The “State of the City” is more than just reporting on the City’s financial status, which I will do, but it’s much more. It’s a time to reflect on the past year’s successes and challenges that may not have been so successful. It’s about moving forward. The “State of the City” is about envisioning our future and setting goals and objectives, then begin taking action to meet the ongoing challenges of serving our public and achieving our vision.

Running City government is not a task for one person. It takes a well-trained, efficient and dedicated workforce to provide consistent and effective service. It’s a well-oiled machine that constantly requires maintenance and upgrading. To explain further, it requires continual training of our staff, upgrading our operations including properties, policies and equipment, looking for inventive ways to be more efficient, all the while keeping constant watch over our financial status to insure the city remains in a healthy fiscal state. I said all that to say thank you to all the city staff – our team of well-trained, efficient and dedicated workforce – to do all that I just mentioned. Searcy is truly blessed in that way.

I must give major credit to our TEAM of dedicated Department Heads. They are knowledgeable and experienced serving in leadership roles within their departments, who have our citizen’s best interest at heart, and I enjoy leading and working alongside them in their efforts. So I just want to give a special recognition to all of them tonight. I’m not going to name each and every one. Our citizens can find their names on our City’s website and read a little about them and I urge you to do that and get to know, who are working on your behalf in city government.

I also want to thank all the elected officials of the City, the City Council, our City Clerk Treasurer Tammy Gowen, our City Attorney Buck Gibson and I want to especially call attention to Judge Phil Shoffner and his dedicated service as District Judge to White County and the City of Searcy. We are saddened by his death, we feel blessed to have known him. He cared deeply for people, and showed his compassion toward those he sometimes had to discipline, and he did so fairly and with great pride as an integral part of our judicial system for White County and Searcy. We pause to remember and extend our deepest sympathy to his loved ones. We will miss him greatly. In addition I want to extend the City’s appreciation to the several attorneys who have volunteered their time and expertise to fulfill the responsibilities of the bench during Judge Shoffner’s absence. Their unselfish contributions to the City are greatly appreciated.

As of December 31, 2007: The General Fund for operation of the City of Searcy ended at $1,927,324.52; the Street Fund was $56,936.96, the combined total of other smaller funds was: $209,886.69, with a total combined balance of $2,194,148.17. The City of Searcy prior to the close of 2007 paid off indebtedness in the amount of $374,753.37 (for Police Building and Sanitation Vehicles). The City received $15,128,515.30 in total General and Street revenues during 2007 and expended $14,013,569.23 in total General and Street operations. The City spent $196,982.21 in capital purchases for 2007. However, there were several needs that we, as legislative and executive members of local government were not able to provide. We had shortfalls in some fees and revenues, experienced difficulty in sustaining our workforce and, were not able to replace exhausted vehicles and equipment or meet the ever-continuing challenges of street and drainage maintenance. In our effort to thwart some of these challenges we were unsuccessful in our attempt to secure an additional sales tax to provide the much needed funding. I say that for no other reason than to apprise the public of our continual operational needs as well as providing for the future growth of our city, its facilities and services.

Some of The Positives from 2007 and for 2008:

1) The City’s balances are better than they have been before; reason being we had a remaining balance of $750,000 from revenues received from the special one-cent 9-month sales tax proceeds and a one time mineral lease bonus sign up of a half million dollars – Leasing the City’s almost 940 acres of mineral rights.
2) A Capital Equipment Replacement Fund was established for 2008 –something we’ve needed for a long period of time;
4) There are possibilities of future royalty dollars on gas drilling opportunities;
5) Salary increases were granted for 2008 in an attempt to bring the City to a competitive level of workforce within our region;
6) An anticipated growth in our local economy should bring about an increase in additional sales tax revenues;
7) An anticipated growth of our population, should also bring about an increase in State Turn back funding and impact our ability to attract new commercial business and industry

BUT - - - -Contrary to the good there are some negatives:

1) The City was not and is not financially able to establish an annual Street Overlay and Drainage Maintenance Operation; continuing in these delays will result in further damage to our current transportation system and properties within the City, and increased costs for the future;

2) A majority of our fleet of vehicles and equipment are in need of replacement. The costs of operation and maintenance of these poorly conditioned vehicles are excessive. We’ve not been able to replace these vehicles due to lack of adequate funding. If we continue in this fashion it will cause further delays in meeting the needs in our sanitation and street operations, providing adequate and safe transportation in public health and safety needs, and continue in maintenance of city equipment and properties;

3)In order to maintain our trained personnel, (where our investment has been great) we must be competitive in the work place with not only other governmental entities but also the private sector employers, as well. Our inability to compete and retain trained staff will be a continual challenge for our future;
4)We cannot operate a city on just anticipation and possibilities. We must have concrete solutions to our workforce and revenues to maintain just our current level of operations.
5) If we are only able to maintain our current level, we are not going to be able to meet the growing demands and needs of our City’s future.

