SMYRNA — Looking back on his first term as mayor of Smyrna, Derek Norton had plenty to reflect on: the pandemic crashing the party two months into his term, along with civil unrest over the murder of George Floyd and the economic woes brought on by the COVID-19 slowdown.
“Despite all of those challenges, we’re in a great position, and I’m really proud of what we’ve accomplished for our citizens here,” Norton said in an interview with the MDJ this week.
Those accomplishments include a newly renovated, redone downtown with a brand new park; a fully staffed fire department and a police department not far behind, plus low crime and high response rates to go with those, and a triple AAA credit rating for a city that Norton said is in its best economic position yet.
Norton also noted he does not plan to raise the millage rate in the city as long as he’s in office.
The mayor was reelected for a second four-year term in November – he received 4,356 votes (55.1%) compared to challengers Ken Hymes (43.2%) and Alex Backry (1.7%).
Despite the achievements during his first term as mayor, Norton is looking ahead for the Jonquil City in his next four, and no, he’s not thinking about 10 or 20 years into the future – he wants to lay the groundwork for 50, even 100 years.
A redone downtown primed for more
A peek out the window of Norton’s office in Smyrna City Hall, and one catches a glimpse of the redone downtown the mayor does not hesitate to take pride in.
There is the brand new park behind the Smyrna Community Center and adjacent to the Smyrna Public Library, including a splash pad, a brand new playground and ample seating for those looking to work or lounge.
The new greenspace was not easy to bring to fruition, Norton noted, but it came from lots of citizen input, and the result is just what he and the rest of the city…
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