Moore has qualified to run for re-election as mayor of Walnut Grove

Walnut Grove Mayor Mark Moore likes the accomplishments of the city in recent years.

That’s why he is seeking another term as mayor.

“I’m excited to announce that I am seeking a second term as mayor,” Moore said. “We have achieved so much over the past four years and there’s still a lot of work to be done. We have quite a few projects in the works.”

This time around, however, he is facing a challenge from his mayor-pro-tem, Councilwoman Stephanie Moncrief, who also qualified to run for mayor.

Mark Moore

One of those ongoing projects Moore speaks of is a new downtown, sewer plant expansion. The mayor also wanted to start working on extending the sidewalks on Park Street from Walnut Grove High School up to Highway 81. Moore said several WGHS students walk to class and their safety needs to be a top priority for the city.

“I love our city, I love our citizens and I will work hard for each and every one of them,” the mayor said.

Moore provided a list of accomplishments by the city in the past three and a half years:

•Eliminated Garbage fees for citizens
•Created a yearly budget based on rolling back the millage rate to keep taxes low
•Revitalize city park by resurfacing tennis and basketball courts and repairing our concession stand
•Got rid of porta-potties by opening park bathrooms, two of which have not been opened since the early 90s
•Repaved Emerald Cove and Magnolia Springs subdivisions
•Converted round-about into a cul-de-sac so school buses could pick up children in Emerald Cove.
•Worked with fellow Walton County Cities to renegotiation of Local Option Sales Tax, which cuts our property taxes.
•ARPA Grant of $500,000 to help fund sewer plant expansion
•Speed tables on Park Street
•Speed bumps and streetlights on Thompson Lane
•Crosswalk and streetlight at WGHS
•Recreated the Downtown Development Authority
•Recreated Walnut Grove Planning and Zoning
•Worked with NEGRC Creation of Downtown Master Plan
•With COVID-19 assistance grant bought surface tablets and safety items for council and staff and shared $6000 of those funds with WGHS and WGES
•Purchased Public Works building so it could be moved out of the Park.
•Refurbished and repaired public works long time non-functioning equipment
•Stream bank stabilization on Park Street
•Annexation of island properties
•Worked to create a self-sustaining sewer plant which saves our city more than $25,000 in operating cost from our budget •Working on implementing employee benefits
•Worked with NEGRC to Updated Comprehensive Plan
•Implemented digital storage of city files
•Codifying ordinances
•$18,000 in grants each year for repaving
•Increased funding for the library
•Planted Japanese Maples in both round-abouts
•Implemented government transparency by creating teams, meetings for our citizens to join council meetings and published agenda packets on website
•Finished repairing and extending city sidewalks
•Created community involvement committee which got HS students to paint tables and mural and a monthly market and with their help enhanced the tree lighting event.
•Kept the city operating during COVID-19 crisis
•A perfect audit for the city.