"The calendar’s new look and the new city magazine are the result of feedback we have received from residents who said they enjoyed the new recycle calendar last year and loved Bruce Ford’s spectacular photographs of our community. People also told us how much they appreciate having up-to-date information about community events," said Mayor Don Plusquellic.

Akron City is being published in response to polling conducted for ImagineAkron: 2025. Ninety percent of the residents surveyed expressed interest in the City providing more information about community events and other activities going on in Akron. Akron City will also recognize the work of the nearly 2,500 City of Akron employees who serve the community each day and will provide timely information on city services and programs such as leaf pickup and parks and recreation department events.

A grant of $27,200 from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Recycling, helps defray the cost of the calendar, which is distributed---along with the magazine--- by Keep Akron Beautiful. The magazine is made possible, in part, by underwriting from Akron companies whose names are listed on the back cover of each issue. Roughly a third of the cost of the publications is underwritten.

The first edition of the magazine and calendar, including mailing through the U.S. Postal Service, will cost roughly $45,000 or about fifty cents per recipient. Last year the cost of distributing the calendar alone was $86,397 or $1.25 per recipient. However, the calendar was delivered to only 69,000 households. In other words, the cost of the calendar (per copy) has decreased by 34% and it reaches 45% more people.

Akron City is designed as an informative, direct mail publication that will eventually take the place of the thousands of brochures that used to be produced by various City departments. The materials were distributed through community centers and other City facilities and citizens often were not aware of the publications.