From Ross Priddy –

At the closing of the current Jackson City Council term, ending in June of 2023, I will have completed five-and-a-half years of serving on the council. It has been an honor to have the opportunity to serve in this role, representing the constituents of District 5.

During this time, I have learned so much about the importance of local government, our strengths and weaknesses as a community, and I have a newfound appreciation for those that are willing to serve their community as elected officials.

With the upcoming election, it is an appropriate time for me to announce that I will not be seeking re-election. This has been a challenging decision to make but ultimately it is the right decision for my family and I in this season. I am thankful for the opportunity I have had to serve in this role, and I look forward to the work ahead in the next six months before I leave office.

I would like to thank my fellow councilmembers, the City of Jackson employees, the residents of District 5, my family, and my friends. All of you have supported me during this time and without your encouragement and support my time on the council would have been meaningless. While there is still much work to be done, I am proud of the work we put in together to point our city in the right direction to make Jackson the best it can be going forward. I will always look back on my time on the city council as a defining season of my life. I am thankful for the experiences, challenges, and relationships that it produced.

It is my hope that my time on the council would be an encouragement to anyone wondering if they would be able to serve their community as an elected official. You don’t have to have experience in politics or a perfect understanding of local government. You just need to be willing to show up, be engaged in the process, learn along the way, and seek solutions to the issues we face that benefit all members of our community.

We need qualified people willing to serve our community for the right reasons by stepping into these roles for a season. If done correctly it is challenging and difficult work at times, but it is rewarding and necessary work for the sake of our community.

(PHOTO: Ross Priddy)