From the Desk of Mayor Griff Martin

It has been my joy and pleasure to serve as your City of Leavenworth Mayor for 2024. I’ve had a wonderful time celebrating partnerships and cheering on the successes of our City employees. This fall and winter, the First City of Kansas has much to celebrate as we reap the harvest for our hard work and efforts.

Soon we’ll hire a new city manager after careful review of applications and an extensive interview process. This new individual will lead the day-to-day management of our staff and help myself and fellow commissioners with advice about policy decisions that are best for the City.

Leavenworth’s first dedicated Pickleball courts and our first new basketball court at Buffalo Bill Memorial Cody Park are almost completed and will be ready this fall. We’re completing a major construction project on Fourth Street/Kansas Highway 7 to repair our First City’s main thoroughfare. We’re in the process of construction of new offices at the Municipal Service Center. Soon, the City will begin building a new Fire Station 3 and a new building for our wastewater treatment staff.

2024 has been a busy year for the First City of Kansas, with several new projects completed to improve our quality of life. This year we completed our Pavement Management Road Construction early, investing $1.8 million into City streets (photos on opposite page)

This fall and winter, you and your family are invited to enjoy several fun activities with us, including the signature festival, Camp Leavenworth September 20-21. The fireworks will be at 8 p.m. Friday. Other events include:

Mother-Son Superhero Dance – 1- 3 p.m. Sunday October 6, at the Riverfront Community Center

Trunk or Treat 5-7 p.m. Saturday Oct. 19 at Sportsfield Park

Holiday Market – 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Saturday, November 2 - at the Riverfront Community Center, 123 S. Esplanade St.

Mayor's Holiday Lighted Parade and Tree Lighting - Friday, November 22 - This is a yearly event held each Friday before Thanksgiving at Haymarket Square, Seventh and Cherokee streets.

I hope to see you enjoying all that the First City of Kansas has to offer, and look forward to an amazing 2025!

Mayor Griff Martin presented a proclamation to Mary Mack with the Leavenworth County Development Corporation in May as part of Economic Development week.

Mayor Griff Martin presented honorary citizenship certificates to more than 122 international military officers attending the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College as part of a ceremony in July welcoming them to Leavenworth.

Mayor Griff Martin presents an "Employee of the Quarter" designation to Dennis Skaarland, Solid Waste employee at the City's Municipal Service Center.