By Joey Chenworth | Coolidge Examiner
Coolidge Mayor Jon Thompson had his inaugural trip to the podium to present the State of the City Address, and he took the time to lay out his vision for the short-term and long-term future of Coolidge.
As per tradition, the address was held during the Coolidge Chamber of Commerce’s monthly luncheon at the Coolidge-Florence Elks Lodge. It lasted a little over an hour and covered some of the year’s past accomplishments, some current and future projects, and his own opinions on everything that is going on.
A big theme in the address was all the challenges the city is and will be facing, mostly due to changes in the state legislature. He said new governor Doug Ducey has not been a friend to cities and towns, citing the legislature’s push to eliminate rental tax, shift construction tax to the location of purchase as opposed to location of construction, and the need to pay back emergency personnel retirement funds.