public servants, Chief Gary D. Lewis. Last night, together with Columbus Jewish News and Mayor Emeritus Ben Kessler, I attended a ceremony honoring Chief Lewis at the 2026 CJN Difference Maker event. Columbus Jewish News specifically recognized Chief with the 2026 Civic Leadership Award, acknowledging his work to prioritize the safety and security of the Jewish community. Chief Lewis has invested tremendous time and energy building relationships and strengthening partnerships with Jewish congregations and institutions throughout Central Ohio, and it's moving to see him honored with this award.

In Bexley, we feel lucky to have Chief Lewis overseeing the peace and safety of our community. I routinely witness his innovative thinking and deep commitment to community policing, and I was delighted to see him recognized by the Jewish community for his contributions. So, if you see Chief Lewis around town, be sure to wish him a warm congratulations. We're proud of you, Chief!

Last night, I tendered my resignation as Mayor, and I had the honor of swearing Mike Price in as the 6th* Mayor of Bexle...
10/01/2026

Last night, I tendered my resignation as Mayor, and I had the honor of swearing Mike Price in as the 6th* Mayor of Bexley after his election, by City Council, to fill the remainder of my term through 2027. So many emotions and reflections in this moment, chief among them an abundance of thanksgiving for my family and especially my amazing kids: Ella, Sal, and Brugh - thank you for being in the mix, by my side, and for sharing your dad 24/7 with our active and inspiring community.

To Mayor Price - I have all the faith in you and wish you every success in this new chapter in your life. Listen carefully, dream big dreams and think big thoughts - laugh often, have fun, set some healthy boundaries, and never forget what an extraordinary privilege it is to serve this community. You were already a selfless, humble, and incredibly giving Bexley Recreation & Parks Director - you’re going to be a phenomenal Mayor. These next pages are yours, Mayor - good luck and know I’m always a phone call away.

To Bexley City Council and President Jess Saad - your process was rigorous and carefully considered, and you made an excellent choice. You have hearts of gold, and I'm excited to see you work to continue to move Bexley forward with our new Mayor.

To our Bexley community - I can't say enough how thankful I am to you for working beside me and giving me the gift of a community that is supportive of good ideas, receptive to creativity and forward moving energy, and deeply thoughtful in the way you support civic leadership in Bexley. Remember this, community - this job can be lonely and demands much more than many people realize. You’ve got an incredibly competent hand at the tiller in Mayor Mike. Treat him well, give him the runway to succeed, and if you see him at the grocery store or run into him at a party maybe limit your city questions/concerns/brainstorms to one out of every three sightings…

This will be my last post to this page, and from here on out your new Mayor has the floor. I love this community deeply and to my core. I love Mike Price and his amazing family. I’m so excited for the next chapter for Bexley. I’ll still be around, and I can’t wait to watch and work with you all to support the ever unfolding Bexley story. Until then - see you around Bexley!

With all the love in my heart - Ben Kessler

Core Memories: Schneider Park. It started, as many great Bexley projects do, with a sketch - in this case, Larry Helman’...
09/30/2026

Core Memories: Schneider Park. It started, as many great Bexley projects do, with a sketch - in this case, Larry Helman’s napkin sketch of what Schneider Park could become. That vision was honed, developed, funded, changed, and perfected over many years, ultimately transforming Schneider into one of our most joyful community spaces.

Today there are new athletic fields; a splash pad that’s free and open to everyone; a fantastic playground funded with help from the Blue Jackets Foundation; an award-winning community garden; a bustling natural dog park; a skate park; the Tad Jeffrey natural paths; and now our just-opened, gorgeous pedestrian and bike bridge across Alum Creek, connecting Bexley directly to the Alum Creek Greenway Trail - so much of this funded by generous gifts from the Bexley Community Foundation and the State of Ohio ODNR.

My favorite Schneider memory is simple and beautiful. One day I was standing at the cookout trailer, looking out over the park. Kids were shrieking and playing in the splash pad, games were underway on the fields, gardeners were tending their plots, people were walking dogs - the whole park was just throbbing with lively, joyful community.

I remember standing there quietly for a moment and taking it all in.

*This*. This is what the work is all about.

Thank you for the extraordinary honor of joining in with me to work on places like this for all these years, Bexley.

Core Memories: Medians. Oh, medians. You know I love a good median, and so let me share with you some wisdom from the fi...
09/30/2026

Core Memories: Medians. Oh, medians. You know I love a good median, and so let me share with you some wisdom from the field. The first law of medians is that they can be fantastic - they have the ability to calm traffic, beautify a streetscape, and elevate the experience of the motorist and pedestrian. The second law of medians is that for every person that appreciates the innate benefits of a well-landscaped median, there are precisely 0.2 people who do not and will never appreciate said benefits. The third law of medians is that most of those who don’t really like medians in concept end up loving them in completion. Now friends - please don’t view this as an opportunity to rant about the medians that you will never love in the comments section. Let’s stay positive. It took awhile for the traffic on Broad to stop running into medians on a seemingly weekly basis, but eventually it’s gotten there. And I know Drexel has taken some getting used to for some of us. But at the end of the day we have empirically calmer, leafier, better shaded corridors, even as certain landscape plans continue to be honed and perfected and we continue to derive lessons learned from our various median projects over the recent path. We also have demonstrable improvement in pedestrian strike events and speed surveys in all areas where medians have been installed. So whether your mind turns to Main, Broad, Drexel, Bellwood, or Pleasant Ridge - let’s raise a glass to streets that are a bit calmer, easier and safer to cross, and imbued with some distinctly Bexley character. Now if you’re among the 20% who will never share that toast with me - I understand. Just know we’re doing a lot of great things elsewhere that I know you approve of. Mazel!

