Saturday, February 15, 2025

A conversation with Mayor Amy Jackson

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Spend a few minutes with Amy Jackson, Concordia's new mayor, and you quickly realize that she cares deeply about her community.

"Family means everything to me," Jackson said. "There was a need for somebody to fill this role and I wanted to be involved in our community and help ensure it was a place for families."

Jackson, along with her husband Nick, is the co-owner of Republican Valley Landscape LLC. She grew up in the Topeka area and graduated from Topeka Hayden high school before attending Neosho County Community College in Chanute, where she played volleyball.

"I then went to Washburn University and got my degree in psychology, with a minor in criminal justice," Jackson said. "I worked in the mental health field and children and family services after college. I worked with Nick's sister, and she set us up on a blind date."

The Jacksons, who now have two boys and two girls, moved to Concordia in August 2011, and purchased Republican Valley Landscape in 2015.

"I really love this town and the community here," Jackson said. "It's a place for families."

Jackson ran for a seat on the city commission in 2022 and won. In December of 2024, her fellow commissioners elected her mayor.

"This city faces many challenges, some large and some small," Jackson said. "I try to see everything from all perspectives and do what is right for the greater good of the community."

Jackson is impressed with how aggressive the city has been in finding, and obtaining, grants to help improve the community. "The development of the St. Joseph subdivision, the sidewalk and safety improvement around the schools, the new firetruck and improvements to the law enforcement center, and the new airport hangar are some of the things that have been or will be done to improve the community, and probably wouldn't have been possible without grant money."

The city's budget, and managing that budget, is one of the biggest challenges that Jackson and her fellow commissioners face on a weekly basis. "There are tough decisions that have to be made sometimes. We work to do the best we can with what we have."

One thing Jackson appreciates, and wishes she had more of, is feedback from the people and businesses in the community. "I think it's very valuable to get feedback from people. It helps us seek out ways to improve things. I really hope that more people will take an active part in the process. It will make our community better."

Jackson is satisfied with the way the city has been operating, but knows there is always room for improvement. "Things have, for the most part, been running smoothly. Things come up that constantly test the resources and manpower that we have available - like this recent snowstorm."

One of Jackson's paramount beliefs is that people need to be involved in their local government to make it better, and government needs to be good stewards of the people to ensure a better community. "There is a need for government, for laws, for certain things, like to keep people safe. For example: I value our police force and the laws that protect the lives of people and their property, yet I do not want a government that infringes on the rights of the people. And I want - I hope - to be a good steward, and help this community find the proper balance for the betterment of everyone."

When Jackson looks to the future she sees bright prospects for the city, and difficult challenges. "We've got some challenges still ahead. Of course, housing is still our top priority. There is a shortage of available homes to purchase and places to rent at all price levels. Our aged infrastructure is going to take a while to fix. And the roads are just something we're always going to be dealing with, so we have to use the budget appropriately to address these issues."

For Jackson, personally, and professionally as a government official, one standard of living is paramount: "Quality of life. Give people the ability and opportunity to increase their quality of life in this community. I want to make decisions that impact people's quality of life in a good way, so that people who come here, and people who are already here, stay here."