Meet The Mayor

As Mayor of the City of Lebanon, I would like to welcome you to the City of Lebanon’s web site.  Lebanon is experiencing an exciting time. There are many promising revitalization and economic development projects underway both in the downtown and throughout the City that will have a positive impact on our community in the coming years.  Lebanon is supportive of the projects proceeding and we encourage your support as well.

The City offers a wide variety of services, which include police and fire protection, maintenance of streets, parks, recreational activities and cultural events, planning, zoning, property maintenance, building inspection and water pollution control services.  As the county-seat for Lebanon County, the City hosts not only the seat of government, but many social service agencies.

Lebanon is the economic center for our region and it is my pleasure to call attention to a few of our assets.  The downtown offers several local restaurants, including Snitz Creek Brewery, Hidden Spirits Distillery, The Foundry Craft Grillery, Queso Dee'as Southwest Grille, La Placita de Lebanon: Authentic Mexican Food, and William Penn Restaurant (home to the famous Greek Chili Dog).  We offer several specialty stores: Wertz Candies, known internationally for its candy and handmade caramel corn; Queen’s Natural Foods, a healthy living marketplace; All That and A Bag of Chips, a deli and bakery; and the Lebanon Farmer’s Market.

Other local restaurants located in nearby neighborhoods are a decade-long, award-winning Italian restaurant, Trattoria Fratelli and The Gin Mill Restaurant serving American fare, locally owned and operated since the early 1930’s.  Other specialty shops in the City include; Van Winkle’s Opera Fudge, Shuey’s Homemade Pretzel Shop and just on the outskirts of the City, the famous Lebanon Bologna manufacturer since 1885, the Daniel Weaver Company (Godshall’s)!

The City of Lebanon, Community Of Lebanon Association and the Lebanon Valley Council of Arts offer a range of activities and events in the City, including, First Friday Art Walks, Cupcake Contest, President’s Day Cherry Pie Promotion, Spring Crafts Festival, Flag Day Event, Lebanon Pride Events, Motorcycle Show, Sidewalk Chalk Contest, Classic Car Show, 8th Street Jazz Festival, Home Brewers’ Competition, Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony, Holiday Parade, Holiday Carriage Rides and the New Year’s Eve Bologna Drop.

Lebanon also offers an abundance of recreational and cultural activities, from walking and riding a bike on trails, to organized sports, pick-up games, fishing, boating, camping, public swimming, outside concerts, community theatre, bird watching, playgrounds, picnicking at pavilions, and miniature golfing!

It is equally important to recognize the accomplishments of our departments, which bring benefits to our residents and demonstrates the dedication of our workforce toward making Lebanon a better place to work, live and play.

•  Maintained an ISO Class 4 rating within the fire department, which is outstanding.  Out of 2,618 departments in PA, there are only 37 with a higher rating than Lebanon City.  

•  Received Bronze Level Accreditation from the PA State Fire Commissioner’s Participating Department Program.  •  Reduced overall serious crime (Part 1 Crimes) by 41% over last decade.

The City has received some national and state rankings, as well.  Some of our community accolades are:

•  Ranked #10 in Top 10 Most Idiosyncratic Items to Drop on New Year’s Eve according to Smithsonianmag.com.  The City drops a 200+ pound bologna to reflect local product and culture. (12/31/14)  

•   Ranked #7 in 10 Happiest Cities in PA according to Creditdonkey.com.   The study focused on cities with a population over 20,000 and looked at restaurants, crime rate, commute, departure time, income, divorce rate and housing. (9/15/14)  

•  Ranked 6th Best-Performing Small Metropolitan Area in Nation for 2011 by Milken Institute Best-Performing Cities Index for how well the city creates and sustains jobs and economic growth. (2/2012)  

•  Ranked #9 in Top 10 Winter Cities by Livability.com for the best winter cities who plan and pay attention to the details of winter livability. (12/14/2011)  

•  Recognized by Sperling’s Best Places as the 2nd Least Stressful City in the Nation. (2010)

We welcome you to come check us out!  I look forward to seeing you in Lebanon, Pennsylvania!

Sherry Capello

Mayor