P.S. Just for fun I’m going to re-post this on the Buzz. Because, why not? Steve Shapiro - this one’s for you.

Core Memories: Jeffrey Mansion. The Jeffrey Mansion Carriage Court expansion was a significant project, made possible by...
09/30/2026

Core Memories: Jeffrey Mansion. The Jeffrey Mansion Carriage Court expansion was a significant project, made possible by sizeable grants from the State of Ohio and the Bexley Community Foundation, with the balance funded through bonds issued against future revenue from the expanded space. The result has exceeded even our high hopes. The Carriage Court has quickly become a landmark space for community gatherings and life’s major celebrations - weddings, parties, meetings, performances, and countless special moments.

Over these years, we’ve also added pickleball courts, a new parks service garage, brick walkways leading to Jeffrey’s front entrance, and a beautiful new entry gateway and sign. And throughout it all, the Bexley Bloomers have done incredible work caring for and beautifying the park’s landscape spaces, including the beautiful urns and planters surrounding the Mansion, so thoughtfully designed, planted, and maintained by volunteers over the past several years.

Best of all, we expanded the usefulness and financial sustainability of one of Bexley’s most treasured historic assets while preserving everything that makes Jeffrey Mansion so special. I’m incredibly proud to have played a part in ensuring that this incredibly special community space will remain at the heart of Bexley life for generations to come.

Core Memories: Main Street Redevelopment. Main Street is so inextricably part of Bexley’s story - any change should be a...
09/30/2026

Core Memories: Main Street Redevelopment. Main Street is so inextricably part of Bexley’s story - any change should be a refinement - a honing - not a dramatic re-engineering. But increment by increment, Main Street has continued to come to life over these years. Giant Eagle Market District; the Gramercy Books/Kittie’s building; the Bexley Library renovations; the Bexley Square refresh; the Fitzgerald development; the renovation and expansion of the Drexel Theatre; and dozens of new and refreshed businesses and storefronts along the way. But redevelopment has been about more than buildings. We added flower baskets, banners, furnishings, landscaping, and tree-filled medians, and increasingly treated Main Street as Bexley’s shared front porch. Capital’s lawn became an extension of that vision, hosting an ever-expanding collection of community traditions - the Main Event, SummerFest, Fourth of July, Science Fest, and so much more. None of it happened overnight, and Main Street is certainly not finished and there are some exciting projects fomenting as we speak. But project by project, storefront by storefront, tree by tree, we’ve worked to make it more vibrant, walkable, beautiful, and distinctly Bexley. It’s been incredibly fun watching our downtown continue to thrive and grow.

About these posts: As I come to my final days as Mayor, I look back on some of the projects that have defined the past 14+ adventurous years in this role. I wanted to share some of my favorite projects and memories over the years if you’ll humor me. Thank you for this amazing time, Bexley!

Core Memories: Commonwealth Park. The Commonwealth Park plan began as a fairly unassuming project to update some decrepi...
09/29/2026

Core Memories: Commonwealth Park. The Commonwealth Park plan began as a fairly unassuming project to update some decrepit outdoor workout equipment and add some arboretum features to Commonwealth, but goodness once we started peeling back the layers the project took on a life of its own. The 2018 CW plan led to several Year of the Parks projects which in turn ended up upending a core tenant of that 2018 plan, when it became clear the Park would be much better off as a unified whole as opposed to two bifurcated parks separated by Columbia. Today, the central unification design feature has been funded and is undergoing final engineering before bid, and there are still several pieces of the arboretum walk yet to be designed and completed. Every feature is being planned with an eye towards permanence - knowing that these park features will evolve and endure for many generations beyond all of us. All of the projects in the park have been funded in partnership with the Bexley Community Foundation - and I can't thank them enough for their incredible support of meaningful projects. The legacy of a community well designed and stewarded is one we all own and carry. One of the aspects of this job I’ve really appreciated is the truth that many of the projects we work on today are the indispensable community attributes of tomorrow.

About these posts: As I come to my final days as Mayor, I look back on some of the projects that have defined the past 14+ adventurous years in this role. I wanted to share some of my favorite projects and memories over the years if you’ll humor me. Thank you for this amazing time, Bexley!

Core Memories: The Trees. The idea to apply for arboretum status for the entire City was already percolating when I beca...
09/29/2026

Core Memories: The Trees. The idea to apply for arboretum status for the entire City was already percolating when I became Mayor, and I simply helped nudge it into fruition. But the label only formalized what is and shall always be true - Bexley’s brand is inseparably intertwined with our majestic tree canopy - the ultimate amenity for our sidewalks, streets, and verdant yard and gardens. Our trees give us a shaded walk - something we should never take for granted - help absorb and store storm water and carbon; cool our homes; beautify our streetscapes; calm our traffic. My love affair with trees began long before I began Mayor-ing, but the job certainly kicked it into overdrive, helped along in no small part by Susan Quintenz and our enthusiastic Tree Commission. Now my poor kids can’t go on a walk with me without being lectured on the individual merits of the flowering buckeye; how to tell a London Plane from an American Sycamore; the sexual discrepancies of the Ginko; the ecological phenom that is the White Oak; the tragic loss of the American Chestnut; how to let your eye find the silvered-bark tell of a Black Cherry stand sprinkling an Ohio forest. I know that trees can bring their fair share of stress and hardship - but all meaningful things do, if you think about it. Let us continue to love and appreciate them well.

About these posts: As I come to my final days as Mayor, I look back on some of the projects that have defined the past 14+ adventurous years in this role. I wanted to share some of my favorite projects and memories over the years if you’ll humor me. Thank you for this amazing time, Bexley!

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