Mayor, council members gather for farewell reception
{Contributed photo/Eleanor Clark}
On June 29th, a reception was held at the Bob Timberlake Gallery Lexington’s outgoing mayor and city council members who will be handing over their duties to newly elected officials. The five members recognized for their outstanding service to the Lexington community were Mayor Newell Clark, Mayor Pro Tem Wayne Alley, Councilor Linwood Bunce II, Councilor Tobin Shepherd, and Councilor Donald Holt, Sr. The entire reception was filled with joy, shared between family and friends, reflection, and pride. Most importantly, there was a strong sense of gratitude present.
When asked by Davidson Local for a statement about their time served, the resounding tone was one of thankfulness and a selfless love for the city. Clark and the councilors have all served for many years, with a few of them surpassing a decade of service. All mentioned the growth of the community throughout their tenure. Each highlighted different developments they were proud to work on.
Clark said deciding what to discuss as the largest accomplishments while he served is “like making a choice between which is your favorite child,” exemplifying the depth of accomplishments this council has achieved throughout the past decade. Alley remarked on the importance of the development of Lexington’s Main Street and how he feels it has helped the entirety of Lexington develop, even outwards to the multinational chains deciding to join the small town. Clark mentioned the accomplishment of lowering utility rates and the renaming of Raleigh Road to Martin Luther King, Jr Blvd.. Holt encapsulated his pride in the town by describing it as his baby and remarked on how much his love for the community has grown. Although the specifics that come to mind may be different for each councilor, the underlying theme was the growth of the community and the love that is felt within it.
The councilors also shared how the city has changed them. Shepherd spoke on how he felt the community (and Davidson Local) paid attention to and supported the councilors. Holt also spoke of how much he learned from his time serving on the council and how much it has helped him. Clark mentioned the importance of the friendships he has made throughout his time on the council, which was reflected throughout the evening. The overwhelming feeling was one of support in the room for the councilors and the positive energy that a good community can foster.
Bunce captured the spirit of the councilors with a few words: “give back to the community with your time and talents with whatever resources you have available.. [do] the right things for the right reasons.” The community showed their support for these councilors and their service that night, and the councilors, in turn, showed their support for the new city council members being sworn in on July 11, providing optimism for the new members to continue the good work for the city of Lexington.
