By Grace Malloy
The Mayor of Delavan, Ryan Schroeder, is committed to improving our community. In fact, Mayor Schroeder hosts office hours on the first Saturday of every month (9-11 AM) in person at City Hall and virtually so constituents can ask questions, visit, and learn more about their government. As a student reporter, I attended last month’s office hours to learn about the future of Delavan.
Aram Public Library: The Aram Public Library is still fundraising for its expansion as the project moves forward, with a projected completion date under two years away. Some of Mayor Schroeder’s primary goals include giving the community more space for activities for senior citizens and community events and providing a space for prospective business owners to present their ideas and pitch proposals to investors. He is especially excited about the ability to expand the Historical Society into the new library, gaining more accessibility and community involvement with our city’s history. As president of the Historical Society, his vision is to make a museum-esque space to showcase historic artifacts and information. Since our interview, it was announced in the Delavan Enterprise that the Aram Public Library expansion has stepped to the second phase, with plans and initial funding approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a significant step forward for Delavan.
Rebuilding Community Programs and Events: Being five years post-pandemic, he is very excited to bring back the community events that make Delavan home in their former splendor. Mayor Schroeder is very motivated to showcase our city and revive Delavan’s traditions, such as the Train Show, Brick Street Days, Scarecrow Fest, and Maxwell Street Days. Last year marked the revival of the Community Street Dance in July, an old Delavan favorite leading into the Car Show’s weekend.
Construction & Development: Within the last three years, many new families have moved to Delavan, which has been catalyzed by the newly developed neighborhood near DDHS. This land had previously sat vacant for 30 years, so this was a great development for the city. Mr. Mayor explained how his biggest goal when introducing new developments is to make sure the growth is “smart and controlled,” meaning that the housing and amenities will be economically sustainable for our community and make life more accessible to the typical Delavan family.
He equates running the city with running a business, as unexpected costs can occur, causing tough decisions about balancing costs without disadvantaging the taxpayers. He credits community dedication with keeping our city moving forward, especially thinking of our Fire Department and EMS services, many of which are volunteer members. When meeting with leaders from outside of the city, there is a lot of positive feedback and interest in Delavan, commonly referred to as a “model city” for teamwork for the improvement of our community.
Mayor Schroeder finished the interview by saying, “I’m so proud of our community, city council, and staff.”
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