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Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Message from the Mayor: Thankful for many things

By Grayson Vandegrift
Mayor, City of Midway

As we come to another Thanksgiving I find I’m more thankful than ever. As always, I’m thankful for my friends and family and this wonderful community, but this year I’m also thankful for a few things specific to 2019:

I’m thankful, for example, that the sidewalk cost-sharing program was a smooth success (pun intended), that the street project came in under budget, and that we’re now a debt-free city. I’m also thankful that the council was agreeable to funding these initiatives, although they were not without their tough questions and discerning eyes, as they should be.

I’m thankful we were able to cut property taxes a little bit more, as we restructure our tax revenue stream for the future. I’m also thankful the blighted property and code enforcement ordinances are moving along smoothly and are hopefully headed for passage. And while I’m thankful for much more, I also know I’ve only got your attention for so long, but I’m very thankful we have a plan to give our city what it deserves – options – when its current 40-year contract with Kentucky American Water expires in 2025 and we’re free to go to the Frankfort Plant Board or another competing wholesaler so we can pay lower rates – much lower rates.

I’m also very thankful for our incredible city employees who keep the town running like a finely tuned machine. They deserve the long weekend they have coming up – and then some.

I hope you’re feeling as thankful as I am this Thanksgiving, and I hope you can keep those divisive topics off the table where the food belongs, topics like: “Are we Midwegians or Midwayans?” Some topics are just better left at the front door.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I hope to see you at the Tree Lighting this Friday night at 6:30.

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