On behalf of the Adams County Board of Supervisors, I would like to wish all the citizens of Natchez, Adams County and the Miss-Lou a Merry Christmas and happy holiday season.

We say a very special thanks to our more than 235 county employees who are often overlooked but play an important role in keeping all our citizens safe and secure while working as a unit to keep our county government moving.

Our road department employees put in multiple 20-hour days during bad storms to keep our roads clear and safe. Our law enforcement personnel put their lives on the line every day to ensure our safety and quality life is preserved. Many employees in departments such as the tax assessor’s and tax collector’s offices must absorb harsh criticism for things out of their control, yet continue to wear a smile and display a positive attitude every day. The tremendous staff in bookkeeping and our clerk’s offices in the courthouse complex area make sure the county records, finances, documents, etc., are in order, which can sometimes be a challenging task.

I am grateful and thankful for all of our county employees for their dedication and commitment throughout the year.

Adams County ended the fiscal year in a good financial condition.

While supervisors seem to get the bulk of the credit for this positive financial outlook, many others played vital roles. Countless hours were put in by our county administrator, Joe Murray, and many department heads to achieve this. Many of the heads worked hard to stay within already limited budgets and trim excessive spending. These are the people you should stop and give thanks to for helping make this possible.

We have been fortunate to have had great strides in economic development in 2012, and I anticipate 2013 to be a year of great change and tangible evidence of this success.

County Attorney Scott Slover along with Chandler Russ and Natchez Inc. and many others have worked tirelessly on these efforts.

While you sometimes may question results you cannot see, I assure you we have an economic development team, which with the support of groups like Natchez Now and others, is second-to-none and working hard every day to help secure a positive economic future for our area.

However, most importantly, I thank all the citizens of Adams County and the Miss-Lou for choosing to make this their home.

We know things are not perfect here, just like they are not anywhere in the world. But remember the most important part of a perfect life is the mindset you put into it.

I hope you all choose to see the positives in life as we move into 2013 and learn to appreciate all the small things that make our life here in the Miss-Lou special.

We all have simple things that help us enjoy life and get us through the difficult times. And many times these things aren’t found through searching but they are right in front of us, and we just don’t take the time to see them.

I encourage you to look around what we have here in our hometown and learn to appreciate all the greatness God has given us. Sure there are other places in this world where we can find things that makes us happy, but if I traveled the world, I think I would end up saying, take me back home to where I can be with family, friends, small-town life and a beautiful area like Kingston to call home.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

 

David Carter is the Adams County district 2 supervisor.