Faith or fear? Which one do we choose, for all men are driven by one or the other?
If we choose faith, then we believe in the hopeful potential of what we haven’t yet seen.
Fear disrupts us and will keep us from our goals, dreams and our destiny, so fear is not an option for this community to move forward.
Over the last few years you have heard me talk about partnerships and relationships that make this community much stronger. Let’s recap quickly of just a few of these. The City of Emporia and Lyon County have created many joint efforts that will benefit services and enhance the quality of life throughout the county. Emporia State University, Flint Hills Technical College, City of Emporia and Lyon County are working together to better understand what is needed to have the highest qualified workforce in this region and what it means to be a “university community”. Newman Regional Health and Lyon County are working together to provide this region with the absolute best health care available. By becoming a member on the Flint Hills Regional Council we now have a 7 county partnership that has the potential to provide cost savings to our county by sharing resources, and give us leg up in attracting new business to this area. It also gives us the opportunity to create ties with Fort Riley, mostly through education for troops transitioning to private life. These are positive changes.
Currently we have RDA leading the way for industrial development and working with existing business to address the needs that they require to be even more successful, throughout our region. We have Main Street that does a phenomenal job increasing consumer business and bringing many activities downtown, and more than willing to say downtown is everywhere. We have the Emporia Area Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau, which does a great job of promoting business and community success, and have a tremendous leadership program second to none, again throughout the Lyon county area. And now Lyon County is looking to become more active in economic development. Again this is a positive change.
So why is Lyon County taking the time to research where we can be most effective in helping this community take a positive step forward? First answer is that is why you hired us. You put your faith in us to make the decisions that will make Lyon County more efficient, have a better quality of life, and provide an atmosphere that will foster structured growth. This will be an ongoing process that requires public input that we desperately encourage.
Second answer is that with all the organizations that have been mentioned above, why aren’t we more successful. We must challenge ourselves every day to be better. We cannot afford to become defensive when ask if there is a different way to create jobs, housing, and utilize existing infrastructure to be more efficient. I think that we have proven that partnerships and relationships are the key to success and if we all, and I do mean all, work together we will find that we have the same common goals. And that is a positive change.
And finally let me read the mission statement of Lyon County. “The mission of Lyon County government is to create an environment of economic growth within a framework of fiscal responsibility and transparency to the people of Lyon County.” And that folks is the action we will take.
Many are fearful of change, but I already said that fear is not an option so faith it is!
Scott Briggs, Lyon County Commissioner
