FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. — The housing mayoral program makes a return to Fort Leonard Wood in March, as leaders here continue to seek ways to keep communication lines open with residents.
According to Mike Estright, Directorate of Public Works Housing Division deputy chief, the mission of the program is to give residents another way to share information, ideas and concerns more efficiently with leaders.
Elections will be held within the next month to find six mayors — one each to represent different neighborhoods around the post.
“The mayors serve as the principal neighborhood liaison to develop and implement recreational and social activities, community assistance projects and events designed to build a sense of community spirit, improving the quality of life for the residents of Fort Leonard Wood,” Estright said.
Mayors serve one-year terms, Estright added, and any person 18 years or older who resides in on-post housing may submit an application to be put on the ballot. Applications will be sent out via email within the next couple of weeks. They can be emailed back, dropped off at a community center or the government housing office in Bldg. 470. After the applications are reviewed, residents will receive an email with a ballot to vote for the mayor of their neighborhood.
The mayors will then be sworn in, and Col. Jeff Paine, U.S. Army Garrison Fort Leonard Wood commander, will introduce them at a March town hall meeting.
“We made the decision to bring back the housing mayoral program because we feel it will help us build better and stronger neighborhoods on the installation,” Paine said. “I look forward to meeting with our new mayors, hearing their ideas, and working together with them to expand the services we provide to our residents. Ultimately, we want Fort Leonard Wood to be the No. 1 choice for service members and civilians — that starts with quality of life.”
In addition to planning community improvements, Estright said the mayors will also serve as another link between leadership and residents — there will be a monthly meeting between the mayors and the government housing office as well as a semi-annual meeting co-chaired by garrison leadership. Colonel-level commanders will also each sponsor a neighborhood and work with the mayors to resolve issues and help build neighborhood pride.
“It’s important that our housing community here always has an avenue to communicate concerns and ideas for improvement to make this installation the best possible place to live and work,” Paine said. “The mayors and unit sponsors will help us hear from the residents on what is important to them, what is going well and what we need to improve.”
The program returns here after a six-year hiatus. Army installations worldwide are also re-introducing the program as the Army continues to look for ways to improve the quality of housing.
Social Sharing