December 2025 Newsletter
It’s been a minute since I sat down and wrote a real newsletter! I’ve had so many people thank me for these, and now that I’ve finished a few commitments (more on that in the next section), I am back.
As of December 1, I’ve officially completed the first half of my first term serving you on city council. I have really enjoyed the work, and the first two years were very positive and constructive for our council. It was refreshing to work with 6 others who genuinely wanted to do the best thing for the community as a whole, and who didn’t bring personal agendas or vendettas to the work.
Thank you for the opportunity - it truly has been an honor. I am looking forward to the next two years!
A Look Back at 2025
This time a year ago, I applied for Leadership Warren County (LWC), a 10-month program including all-day classes, retreats, and out-of-class experiences like ride-alongs.
(Most of) Leadership Warren County Class of 2025
I was accepted, and the program ran from February through November. (My Spring newsletter included some info from this class too.)
I also enrolled in a business-building course with weekly virtual classes. Both enriched my life with new friendships, new perspectives on leadership, and a better grasp of all the resources available to us here in Warren County.
When You Trust Your Team…
As a testimony to LWC’s effectiveness, at our closing retreat, I climbed to the top of the YMCA Camp Kern’s Tengo Tower and jumped off – on belay, of course. As someone who has sworn never to skydive or choose any type of free-fall, this was a big deal. (That’s me in the photo!)
In retrospect, doing both while also serving on city council, running my company Jumpstart Marketing, and working as a marketing strategist was a bit too much. One big lesson for me in 2025 (really, it’s an ongoing lesson in my life) is to pause and think more carefully about what I say yes to!
Meet Your New City Council
From left to right: Murali Swamy, Barbara Spaeth, Vice Mayor Scott Gibson, Mayor Josh Strycula, Joy Bennett, Dr. Kim Singh, Mark Burrell
We entered a historic new era on December 1 when Dr. Kim Singh (2nd from right) and Murali Swamy (far left) joined the city council as our first-ever Indian American council members! I’m so proud to serve with them for the next 2 years (hopefully longer - I’m up for re-election in 2027).
We also welcomed Mark Burrell as a new council member (far right) and Barb Spaeth (2nd from left) back for a second term. This is the first time in many years that we’ve seen 3 brand new council members join in one year.
Your new mayor is Josh Styrcula (center), and your new vice mayor is Scott Gibson (3rd from left).
How We Choose Mayors in Mason
Many people have asked me how we get our mayor and vice mayor in Mason. You don’t get to vote for these roles - your council members do. The day after Election Day, when we know who the 7 of us will be, marks the start of a 4-week campaign for these 2 seats. It’s a very small election - you just need 4 votes to win either seat.
This year, we elected Josh Styrcula as mayor for the next 2 years. He “ran” for the mayor's seat 2 years ago, so we all expected him to run this year. I also “ran” for mayor this time, but it was clear almost immediately that Josh had the votes. He has earned the position and the respect of each of us on council. He is a steady presence who can lighten the mood with a well-timed joke, and I was happy to vote for him.
If re-elected, Mark Haake was up to be vice mayor. (I’m still sad about this - he was an incredible councilmember.) So the big question in November was who would be vice mayor.
Two of us were interested in being vice mayor: Scott Gibson and me. I learned a lot about timing and clear communication as I navigated unfamiliar territory. Scott Gibson got the votes, and I promised both men that I am fully invested in what’s best for our community, regardless of who was selected for each role. I’ve seen hard feelings over mayor/vice mayor cause rifts among council members too many times to let it happen this time.
What Does the Mayor Do Anyway?
It’s worth noting that both the Mayor and Vice Mayor roles are largely ceremonial.
The mayor presides over the council meeting, sets the agenda, assigns council members to committees and boards, and can create or disband council committees. The mayor also makes many appearances, speaking at events, cutting ribbons at grand openings, digging dirt at groundbreakings, and meeting important people when they visit our city.
The vice-mayor literally does nothing different than any other council member. We each have 1 vote, and any of us can step up and help if the mayor cannot (though the vice mayor usually does).
The role here is nothing like being the mayor of a large city and actually running it (and even large cities also have city managers!). A major reason for this is that we have a city manager-led city. The city manager is like the CEO of the city, and the city council serves as an accountability and sounding board. I liken it to the relationship between a CEO and the board of trustees.
If you have questions, concerns, kudos, or anything else to share, email me any time: joyformason at gmail dot com
Council Committees
I’ve received positive feedback on publishing my committee reports here on my blog. Here are links to the most recent reports.
IMPORTANT NOTE
The committee reports I share are summaries by me and represent my interpretation and recall of the discussion only (except when submitted by another council member, in which case the report represents that person’s views only). These are not official meeting minutes and do not represent the views of other council members.
New Committees for 2026
Mayor Strycula has asked us to give him the month of December to review all the committees and boards, consider what to start, stop, and continue, and make committee assignments. All council committee meetings are canceled this month for the holidays and the transition. We expect to resume council committee work in January.
Correction
I incorrectly stated in an email version of this newsletter that I had been appointed to a new committee. The only official committee appointments made to date are to city boards, as required by charter (city boards are different from council committees). These are as follows: Barbara Spaeth to the Planning Commission, and me to the OKI Regional Council of Governments.
City Council & Committee
Meeting Schedule
These meetings are all open to the public.
1/6 Planning Commission (7pm)
1/8 Park Advisory Board (6pm)
1/12 Mason City Council Meeting (7pm)
1/27 Zoning Board of Appeals (7pm)
All times/dates subject to change. View the current calendar here.
Sign up here to receive public notice of meetings - both newly scheduled meetings and meeting cancelations, along with council meeting agendas.
Thank you for reading my newsletter! Feel free to share this with neighbors and friends in Mason.
I welcome your feedback, opinions, concerns, and questions. Informed citizens like you make good government possible.
IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER
This newsletter represents my own opinions and words. This is not an official city or council communication. I'm not speaking for anyone else on the council or the city staff, nor am I representing the council as a whole or the city of Mason. I do my best to write clearly and ask good questions before I talk about things, but I am not an expert on city government, and these newsletters may contain errors. I will update or correct myself when I become aware of mistakes.
