PHOTO PROVIDED | THE VILLAGE REPORTER
YEAR IN REVIEW … Archbold Mayor Brad Grime (right) and Village Administrator Aaron Alt presented a state of the village report to Archbold Rotarians at the club’s first meeting of 2026. The first part of their report focused on a department by department review of 2025. The second portion of the report will be presented in February. Mayor Grime is starting his seventh year as mayor and Alt is beginning his second full year as the village administrator.
PRESS RELEASE – Archbold Mayor Brad Grime recently told Archbold Rotarians that he couldn’t be happier about the state of the village. “Everything is going well,” he said during part one of his “state of the village report.”
He began by crediting the village’s 60 employees for doing “a great job.” He noted that the village, by and large, has a very experienced staff – particularly the department heads who collectively have more than 150 years of experience.
Concerning village revenue, Grime explained that the Archbold income tax in 2024 produced a record amount of income – just over $7 million.
So, in comparison to that, 2025 income tax revenue was down a bit at nearly $6.8 million, but still a good year,” he said.
Infrastructure improvements were a priority in 2025. Almost $2 million in grants last year supported projects in the Northpointe subdivision, repaving village streets and sidewalks, with more repaving projects scheduled for 2026.
The mayor boasted that the parks and rec department does an excellent job with five full-time staff and some part-time help to maintain approximately 150 acres of village parks.
The department is funded primarily on a $900,000 to $1.2 million budget that comes from the village income tax and some additional funding through the capital improvement budget.
Grime shared that one of his biggest concerns as mayor has been the lack of new housing in the village over the last few years.
But that concern has recently become a success story that he is proud of — a privately funded project that will bring condos and other residential properties to Lutz Road in the not too distant future.
He added that project is being planned to be more than just residential properties. The plans being developed for the subdivision include water features and walking trails.
And, the village will use a $1 million grant to rebuild streets and other infrastructure in the Lugbill subdivision over the next few years.
Finally, the mayor reported that two new businesses, a Casey’s gas station and store along with a Taco Bell have been approved for the vacant land along South Defiance Street across from St. John’s Church.
The downtown area is being spruced up as well, and the mayor noted that improvements to the former Nurses Edge building downtown are moving forward.