The intended purpose of this State of the city Address is for YOUR Mayor to give you true insight to the condition and operation of YOUR local government. It’s YOUR tax dollars we spend, it’s YOUR services we implement and it’s YOUR right to know the truth and fully understand exactly where we are as YOUR City. And it’s YOUR vote that brings us all to the table to make it work for you.

So what are We, the City, going to do for you in 2008? We are going to continue to keep you informed, continue to listen to your voice, and continue to strive for excellence in service, all the while operating as efficiently as we possible can.

But, in order for us to do the very best job for you, we need something from you in return.
I challenge you to secure accurate information on our City’s operations. Don’t depend upon idle gossip, coffee shop news or even media to provide all the facts. Be a participant in planning for our future and partaking in all available programs and services we have to offer that bring about healthy change and conservation of resources. Offer assistance through volunteer programs within the community that help makes our city a better place for all citizens. Obey the laws, respect your leaders and extend support and encouragement when things go right, and voice concerns to those who can affect corrective action and improvements. Your City leaders need to hear from you – so we know we are meeting or at least making our very best attempt at meeting your needs.

As part of tonight’s State of the City address I want to take a glance back at 2007. If there was one word that sums up 2007 I believe that word would be “change”. Change is something that most people dread but we all know it’s a reality of life, the one constant, change is going to happen, whether we like it or not. We can sit back and let change happen and suffer the consequences or we can attempt to manage the change and achieve our goals. I prefer the later.

#1 Staff wise – it was the beginning of a new term of office for me at Mayor, and also for several of our City Council members. There is always a learning curve when new people join the staff – and to continue down the line, we had changes in leadership roles with the arrival of one new-comer to our leadership team, our airport manger, Phillip Nilles (been with us 6 months and has quickly become a great team member, and the advancement to Chief of Police Kyle Osborne, who just completed his first anniversary as Chief. Many of our department heads and employees took on additional roles or modified their job duties to fit our ever-changing responsibilities. We constantly strive to diversify our job skills and duties in order to meet the expectations of our public. Linda Maddox our District Court Clerk was one Department Head who stepped up to the plate and took on additional supervisory responsibilities, with the merging of both courts & probation services.

We made many successful strides in the human resource realm in 2007, consisting of updating job descriptions for all city employees, implementing a more efficient method for job applicant offerings and other changes in the workforce to streamline our employment processes and files. We also revised our Safety policies to better address problem concerns and stress safety in the workplace to help reduce workers compensation claims and injuries to our workforce. Our focus to be TEAM oriented through out the City organization has even achieved a higher level of success and participation, which I am very happy to report and want to express my appreciation to the Department Head Team for their efforts.

#2 (Facilities) A major success and proof that when our community shows their support, just what can be accomplished when we work together, we completed our new Central Fire Station and began operations from there in May. This state of the art fire station will prove to be an asset for many years to come and speaks to the high standards the Citizens of Searcy have come to expect and deserve.

Our District Court completed their first full year in the new White County Law Enforcement Center facility, which I believe to be one of the best partnership arrangements that the City and County have ever encountered. Due to the willingness of the citizens of our city and county who supported the financing, we have a sheriff, detention and court facility to be very proud of, that again will serve our needs for many years to come.

Renovations took place both inside and outside at the Searcy Public Library. It had been 26 years since the library had received a coat of paint on the exterior. It was time for a much needed and deserved facelift. The children’s area was updated to attract young inquisitive minds, new restroom facilities were updated with new fixtures and plumbing, and additional computers were added enhancing the library’s ability to provide additional time and space for internet access to the community. We must continue to focus improvements to our library and remember that reading broadens the mind and opens hearts – the Library is the lifeblood of any community.

