Long before he took a seat on Middletown City Council in 2006, Mr. Armbruster was known throughout this area for his flourishing family business, Armbruster Florist, which was started by his father and grandfather. Generations of Armbruster Florist customers have come to know, like and respect Mr. Armbruster as he grew up as part of the 65-year-old business.
His reputation and renown were the reasons he easily won election to the 1st Ward seat on City Council in November 2005. Unfortunately, he joined council as it entered a period of turmoil in 2006 and he spent the first half of his four-year term dealing with local political squabbles and intrigues. As members of council and the city administration changed, council became more productive and agreeable, and Mr. Armbruster easily won re-election in November 2009 for a second four-year term as the city’s 1st Ward council representative.
Running last year, Mr. Armbruster acknowledged that he had spent part of his first term learning the ropes — the city’s inner workings — and felt he was ready to contribute fully to getting the city of Middletown back on its feet. Mr. Armbruster, as a small business owner, knew all too well the economic struggles that the community has suffered and often brought that insightful viewpoint to the council table. “When you’re in business for yourself, you become more aware of the community around you because, in a way, if the city fails, you fail,” candidate Armbruster said in 2005.
This newspaper didn’t hesitate to endorse Mr. Armbruster in 2005 and when he ran for re-election last year. “Armbruster’s background in the community, his long experience on the city’s park board, his lifelong roots here, and straight-shooting style make him the superior candidate in the 1st Ward,” we wrote here in 2005. “He also has a clear understanding of the challenges that face small businesses in Middletown, as well as the challenges — aging infrastructure, too much red tape at City Hall, adequate public safety forces and badly deteriorated streets — that face the future City Council.”
As that endorsement mentioned, Mr. Armbruster’s 11-year stint on the city’s park board is where he made perhaps his greatest contributions in improving the quality of life in Middletown. Whenever you visit a city park or ride on the city’s bike path, you can be thankful for Jim Armbruster’s service and his commitment to improving the city’s amenities and its appearance.
When you drive on Todd Bell Memorial Way — a tribute to the Middie and Ohio State star athlete, who died of a heart attack in 2005 — thank Jim Armbruster for his leadership in securing that recognition for Mr. Bell.
“We’ve got enough accountants and enough economists on City Council,” Mr. Armbruster said while campaigning in 2005. “It’s time the City Council has some small business people involved. You don’t survive three generations of operating a business without making common sense decisions.”
We are grateful for the “common sense decisions” that Mr. Armbruster brought to City Hall in his all-too-brief tenure on council. His presence will be missed — at his beloved family business and in City Council chambers. We extend our deepest condolences to his family, friends and other loved ones.