Mayor urges council to join Heartland Forward cohort for data dashboard; council asks about cost and governance

Mayor Murn presented Ordinance 2026‑010, a proposal authorizing the city to enter a multi‑year collaborative agreement with Heartland Forward to join a cohort focused on investment readiness and to fund development of a public and internal data dashboard.

The mayor said Heartland Forward was founded with support from the Walton Family Foundation and described it as a Midwest‑focused research organization that would build links to data sources (Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Census Bureau, Ohio Job and Family Services and realtor/property datasets) to produce a dashboard that can inform economic development, neighborhood‑level analysis and peer comparisons. "What they are offering to do for the city of Findlay is to build the dashboard," Murn said, adding that it would include public and internal components and research assistance over the cohort period.

Councilmembers asked how the program is funded and who would manage the data. Mister DeLong said he had researched the organization and noted Heartland Forward’s assets and Walton Family Foundation ties; he also reported that several pilot communities were not using city funds for their participation. Mayor Murn responded that she had budgeted discretionary funds and believed a $7,500 annual contribution was an appropriate investment to ensure the city’s data links get built and maintained. "$7,500, I can kinda pull it from a couple of spots," she said.

Why it matters: a city‑level dashboard could centralize key metrics on employment, housing and other indicators, improving the ability of council, staff and potential investors to monitor trends and coordinate policy. The council specifically discussed whether economic development or partner organizations might share the cost; the mayor said she had included the amount in her budget and expects economic development to be involved in implementation.

Next steps: Ordinance 2026‑010 received a first reading and generated questions. The mayor and staff will provide follow‑up details on funding sources and the mechanics of data access and custodianship before council takes further action.