#3 – In the Economic Development realm there were highs and lows in our manufacturing and industry. The year began with the closing of our Whirlpool facility, which was a loss of 750 jobs within our community. This was devastating news for the workers, their families and our community. Fortunately for us the natural gas industry came on its heels, which did contribute to opportunities for many of those displaced workers. And thanks to both ASU and Harding University for offers to provide education opportunities to those workers for continuing education, many returned to school in order to complete their post secondary education or to acquire new skills and knowledge for another field of employment. Eaton Hydraulics and Yarnell Ice Cream both celebrated milestones in Searcy, and we celebrated along with them. Eaton – 50 years and Yarnell’s 75 years. The future of our city largely depends on our existing industry to remain strong and successful, to grow and prosper. We, in local government, must stand beside them in their efforts and offer support and encouragement and give aid when needed, to make certain they sustain and survive in these changing times. I want to acknowledge Buck Layne for his efforts on a local level during 2007. We continued to partner with Searcy Regional Economic Development Corporation and Metro Little Rock Regional Alliance to insure Searcy receives the best representation and marketing of our attributes and available site locations. This partnership must continue in 2008 for Searcy to be on the radar screen for additional manufacturing possibilities.

General Industries or now known as ElectroCraft Arkansas, Inc., relocated to Searcy, keeping jobs in White County; The labor union strike at Kohler drew to a close, Bryce completed an expansion of their facility, increased their capital investments and added new jobs. All the area schools both public and private saw major improvements and expansions.

In addition to our existing industry triumphs, in 2007, we found ourselves in the midst of a totally new concept – the natural gas industry known as the Fayetteville Shale. Talk about change – We’ve been exposed to a new language and new landscape. Searcy and White County, at the center of this Fayetteville Shale Play, had a major learning curve to adapt to, and I believe we have gotten off to a very good beginning, and one that will prove to have long-term positive affects and benefits for our City. As a result of the Fayetteville Shale Exploration, Searcy and surrounding area landed 60 new service related companies. Searcy is now the regional field office for the third largest natural gas producer in the United States, Chesapeake Energy who purchased 23 acres north of town and invested $1.5 million in their new facility and approximately $1.2 million in annual payroll.

#4 - With the influx of this new industry, came many challenges with increased heavy truck traffic, road and highway maintenance concerns, employment issues, influx of new people to our community, and dollars; dollars through mineral rights leasing. Just as 2007 began nearing a close, we began to see our economy thrive. As we’ve seemed to experience in the past, our economy here in Searcy and White County remained steady, even at our Country’s low point. We are blessed to live in Searcy, Arkansas.

During 2007 there were 97 new single family houses built. A total of $40,198,203.72 of construction took place, which brought in $158,063.04 in building permits and fees. These numbers were down from years 2005-06, but the anticipation for 2008 is greater.

Main Street Searcy (again, another major economic development tool for Searcy) realized completion of its third year in operation, which ended the first phase of the funding commitment cycle that had been required to maintain Main Street status by the State. There were many celebrated successes for Main Street Searcy in 2007. Ten (10) new businesses were established in downtown; Seventeen Exterior and Nine interior building renovations and improvement projects, 8 of which were made possible by $34,500 in grant funding awarded by the State to property and business owners within the Main Street District; ($99,820 since 2004). An estimated $12,000 of professional services were provided within the district by the state in 2007; and Main Street Searcy won two awards at the 2007 Main Street Arkansas Awards Celebration in competition with the other 18 Main Street organizations within the State. MSS brought home an award for best Heritage Promotion by Amy Burton, our Executive Director, for her depiction of history featured in 40 framed black and white photographs from years gone by in Historical Downtown Searcy and Barry and Lisa Hoffman, owners of Hoffman’s Architectural Firm & Interiors brought home the award for best window front display. We owe a giant word of thanks to Amy and the Board of Directors of Main Street Searcy and our Main Street partners for their dedication and service to Searcy.

I pondered on a word that may describe 2008, I believe that word would be GROWTH.

In 2008 – Our landscape will continue to change, dotted with new gas rigs, commercial business and industrial growth, as well as additional residential. Economic growth should occur as well, but also the additional population of people and business will result in a growth of operational expenses as well.

