Roger Reynolds, Hilliard's first full-time mayor, dies at 93
Roger Reynolds, the mayor of Hilliard from 1975-1999 as well as the city's first full-time mayor, died Nov. 8. He was 93. During his 24-year tenure as mayor, Reynolds oversaw the construction of Hilliard's first community center and the suburb's rapid growth in the late 20th century. Hilliard's tax-valuation grew 20-fold during Reynolds' time as mayor, and the city's population went from around 8,000 people to 21,000 people, according to a 2024 city newsletter . Reynolds left the helm for retirement in December 1999, but he remained a mainstay in Hilliard for the rest of his life, frequently musing about the city and his life on his personal Facebook page. His death was announced in a post on his Facebook page Nov. 9. "Mayor Roger Reynolds passed away peacefully at Riverside Methodist Hospital on November 8. He will be greatly missed by his family and many friends and acquaintances," the post said. Reynolds first moved to Hilliard in 1958 when the city was still a village. He got his start in public life when he was named the president of the J.W. Reason Elementary Parent Teacher Organization after he advocated for safe sidewalks for the school's children, according to a
