| Troy mayor sees reasons for optimism moving forward |
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Posted: Thursday, January 10, 2013 9:03 pm
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By DONNA RYDER
Associate Editor
Troy Mayor Jimmie Hart said he is anticipating a good year once again for the town.
“I’ve been watching the sales tax reports and we’ve done good,” he said, adding there were several months of increased revenue over the previous year.
He said there was even one month where the collection was higher than the town has ever received before.
“It shows our merchants are doing good,” the mayor said, adding he will be working on getting a business in the town’s spec building and has several good leads to follow up on this year.
He said he always en-courages new merchants and businesses to come to Troy and the town will do what it can to help them get established and going.
Hart has plans for 2013 that include projects to help local citizens.
Despite not getting a Community Development Block Grant in 2012, the mayor is still planning to build a new water treatment plant. He said the town will apply again for a grant, but there are other revenue sources to look at, including low-interest loans.
Many Troy residents use the walking track at Trojan Park and the mayor wants to make it possible for them to walk at night and feel safe by adding lights around the track. There are also several other upgrades the town can do at the park, he said. City Park is expected to get a facelift, too. Hart wants to put new, energy efficient lights at the park, which is located on the square.
He said the town always maintains its streets and will pick the worst among them to pave this year, as has been done in past years.
Looking back on 2012, Hart said he was disappointed the county did not step up and do its job as far as providing rural fire protection.
“If it was a town problem, it would have been taken care of immediately,” he said, adding it is county business. “But needless to say, they tossed it back on the cities.”
Troy started a subscription program to provide rural fire service and Hart said subscriptions have been going well, with the town getting some revenue out of it.
“I’m still hoping some day, down the road, for a countywide fire department,” he said, saying other counties in the area have them.
Hart said he feels sorry for the residents who live in the trade area around Troy and that is why the town agreed to provide the service, but the liability still bothers him. He said the town’s residents are taxed in order to run the fire department. He said there is always the possibility that one of fire trucks could be out on a call in the rural area and end up in a fence row. It is the town’s residents who are responsible for replacing any damaged vehicles and, he said, he doesn’t think they would appreciate it.
“It is just not right for the cities to have to take care of the fire calls outside city limits,” he said.
Associate Editor Donna Ryder can be contacted by email at dryder@ucmessenger.com.
Published in The Messenger 1.10.13 |
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