#5 - Our elected representation on a State and National level proved to be of major significance to Searcy once again in 2007. Because of our inability to depend solely upon our local tax base for making major improvements, cities also depend upon grant dollars for assistance. Grant dollars play a significant role in providing aid and support. Even though grant dollars have tended to shrink, we have dedicated public servants who are still looking out after their constituents in their districts. Thanks to Congressman Vic Snyder, Senators Mark Pryor and Blanche Lincoln and many others such as John Knight & Jerry Chism of the Arkansas Aeronautics Association, the Searcy Airport Commission and many others, the Searcy Municipal Airport can finally say we have a fully operational new state of the art “Automated Weather Service System”. This may not sound like much to the ordinary tax payer, but let me assure you to those who utilize our airport facilities on a regular basis for business and recreational purposes, this is a major addition to the safe operation of our airport and a tangible positive attribute to be touted to a sight locator for industry and business. This AWSS unit is a great economic development tool for our community. This acquisition took many long tedious hours of discussion, debate, and planning to bring about the final result of a $400,000 federal grant from FAA. In addition to the AWSS grant the city also received $409,311.00 in federal & state funding for Security Fencing, Parking apron improvements and a new South Road projects. In 2008 we anticipate continuing improvement projects per the Airport Master Plan which will include: Phase 2 of the New Ramp project in the amount of $378,809.30, and $71,000 in 100% funding for a variety of equipment purchases and small facility improvements. During 2007 a malfunction in our fuel truck led to a fuel spill that required a great deal of time and effort on the part of many volunteers, our Haz Mat Team, Airport Commission, Staff and hired experts to abate the results and eliminate the possibility of soil and water contamination of the grounds, which was mandated by ADEQ. We successfully met the requirements of the ADEQ’s RST Trust Fund program which enabled the City to avoid having to pay for the bulk of the clean up. This spill has resulted in modifying our procedures in the day to day operations at the Airport and has brought about an awareness that we need to replace our fuel trucks and develop a fuel tracking system, which we will be looking into during 2008.

Again the State came through with funding from the Arkansas Parks and Tourism Outdoors Grant Program for the purpose of constructing two restrooms, one in the Sports Complex and one at Yancey Park. We also completed improvements to the final phase of replacement of playground equipment in all our parks, this year specifically in Riverside Park, insuring that the equipment is handicapped accessible and is safe for our children.
We were approved to build a new girl’s softball field as that program along with the boys baseball program has grown out of our current facilities. There will be a new fully handicapped accessible playground area completed this year in the Soccer Complex. Without the fifty percent funding of these state grant dollars the city would not be able to make these much needed improvements in our parks.

Grant dollars were provided to the city for Recycling improvements and new programs in our Sanitation Dept. The Searcy Recycling Center, for those of you who may not know, is located at corner of Beebe-Capps and Elm Street. Our center actually serves all of White, Woodruff, Cleburne and Lonoke Counties for drop-off recycling and we continue to provide curbside pick up for our Searcy residents at no additional charge. Recycling has many benefits. It provides a reduction in the amount of waste that has to be delivered to the landfill thereby reducing our landfill fee costs, it provides revenues from the sale of the recycle materials, it provides jobs, it’s good for our environment, and it helps in the preservation of our natural resources. The Searcy Recycle Center was selected in 2007 for an E-cycle pilot program through Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality. Beginning in 2010 it will be unlawful to dispose of any electronic item in our state’s landfills. As a result of our participation in this pilot program and with the awarding of a 100% funded $30,000 grant from ADEQ, we will be retrofitting our current facility to enable the acceptance of electronics, storage and transporting of these recyclables. ADEQ has partnered with Unicor, a Texarkana based company, who provides trailers for storage and hauling, transportation of the items free of charge and recycling those items at their location. We have also received an additional 75/25 grant in the amount of $35,000 to increase additional storage space at our facility for other types of accepted recycle materials. We have another innovative recycling program that we plan on unveiling sometime during 2008, which is called Chem-Share. So stay tuned for more upcoming information on that at a later date. In 2007 Searcy eliminated 1,355 tons of recycle materials, saving the City $38,115.44 in landfill fees and bringing in $116,969.27 in revenues from the sale of the recyclables.

Our State Legislators and our own Governor Beebe aided cities by distribution of dollars from the State’s General Improvement Funds. Rep. David Evans was instrumental in helping to secure $145,000 from the fund, which enabled the City to overlay Pleasure Street from Main to the intersection at Beebe-Capps. Further development along the planning efforts of the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department in partnership with the City to move closer to the construction of a south by-pass connecting Hwy 36 to Hwy 13. The field of anticipated routes has been narrowed to 3 locations – with a final determination to be made later this year and construction planned to begin in 2010.

We maintained our grant funding for the 17th Judicial District Drug Task Force, Crimes against Women, LEBG grant funding for taser purchases, District Court Small Claims Mediation, general recycling grants, and dollars to add Exhaust Systems to our fire Department Engine Bays.

