Hilliard City Manager Joshua Rauch will deliver his first State of the City address at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 8, at The Well.

The presentation, themed "A Year of Living Well," will cover city projects and initiatives from the past year and outline near-term plans for Hilliard, according to the city's event page.

A networking reception begins at 5 p.m. The presentation starts at 6 p.m. Tours of The Well will follow.

Hilliard City Council hired Rauch on Feb. 12 as the city's second city manager. He was sworn in April 20, according to the city's website.

Rauch succeeded Michelle Crandall, who served as Hilliard's first city manager after voters approved a charter change in November 2018. Crandall stepped down July 25, 2025.

Before coming to Hilliard, Rauch most recently spent five years as city manager of Riverside, Ohio. He holds a master's degree in public administration from the University of Kansas and a bachelor's in political science from the University of Dayton.

In a Q&A published June 30 in the city's Fall 2026 newsletter, Rauch said he saw strong momentum in the community. "I'm excited to learn more about the community's vision and goals for the future, and to help think creatively about how we can bring that to life together," he said at the time.

The city has not released specifics about which projects or budget figures Rauch plans to highlight Thursday.

The event is free and open to the public at The Well, 3993 Cosgray Road.