Owens takes oath of office

Editor's note: Joseph Jones is a Register correspondent representing vermiliondaily.com. VERMILION — Earlier this month, Vermilion mayor-elect Russell Owens was formally sworn in during a small ceremony occurring at the city's municipal court building. Vermilion Municipal Court Judge Zack Dolyk administered the oath in front of about 30 supporters of Ownes, ranging from family members to friends and fellow local officials. Even though he already went through the swearing-in process, Owens' first term as mayor, four years in total, doesn't officially start until Jan. 1. Owens succeeds Forthofer, who decided against running for another term in office. Following the ceremony, Owens offered some brief remarks, thanking those in attendance and reflecting on his path to public office. "This is something that I started a long, long time ago, and I really never thought I would be ending up here," Owens said. "I'm very proud to represent my family, to represent my friends, to represent the citizens of this beautiful town." Owens, a longtime local resident and area businessman, emphasized his commitment to serving all residents of Vermilion. "I promise you that I will represent every citizen of this town to the best of my ability," he said. "I want to thank everybody for your support, your kindness, your help. It means so much to me, and I'm going to need it from everybody moving forward." He also spoke about the responsibility of leadership and the importance of shared stewardship. "If we're going to be better stewards for the citizens of Vermilion, I can't thank you enough," said Owens, noting that the encouragement he received throughout the process played a meaningful role in reaching this milestone. Setting his priorities Owens took some time to address various issues mattering most to not just him but also his constituents: Q: What are the top priorities you plan to focus on as you take office? A: Owens said roads and water infrastructure rise above all other concerns, pointing to what residents reasonably expect from basic city services. "I think the citizens assume that they're going to be able to flush their toilet and drink their water," Owens said. "What they didn't assume is that it was going to cost them so much money. And what they didn't assume is that the road in front of their home would be that bad." Q: Why is water and wastewater such a critical issue for you right now? A: Owens said the city cannot continue down its current path, particularly when large projects are funded primarily through rate increases. "We can't afford $7 million dollars," said Owens, referring to prior design costs. "That's why the rates went up. Can you imagine how much the rates will go up if we were to build a $76 million plant?" He said relying on higher rates alone is not sustainable. "If you're using rates only to pay for the upgrade of our wastewater plant, that's not an answer. That's not a solution." Q: How does managing growth fit into those priorities? A: Owens said Vermilion's recent growth has been largely residential and warned that such development does not automatically generate enough revenue to cover long-term infrastructure costs. "Residential growth isn't net positive growth," Owens said. "The infrastructure that it takes to build it initially costs one amount, but it's going to cost five times that when it starts to break down." Future development, he said, must be weighed against what the city can realistically support. "That growth needs to be responsible, taking into consideration the limitations that the city has," Owens said.