With the rapid advances in technology, it became necessary for the city to implement upgrades to our computer network system. In cooperation with the County new court software was installed which will allow the courts to see both the City and County side of tickets and accounts; and police software “Relativity” was installed in 2007, both improving the efficiency and accuracy to our district court & police processes and bringing our police in compliance with State NIBRS program, which is required by ACIC to maintain funding equity for public safety grants. We also connected all city facilities with fiber; implemented and trained our Code Enforcement staff on existing software to help streamline their operations.

The City entered a partnership arrangement with Searcy.com to provide a new innovative, interactive and updated website with enhanced services and features, which will provide our citizens current and pertinent information. This website will launch in 2008. So stay tuned.

Searcy was host once again to the History Channel’s Great Race, which brings national recognition and attention. The community turned out in record number attendance. The race consisted of a 15 day 4,000 mile cross country rally for classic cars manufactured in 1969 or earlier. Searcy secured the lunch stop for their 25th anniversary celebration, quite a coo to be chosen. There were also other activities such as entering your pet in a patriotic parade or for children, riding their bicycles to win a prize for best patriotic decoration. All and all a great way to celebrate the 4th of July.

Also on a sad note, Searcy lost one of its long-standing supporter and volunteer, Mr. E. D. Yancey. E.D. consistently strived to make Searcy a better place. A major developer and builder in our community, someone who gave freely of his time and money to affect Searcy’s future in a positive manner, a great example to us all. He had a love of economic development and helped bring about positive change in people’s lives. We take a moment to remember tonight and give thanks for E.D. Yancey and others who have made a lasting impression on this City.

Strides were made in 2007 to bring the City in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. An ADA Task Force was established. The Task Force assessed the condition of city services and facilities as they relate to accessibility. The Transition Plan for the City was updated and revised. We have a new timeline of projected improvements prioritizing areas of major accessibility issues and needs. The City plans to spend $75,000 for sidewalks that will run from Downtown Searcy west along Pleasure for as long as the dollars will last and another $75,000 in additional sidewalk repair within the Downtown area in 2008.

Public Safety: 2007 was the first year that I am aware the City ever experienced such a significant loss of workforce and found difficulty in filling our vacancies. At one point during 2007 the Police Department was down by nine Patrol officers. Our Fire Department was down by four and our Sanitation Department was down by 17, which included employees out on various leave. Many factors played a role, one being the need for competitive wages both private sector and governmental; CDL drivers are currently in high demand here with the new gas exploration industry and we are unable to compete with their rate of pay; there is a decline in interest in public safety jobs, which is probably a result of lower wages, increase stress and the possibility of injury and danger on the job. However, I can gladly report that for a brief time this month we were fully staffed in our Police Department and as of today we are down by 2,(we lost 2 employees to the private sector of employment and not to other law enforcement agencies); we are however, fully staffed in the Fire Department and continue to experience fluctuating numbers in our Sanitation staff. The 2.3% cost of living wage increase and the additional 3% allocated funding for wage increases in 2008, I believe, has made a significant difference in helping us retain the balance of our staff and recruit qualified applicants for these positions. Now we need to work toward continuing our efforts in paying competitive wages, replace worn out vehicles and look at expansion needs of our facilities and replacement of equipment. And of course continuation of training investments in the work force.

Along the lines of long-term planning for public safety – the most prevalent need is to launch a search for property to plan for the relocation of our Fire Station No. 2 We have not only out-grown the current station on East Market Street, but the City, itself, has out grown it’s current location in order to meet the ISO and National standards for adequate level of fire response time. As our City expands, so should the city services expand along side. Our City has expanded and we must respond likewise.

