Cross Roads First is a group of residents who decided to work together to regain a voice in the Town after too many years of being ignored by the Town administration.
For too many years, previous Town administrations allowed developers to drive decisions, resulting in a commercial area consisting of limited retail and too much fast food. Previous Mayors dis-banned committees and stopped the Town newsletter, making it hard for residents to be involved in the Community or know what was happening. Town Council meeting Agendas did not include any backup materials, which did not give citizens enough information to actively participate in Town meetings.
That changed in 2021, when the Mayor Tompkins re-established Town Committees, restarted the Cross Roads Times newsletter and immediately began posting meeting agendas with all of the backup the Town Council receives. Mayor Tompkins also wanted to hear what the residents wanted for the Town’s future, because if you don’t have a plan, the path of least resistance generally wins.
The result of this survey, Town Vision 2035, shows we want a diversity of restaurants, boutique services and shopping, a community gathering place, and most of all, continue to operate the Town property-tax-free. The current Town administration has embraced Town Vision 2035 and it is shared with each developer who meets with Town officials; they are encouraged to deliver the future our residents want.
Cross Roads First members believe that if we want to retain our voice in the Town, we must work hard to keep it. That means attending Town Council meetings, serving on committees, volunteering at Community Events. It also means supporting candidates who are committed to the idea of keeping our small-town, rural community as described in Town Vision 2035.