Single, Unique Zip Codes for Certain Communities

Floor Speech

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Mrs. SYKES. Madam Speaker, today I rise in support of H.R. 3095, a bill that would assign a new ZIP Code to the city of Green, a municipality within Ohio's 13th Congressional District.

Establishing unique ZIP Codes may not be what most folks think about when they are considering Federal legislation; however, for the citizens and businesses and the economy of the city of Green, Ohio, it is, in fact, a matter of importance and priority.

During the Green State of the City Address earlier this year, Mayor Rocco Yeargin proclaimed that he would actively engage toward working to get the city of Green a unique ZIP Code. I promised the mayor at the State of the City Address that I would work with him hand-in-hand after several unsuccessful attempts to do so. We are now closer to that reality upon the passage of H.R. 3095.

The city of Green currently operates under five different ZIP Codes, none of which bear the city's name. This situation has led to confusion, lost tax dollars, and a diminished sense of unity among residents and businesses. Aligning the ZIP Code designation within the city's name will enhance community cohesion and promote a stronger civic identity.

When ZIP Codes were first assigned for this area, Green was a township, mostly farmland and a few businesses, and fewer than 10,000 residents. In 1992, Green was incorporated as a city.

Now, 30-plus years later, its population has nearly tripled. It is the home of more than 1,200 businesses and is the fastest growing city in Summit County.

Community members, elected leaders, and local businesses have all expressed their overwhelming support for a single ZIP Code reflecting the city's name.

The current multitude of ZIP Codes creates obstacles for these 1,200 businesses, including confusion for customers and suppliers about their location and challenges in daily transactions like assigning sales tax due to a ZIP Code with a name designated to a separate county--not even a separate city, a separate county.

In fact, Green identified $614,000 in unpaid taxes alone in 2023 attributed to this problem. This is an issue that community leaders, residents, businesses, and more have expressed their overwhelming support for: a ZIP Code for the city of Green. They have attempted to work with the USPS to no avail, and so now we are here with legislation.

I understand the procedural challenges that have plagued this bill, but I do ask that the Members of this body not punish my constituents for those committee issues. I ask my colleagues in Congress to join me in support of this bill to ensure that the city of Green receives the designation it deserves with a single, unique ZIP Code that bears its name.

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