I would consider it to be one of the highest honors if chosen to be Mayor for a Day. I think our current Mayor, Mr. Jason Reeves, provides an excellent example of everything a good Mayor should be. I can’t believe that everyone doesn’t want his job. He makes it look easy and fun.

However, I know there are huge responsibilities that go along with his job. Just like days at school, I’m sure there are good and bad days. I think meeting and getting to know the people in our community is one of the best parts of the Mayor’s job. I also think working with committees of people who want to bring bigger and better things to Troy is one of the greatest perks. To me, being the Mayor is about getting to know people in your community and working to make your community better than it was the day before.

All communities can improve in some areas. One area I think needs improvement in Troy is the condition of some of our neighborhood streets. Some streets are in need of repaving, or simply making small improvements such as adding a curb. Another area of concern is the lack of a median between the North and South lanes of Highway 231 South. This highway has proven to be deadly and dangerous.

Troy is growing more each day. I think our current Mayor works hard to bring bigger and better businesses to our area. If I could be the Mayor, I would continue working to bring more businesses to our city. Troy can use all types of businesses, but one of the types that we lack most is entertainment. Other than the movie theater, there just isn’t much to do for fun. As a young person in this city, Troy definitely needs some safe places for kids to enjoy. Some ideas for entertainment are an arcade, a bowling alley, a gym, or other places young people can safely gather.

Being the Mayor comes with a lot of responsibility. The Mayor has to be people-smart, money-smart, and safety-smart. I think Mr. Jason Reeves is smart in all of these areas. If I could be Mayor, I would want Mayor Reeves to share his experiences so I could continue the effort of making Troy an even better place to live than it is now.

Braxton Brown, Charles Henderson Middle School, 2017 Mayor for a Day essay winner.