Rep. Sykes Votes to Pass Legislation Out of the House to Secure City of Green its Own ZIP Code

Rep. Sykes Votes to Pass Legislation Out of the House to Secure City of Green its Own ZIP Code

WATCH: Rep. Sykes Advocates for Passage of ZIP Code Legislation on House Floor

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Representative Emilia Sykes (OH-13) voted to pass a bipartisan ZIP Code bill, H.R. 3095, out of the House of Representatives. This legislation directs the United States Postal Service to create unique ZIP codes for more than 65 cities, towns, and communities across the country, including the City of Green. Following requests from community leaders, Rep. Sykes worked to ensure that the legislation included the creation of a single ZIP code for the City of Green. The legislation now heads to the U.S. Senate for consideration.

"The City of Green currently operates under five different ZIP codes, none of which bear the city's name," said Rep. Sykes on the House floor. "This situation has led to confusion, lost tax dollars, and a diminished sense of unity among residents and businesses. By aligning the ZIP code designation with the city's name, it will enhance community cohesion and promote a stronger civic identity."

The City of Green is currently divided by six ZIP codes assigned more than 60 years ago, when Green was a sparsely populated township. Green has become a center of commercial and residential growth and is now the largest community in southern Summit County. The city has significantly outgrown the patchwork of ZIP codes borrowed from neighboring communities who were at one time larger and more established communities. The City of Green needs a single code because the use of multiple ZIP codes has increasingly caused many problems:

• The city continues to expend funds to recover lost tax revenue paid to other cities because new businesses and residents do not realize they live, and therefore should pay taxes, in Green.

• It is difficult to administer utilities such as electric, gas, and trash removal over the multiple ZIP codes, especially because none of the ZIP codes identify with physical addresses in Green, and two of the more widely used codes, 44685 and 44720, belong to cities in another county.

• Green real estate agents have great difficulty marketing land in Green because there is no ZIP code identifying parcels as belonging to the community.

• Residents frequently miss benefits tied to residency in Green because their addresses and ZIP codes say they live in a different city.