A Word from the Mayor

by:  Carrie Tergin

Our City IS the BEST!

What an honor to be chosen by City Magazine readers as Best Elected Official! Well right back at ya, #JCMO! As the Best Elected Official, I’ll officially move, second, declare, and proclaim that we have the best city ever.

What makes our city the best?

We are one of 50. It’s pretty special to be one of 50 mayors in the country who preside over their state’s capital city. Add to that the honor of being the mayor of Rand McNally’s Most Beautiful Small Towns in America! And, in even more honor, we are the only city in the country with a capitol, a river, and a historic prison.

You can’t be the best if you don’t try to get better. We already know #JCMO is the best place to enjoy July 4th, and our Salute to America celebration is the best around. So, how can we make the best even better? This year, it happened with an extra night added for a concert at the historic Missouri State Penitentiary.

Check out About Town for some amazing photos taken inside the walls of the historic prison and at the first-time-ever Outlaw Country Concert, featuring Travis Tritt. Who would have thought we’d be trying so hard to get into prison? They said it couldn’t be done, that there were too many obstacles to overcome (the prison walls just being one of them). But we had our volunteers and a great partnership with the state, county, and CVB. Who would have ever thought that the prison’s upper yard is set up perfectly for a concert venue? 2,000 people now know and are already looking forward to next year’s event!

Our city has the strong support of people who embraced this unknown event and venue. Being the best starts with thinking of it, dreaming of it, then building a plan to reach your goal. And don’t ever give up.

To those businesses on the City’s Best list, you already know that the amazing support of the community is why you’re on the list. Without the support of the people, there is no “best” list. If we run our businesses focused solely on our own success, we will be very limited; if we focus our attention on the customer, we will be the best every time. In turn, supporting our local businesses makes our city the best place to live! #CitysBEST