Jeff Fusco (D) has been a public servant for Akron since 1986. He served eight years as ward 10 Council representative and three-and-a-half years at large before joining the city as Deputy Service Director, a position he held for ten years. During that time he helped establish the Dru Joyce Shooting Stars basketball tournament.
Fusco was re-elected to Council at large in 2010 and became president of Council in 2015. His Council service was briefly interrupted when he stepped in to serve as Mayor from June to December 2015.
Fusco is Vice President of Council and is chair of the Planning & Economic Development and Housing & Neighborhood Assistance Committees, and vice chair of the Rules Committee. Among his many accomplishments: he led the team that implemented the 311 Call Center; worked to combine the Akron and Summit County Weights and Measures Departments to reduce the tax burden on citizens; obtained permanent funding for Keep Akron Beautiful; and worked with the Akron Recreation Bureau to secure and help start the Akron Marathon and the OHSAA Girls State Championships.
As Akron's 61st mayor, Fusco obtained approval from the Federal EPA to utilize green as opposed to grey infrastructure on the CSO project, reducing rate costs by over $12 million. He also settled a decade-long firefighter lawsuit and worked with Mayor Alfred Vanderpuije of Accra, Ghana, to develop a cooperative agreement between the cities of Akron and Accra.