City of Grandview Heights
Mayor Ray DeGraw is retiring after more than 30 years of public service. At 70 years old, DeGraw has dedicated more than half his life to serving Grandview Heights.
DeGraw entered Grandview public service in 1983 when he was appointed to the Board of Zoning Appeals. He worked with City Council, briefly retired, and ran for City Council again in 2000. After being encouraged by another council member, he ran for mayor.
When DeGraw began his position as mayor in 2003, Grandview needed major developments and was in an economic slump. In 2005, the state of Ohio declared Grandview economically distressed. DeGraw’s economic planning commission made crucial improvements to the area from 2004-2008.
“We wanted to send the message out that we are open for business,” says DeGraw.
This message was taken seriously by the community. In 2005, community members passed levies that not only kept the local government afloat, but the library and schools funded.
“This was a pivotal year for us,” says DeGraw. “But the community really pulled through and I was impressed by their commitment to service and to Grandview.”
These levies also bought Grandview more time to work on one of their largest projects, Grandview Yard, a huge piece of land originally taken up by Big Bear. DeGraw was left with a challenge to turn it into something the community could benefit from. This area went through many changes, originally starting as a place for retail and business and evolving into a combination of offices, services, restaurants and apartments. The Grandview Yard has brought in millions of dollars, which has been distributed to other areas of Grandview like parks and community services.
“If it weren’t for the Yard, we wouldn’t have been able to complete these other projects,” says DeGraw.
DeGraw also attributes his success to partnerships with major developers in the area. The schools and libraries were major contributors, as well as the county, Marble Cliff, Clintonville and many other large businesses who would support the area.
Outside of infrastructure and economic growth, DeGraw builds community through the mayor’s blog, updated weekly with information about projects, events and holidays that affect Grandview Heights residents.
“When it comes to Grandview, people know the brand and they understand what this community is about and what it stands for,” says DeGraw. “We like to get out front of the issues and let people know the truth about what is going on.”
As DeGraw’s time as mayor comes to an end, he hopes that his work will continue to make a difference in the community. He says that careful long-term planning has allowed Grandview to stay on track economically and that the residents support services they know are important, like schools and libraries.
Maria Lubanovic is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
