According to a recent mid-census review of population change and development activity conducted by the Central Midlands Regional Council of Governments, the Town of Lexington is the second fastest growing of six "hot spots" within Richland , Lexington , Fairfield , and Newberry Counties . The 1990 population of Lexington , according to the US Census Bureau, was recorded at 3,289 residents. By the year 2000, the town had grown to 9,763 citizens with a 2004 projected growth of 12,610 people. In fact, the Town of Lexington has grown so rapidly, Town Council recently authorized a special mid-course census to determine the actual current population as of 2006. An accurate census count is critical to ensure state and federal funding for critical public services, that are based on census verified populations.
With all the recent growth of this community, it is critical we grow responsibly and plan accordingly for the future. A primary goal of mine, as the Mayor, and member of Town Council for the Town of Lexington in 2006 is to develop a clear vision as to what our town should be and look like in years to come. The method we are using to develop this vision is Strategic Leadership and Strategic Management. Council embarked on these leadership sessions in January and will continue through March, concluding with the presentation of a working plan in the spring of 2006. The sessions currently underway focus on bringing all "stakeholders" of the Town and surrounding community together in an effort to get all viewpoints and thoughts "on the table." Citizens, businesses, governmental bodies, the school district and other important segments in our Town will be asked to give the Council input on their vision for Lexington 's future.
To date, we have met with subject matter experts in fields such as ethics and municipal government to get a better idea of the roles and responsibilities entrusted to us a members of Town Council and to gain the tools we need to be more effective as leaders of the Town. More importantly, this process has given us the opportunity to meet with over thirty local neighborhood leaders from throughout the town.
In February, we sat down with Lexington neighborhood leaders as they listed and described for us the priorities we should be considering in the years to come. Many of these issues we are already addressing, such as traffic, responsible growth, annexation, and communications. Other issues, such as revisions to landscaping and zoning ordinances, will be considered and incorporated into the plan as it begins to come together in a concise and measurable format.
Our next session will focus on the needs of the Lexington business community. Again, our plan is to bring together approximately local business owners and business leaders to openly discuss the challenges facing them in the coming months and how those concerns directly affect the business of conducting government here in Lexington . As we develop our plan, we want to continue to be cognizant of how businesses are affected by governmental decisions in areas such as sign ordinances, landscaping, traffic patterns, and others.
The final sessions will focus on the political structure of government and how Council leadership will affect the future of the community. We will formulate our vision that will then be further developed by members of town staff under Council's direction and guidance.
Our goal when we complete this process is to develop a clear and cohesive vision for our Town to work towards in the coming years. We will have striven to get valid and honest input from key stakeholders before we begin to formulate a working plan to take us, as a town and community, into the 21st Century. We intend to ensure that any plan we formulate best addresses any current and anticipated needs for the Town of Lexington and its citizens.
For any thoughts you'd like to share on this process, please e-mail me at HalfacreR@aol.com .
Thank you.
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