Mayor Dan Horrigan headshot 2016.jpeg

Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan wrote an open letter to Akron residents urging people to show tolerance for all ages, religions and nationalities, and urging the president-elect to reach out to all Americans, not just those who voted for him.

(City of Akron)

AKRON, Ohio - In the wake of one of the most divisive elections in U.S. history, Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan wrote a letter to Akron residents about what's to come.

"... as the Mayor of Akron, I will continue to fight for what I believe is best for this city and all of its residents, without apology and with deliberate intent," he wrote.

Horrigan said neither he nor anyone in his household voted for Donald Trump. But many of his friends did, he said. He encouraged Akronites to show tolerance for all ages, religions and nationalities.

He also urged the president-elect to reach out to all Americans, not just those who voted for him.

About 51 percent of Summit County voters chose Hillary Clinton, compared to 43 percent for Donald Trump. Late Tuesday, hundreds of residents came to Highland Square for an anti-Trump rally.

Take a look at the letter below.

Fellow Citizens of Akron,

I feel compelled to take some quiet moments to myself and pen a letter specifically to you. On a national scale, it has been a tumultuous and divisive year, and understandably, some of this division and tension has trickled down to our City. While we may not know how the next few years will play out, we can control how we support and interact with each other here in our community.

I want to be clear: as the Mayor of Akron, I will continue to fight for what I believe is best for this City and all of its residents, without apology and with deliberate intent. As a public servant it is my job, my administration's job, and every City employee's job to serve Akron residents. I firmly believe most people in public service care about doing what's best for their constituents and try to help residents every single day.

So as we advocate for Akron in Washington and Columbus, work to bring good jobs and educational opportunities to the area, strive for thriving public spaces, keep your streets safe, staff your community centers, pick up your trash and repair your streets, I hope we continue to build your trust and faith in government and elected officials.

Secondly, the nation has voted and Donald Trump will be our president. I did not vote for him, nor did anyone in my household, but I know many people, some dear friends, who did. Most felt a need for change and looked to a political outsider to deliver it.

Now we must move forward. Of all the awesome and too-numerous-to-list responsibilities that President-Elect Trump will have, I can think of none more important right now than as the "tone setter." He will set the tone and tenor for the next four years. There are many of our fellow citizens who are, understandably, in fear of what that tone will be; and fear can have a paralyzing effect on progress.

As a fellow public servant, I strongly urge our new president to reach out to all Americans -- those that voted for him, those that didn't, and those that didn't vote at all -- and show them that there is no room in our United States for misogyny, racism, bigotry and hatred and every other "ism" that attempts to divide us as a country.

Refusing to tolerate these are not Democratic or Republican standards, but human standards. We will never be able to improve our economic and social prospects if we value individualism and exclusion over shared responsibility and collective action.

Wouldn't it be novel if we all took to heart the directive to simply "love thy neighbor," instead of "love only thy neighbor who looks and thinks like me"? Black, White, Nepalese - we are Akron. Democrat, Republican, Independent - we are Akron. Gay, straight, Christian, Muslim, young, old - we are AKRON. We must never forget that there is more that binds us than divides us.

I cannot control what happens outside our city, but I can promise you this: I am here. I am listening. I vow to be a mayor for each and every one of you, and to serve you with integrity and compassion and fight for you with conviction. Every single day.

Daniel Horrigan

Mayor, City of Akron