At this week’s Midway City Council meeting, which was strongly attended by the public with all members present, Mayor Stacy Thurman gave her inaugural “State of the City” address, an annual event usually given in January, but since she had just been sworn in, she chose to give it now.
She began, “I needed time to settle into my position as Mayor and to figure out my new relationship with this city. To me, Midway has always been about the people who live here, the families who have cultivated and cared for it over the years, and new folks like me who just feel blessed to have made a home here. Over the last six months I have gotten to know Midway on a much deeper level: the infrastructure, every detail of the expenses and revenues, the constant maintenance, and the delicate relationships with community and industry partners. I have seen this city in a new light, and I believe now, more than ever, that the future is bright.”
Thurman went onto remind everyone that the key asset Midway enjoys is its people who serve as elected officials, give time and energy as volunteer board members or just help at festivals and the museum, pick up trash along sidewalks and mow vacationing neighbors’ yards. She also noted as a town reliant on tourism, that this welcoming spirit brings visitors back.
She highlighted the strong financial position the town is in while enjoying strong partnerships with industries, restaurants and businesses are expanding the tax base so more services and resources can be added. Thurman ticked off solid new projects like the possible new water supply agreement with the Frankfort Plant Board, the letting of bids for the new 24/7/365 EMS-fire station, the reinvigorated code enforcement board, and work with the state Transportation Cabinet on making the roads and walkways in and around Midway safer.
Thurman stated that land use issues will likely be the biggest issue she and the council will face over the next few years, saying “We must decide as a city how to maximize what we have without abandoning the small-town charm we all love. There are opportunities... for development and growth. Some... may have potential to enhance (Midway), add to our character and improve the quality of life for residents. Other prospects threaten to change the characteristics we love about small-town living and to deplete precious agricultural land. It is crucial that now... we consider what ‘change’ means for Midway and the standards (to asses that) this change (is) responsible and productive.”
Thurman closed with a challenge. After invoking how Midway was shaped by its past but invigorated by its present, she asked people to continue to get involved and be civically minded, “I will continue to work toward meaningful investments that provide stability, continuity and equity for residents. There is much to be done in the year to come, but we can certainly take a moment to appreciate all that we have”.
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