SUMMIT COUNTY, OHIO—Summit County Executive Ilene Shapiro delivered her State of the County Address at the John S. Knight Center in Downtown Akron this afternoon. The annual event is sponsored by the Akron Press Club and the proceeds directly benefit scholarships for local students studying journalism and public relations.
County Executive Shapiro began her speech by thanking Summit County’s community leaders, business partners, nonprofit organizations and elected officials for their collaboration and shared vision that set the County apart from its peers. She identified these collective efforts as the key to the County’s accomplishments of the last year.
County Executive Shapiro provided updates on ongoing ventures including the Unite Us closed loop referral platform for social service providers, Summit Connects, the countywide public safety fiber network, enhanced 9-1-1 dispatching at Summit Emergency Communication Center, technology solutions for the courts and criminal justice system, and significant investments in public works projects like the High Level Bridge.
And she announced her proposed legislation to establish the Summit Health and Safety Innovation Fund, a separate, tax-exempt charitable organization of Akron Community Foundation, known as a Supporting Organization. The Fund will benefit the long-term health and safety of Summit County residents, and it will receive an initial contribution of $45 million of the County’s opioid litigation settlement funds.
In closing, County Executive Shapiro shared her belief that Summit County truly embodies the idea that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, as evident in the ability of all its 31 communities to come together to forge unique solutions and turn obstacles into opportunities. She declared, “the State of Summit County is indeed strong.”
The speech and a recording of the event are available at https://co.summitoh.net/2024StateoftheCounty.
