By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
St. Joseph Mayor Bill McMurray delivers his final State of the City address at the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce Public Affairs Coffee, presenting a video outlining the challenges and the triumphs of the last four years.
McMurray notes the city had to work its way through the coronavirus pandemic and had a city manager quit after only a month on the job, but also saw some real victories.
“I am so thrilled that the citizens voted not one, not two, but three taxes to invest in themselves and make St. Joseph a better place,” McMurray tells reporters after the Chamber event.
McMurray credits preparation prior to the vote for the victories at the polls.
“Well, I think we had some great citizen’s committees, starting with the CIP,” McMurray says. “A citizen’s committee made the recommendations. The CIP has passed every single year, for my gosh, how many years? Several decades, anyway. People can see the results of their investment.”
St. Joseph voters approved extending the CIP, the Capital Improvement Program sales tax, the bonds to bridges program, and the city parks tax.
The victories at the polls goes against the reputation of St. Joseph as an anti-tax city.
“Anybody that ever wants to put St. Joe down, here are three instances of the citizens investing in themselves in this great city.”
McMurray exits as new faces come on as city leaders.
There will be a new mayor and some new city council members. McMurray welcomes the change and encourages more city residents to get involved.
Challenges kept cropping up over the past four years. The Missouri River flooded in 2019. The south end got hit with a flash flood that did extensive damage to residences. The city council hire a city manager only to see him resign a month into the job. A deadly coronavirus that has taken the lives of more than 250 Buchanan County residents is in its third year.
McMurray says the bright spots have overcome the tough times.
“My glib response always is, you know, the last four years, well we’ve had three floods, one pandemic, and four city managers. Other than that, I’ve been eating bon bons,” he says with a laugh.
McMurray says he, the city council, and the city staff have accomplished a lot in the last four years and now it is time for someone else to take the reins.