Mayor Outlines Accomplishments in State of the City

Kearney Mayor Randy Pogue outlined the City’s accomplishments and goals in a presentation to the Kearney Chamber of Commerce on June 1. The use tax, city growth and city services were among the topics Mayor Pogue spoke about.

The first item on Mayor Pogue’s list was the amenities that Kearney will be working on because citizens passed the use tax initiative in 2021. These projects include new pickleball courts, construction of Hall Senior Park, and the Safe Routes to School connectivity project which will create new or repair older sidewalks in Kearney.

“The City of Kearney successfully passed our use tax initiative,” Mayor Pogue began. “As promised, this provides an almost instant impact of revenue for the city. We are moving forward with the key projects we identified.”

Another amenity that the city is able to begin is the Mack Porter Park Trail Connection. This will complete a network of miles of bike and walking trails in Kearney that go from the Fishing River Trail to Jesse James Park.

Mayor Pogue also cited the work on the new interchange in his speech and how that has already effected growth in the city. The interchange will allow the area along Watson Drive to flourish, as well as connect the west side of the town which is beginning to grow.

“In 2021, the City of Kearney issued 45 commercial building permits for an investment of over $4.9 million to the community.” Pogue stated. “Already this year, we are at 25 building permits and over $4.1 million.

Mayor Pogue outlined areas where the City is repairing and refurbishing established locales. The Old Firehouse Community Center is getting a facelift through a donation by Ply Gem, as well as sewer and water main repairs, and culvert replacements.

The City has also been preparing for population growth by creating staff to keep up with the needs and demands of residents. The City included funding for an Assistant City Manager/Finance Director position, as well as additional police officers, an animal control officer, a sewer plant operator, and a water plant operator.

“I feel it’s extremely important for us to continue to focus on essential services: water, waste water, roads, and public safety,” Pogue concluded. “After all, these are our core services and priority of the city.”

KPGZ News - Brian Watts contributed to this story