I’ve already mentioned some of the projects for 2008 funded by grant dollars in Parks and Recreation. But these dollars alone will not suffice in the making the needed upgrades and addition to our Parks and Recreation System. Searcy has always been noted for its top of the line recreation programs and facilities. But unfortunately we have had too many “other” pressing needs. We have 80 acres of undeveloped lands as part of our Riverside Park. This property could be developed into a state recognized park facility with its boundary marked by the Little Red River. There are loads of opportunities for development there and increasing tourism trade. We’ve talked about a new Civic Community Center large enough to service the needs of our region, which would bring about opportunities for entertainment and sporting events, another important economic development tool. Our current facility built in 1978 is too small to accommodate our citizens and our indoor recreational programs. Yes, we’ve talked about a new pool facility. Do I dare mention it? Absolutely. Just because there are those in our community who do not see the need for a pool facility, doesn’t mean that we should ignore the fact that every growing community surrounding Searcy has invested in an indoor aquatic center to service the population year around for exercise, helping improve health conditions and physical therapy, provide another outlet for competitive sports and just recreational fun for the entire family. If we do not provide these kinds of activities and facilities, people go elsewhere to find them. Despite the fact that our current facility is one step away from closure due to its inadequate size, it’s non-repairable maintenance issues, and its seasonal operation only, to name of few of the problems. Another well used feature of the Searcy Parks and Recreation System is our Bike Trail. Currently we have 5 miles of trails, which do not intersect or connect to make a complete trail around our city. This would be a long-term project, but one I believe that would be well received by our community. Also, Searcy has not added a neighborhood park since Yancey Park was established in 1978. There needs to be a comprehensive plan to preserve land to meet the criteria for planned parks. Our city has grown and additional neighborhood parks need to be added to these residential growth areas, to provide families and individuals places to spend their leisure time. Additional expansion is needed at our Sports Complex. I’ve already mentioned that a new girl’s softball field is being added to accommodate the growth in that program. All our sports programs are experiencing growth and with that growth come the need to add new fields, concessions, restrooms, etc. The programs themselves in order to remain affordable for all people, simply cannot fund all the needs to the City’s facilities. Our Parks long-term growth committee identified some of those needs three years ago and we have not been able to provide improvements for those areas to date. And in thinking along those lines, the City needs to acquire additional land adjacent to our current sports complex facility for future expansion or make plans to acquire property in another area for relocation of some services. The Parks and Recreation Department is one area that has been ignored for too long. The Advisory Board for our Parks and Recreation Program has been charged with development of a plan for future expansion. Hopefully we will see evidence of their findings during 2008. Parks and Recreation is a window through which outsiders can peer in to see the level of Quality of Life and feel the heartbeat of a Community.

CENSUS 2010 - the City started training and participation in the 2010 Census LUCA program in 2007 and will continue all the way up to April 10th of 2010. In order to achieve an accurate accounting of our population, there is a tremendous amount of data to be collected and submitted to the US Census Bureau before surveys are mailed and census workers hit the streets. Our Code Enforcement staff, Fire Department personnel and City Engineer are collecting the data per Census Bureau requirements, which is not an easy task. It is imperative that we have an accurate count because a major portion of our tax funding from state and federal sources depend upon our population count. Every person counts, literally to us in dollars and cents.
Concerning our Street department services and maintenance: Here again, the City has been unable to address the improvements needed to our Street and drainage systems. Our Street department is understaffed and under equipped. There are not enough highway turn back and road tax revenues to meet the maintenance demands of our current system, much less provide dollars to make major road widening or new road construction or to enhance our city’s drainage system.

I want to emphasize that I am not pointing fingers or placing blame tonight ---I want to be very clear in that respect. Blame, if necessary, is of our own making, by not having adequately explained our circumstances to our voting public, and insuring the message was received loud and clear. Let this State of the City be our first step in 2008 of getting our message out to the public.

We can maintain ----- but not grow.

We can survive------but not live.

The answer to our funding shortages for future growth lies in the hands of our citizens. We are your tools. For tools to be effective they must be utilized to their maximum potential by their owners, efforts to see change and growth depends largely on your insistence to be the driving force and energy, under girding the tools. I, my staff, and the elected members of the City Council are your tools to your City Government.

Don’t let your City continue to fall behind the curve of our growth and development. The pace is quickening and it’s much harder to catch up than stay up.

I want to close this State of the City Address with the following thoughts. On our City seal which is depicted here on our lapel pin, it states our City motto as Pride, Progress, and Potential. I would like for you to consider that motto in reverse order: Potential, Progress, and Pride. As we plan our future growth, Searcy has unlimited potential. We must be progressive in our planning and implementation, in order for us to continue to be proud of our community.

I’m not sure that after fourteen pages of type written notes, that I have adequately covered all aspects of our operations for 2007 or our anticipated operations and overview for 2008. When we reflect back we’ve experienced many trials, many changes, and many challenges. And when we look forward we don’t know what they will be, but we are sure there will be many trials, many changes, and many challenges again. They probably will not be the same ones, there will be some similar and many different.

There is a well known phrase that most believe is a joke, “We’re from the government and we’re here to help”, well it may be a joke in some circles, but not in our City government. We are here to help provide necessary city services to you our citizens. Your leadership takes it seriously. Please partner with us in 2008 to make your City continue to shine as “the City where thousands live as millions wish they could.”

Thank you, good night and may God Bless!