Princeton Mayor Brock Thomas says the City will rise to the occasion, taking on any difficult task and striving for success.
He made the comments at the Princeton Rotary Club last week as he, Fredonia Mayor Jim Seibert and Judge-Executive Kota Young shared with Rotarians updates about the city and county.
Brock Thomas took over the role of mayor in January of this year. He lauded the strength of Princeton’s residents and all of the city’s 33 employees whose strength has been unwavering since the devastation of the December 2021 tornado and as the rebuilding efforts continue in the city.
Mayor Thomas said the first priority of any City government is to promote and protect the health, safety and welfare of the community they serve. He noted that the Princeton Police Department does that with 17 officers along with school resource officers.
click to download audioHe noted that the Princeton Fire Department is staffed by 30 dedicated volunteer firefighters, who are compensated for their work on a per-run basis. He added it’s a unique fire department as it is the first on the scene in both the city and county and additionally provides backup to Fredonia when needed.
click to download audioHe noted that the Princeton Public Works Department, which was combined from the Cemetery and Street Departments in 2005, has gone from 24 employees to a full staff of 11 employees, which is currently down to 8.
click to download audioHe said they are taking that money and investing it into equipment for Public Works.
According to Thomas, the administration staff has four employees with three of those having over 20 years of service.
Mayor Thomas said for the City of Princeton to continue its success, officials must be transparent, keep citizens informed, and they must invest in the youth and families, citing the recently awarded grants for the swimming pool renovation with the addition of a splash pad and improvements to the softball fields at the City-County Park.
In addition, Thomas said the City is going to continue to move forward.
click to download audioIn response to a question asked by a Rotarian about the aging buildings in downtown and safety concerns, he acknowledged that is a concern.
click to download audioThomas had a long history of public service before he was elected as mayor, having previously worked with the Department of Social Services, served as a deputy with the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office, and then served as sheriff and judge-executive of Caldwell County. Prior to being elected as mayor, he was serving as a school resource officer in the local school district.
