Community Newspapers www.communitynewspapers.com
MAY 2011
WHO’S WHO
WEST
PARK
CITY
OFFICIALS
In City Government
WEST PARK NEWS Arrival At Another Milestone BY MAYOR ERIC H. JONES JR.
Mayor Eric H. Jones, Jr.
Vice Mayor Felicia M. Brunson
Commissioner Thomas Dorsett
Commissioner Sharon Fyffe
Commissioner Rita “Peaches” Mac k
City Manager W. Ajibola Balogun
I want to begin this article by recognizing our City Commission’s leadership in the making of some tough decisions in these difficult times. The votes have been difficult and sometimes the pressure intense, but there is a wealth of talent, vested interest and experience at the Commission table. By working closely with our Commission members and City Manager we continue to meet the challenges ahead of us. So, exactly what have we been doing since our City’s inception? We have been implementing an Era of Innovation in several areas. We’ve been fighting crime, improving neighborhoods, growing our economy, seeking means to create jobs, planning for the future and saving money. We’ve been streamlining, modernizing and transforming the way we do business during these tough economic times.
We have also been partnering with our colleagues from other levels of government. There is great benefit in working together across jurisdictional lines at the federal, state, county, and municipal levels that will pay many dividends today and in the future. Despite challenges, the state of our City remains strong and secure. We remain better off financially than many other cities. All indicators are positive: We have the best prospects to emerge from this recession closer to becoming the West Park of our dreams. New City Hall Opening We recently celebrated a great milestone with our offi-
cial ribbon cutting and grand opening ceremony of our City Hall on April 14, 2011, with approximately 300 people in attendance representing county, state, federal, and municipal entities. It was a grand affair with music, hors d’oeuvres, and a building tour led by the City Manager. The ceremony was a great success thanks to our City Manager and staff for their tireless efforts. There is much to be said about how they maximized minimum dollars during these tough economic times. Our new City Hall is a renovation of former office space located at 1965 South State Road 7, next to Home Depot. Many who attended the ceremony commented on the new City Hall’s strategic location, and excellent design; people from neighboring businesses stopped by to see how the space had been transformed into such a wonderful use. In our City’s short history, we are very excited about this important landmark in our community, which represents the heart of West Park!
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