We have had quite an exciting start to 2025. I hope you and your families enjoyed the beautiful winter wonderland we were recently gifted with. While many enjoyed the slowdown, I want to thank our dedicated town staff and public safety professionals who worked with our county and state partners to dig us out of the snow and ice.
In preparation for our annual budgeting process, our council, the administrator and department heads held a mid-year budget retreat. At this retreat, we reviewed our financial status, were presented with the many needs facing our town, and initiated a discussion of priorities that will continue at a February meeting. Great takeaways from this meeting include a healthy and growing financial position, the ability to set aside funds to handle capital expenditures in the future budget, and starting the discussion of a more sustainable approach to managing the town’s responsibilities.
As we look forward to this year, I am excited to coordinate with the Chamber of Commerce and our county Partners to establish a Community Vision Plan. This process will involve a third party examining and integrating our existing plans, actively seeking feedback from our citizens and business owners and delivering a long-term vision that reflects the expectations of our community. This vision will become the focal point for our leadership as we build a strategic plan for setting our policies and prioritizing our spending moving forward.
In addition to the Vision Plan, I am excited to continue building on the momentum we created this past year by facing challenges head-on and taking action. From moving forward on demanding infrastructure projects to addressing the space needs of our public safety and municipal court facilities and improving our ability to meet our citizens’ expectations, 2025 will be a great year!
It is an honor to serve you and our beautiful town.
Russ Touchberry is the mayor of Summerville.