American robins are commonly viewed as a sign of spring, but a better metric can be found when we look beyond the boundaries of our community. The pasqueflower, a bold and humble little beauty, is the first native floral arrival in the prairie. I visited Green County's Muralt Prairie with my son this past Sunday, and we were blessed to find a few of these gems of spring.
Low on the ground along the southern bluff pale purple petals had broken the surface and were reaching skyward to absorb the lifeblood of the spring sunshine. Prairie politics dictate the flower must start the next cycle of life and work throughout the following months to store energy deep within its root system to be able to survive another winter and emerge once again next spring.
Where the pasqueflower marks the start of a new beginning for the prairie, Election Day marks the beginning of a new council for the city of Monroe. Mother Nature provided one final cold and snowy day of the season to greet the voters as they arrived to cast their votes.
The prairie's cycle of life can be likened to fiscal planning of our city. Where the pasqueflower deals in budgets of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, the city plans with taxes, bonds and other revenues from higher government. It is a yearlong cycle to emerge fiscally successful in subsequent years, and I am witnessing a change in the planning practices of our council.
Substantive budgetary discussions of the past tended to originate mid-summer, and this would typically hamper any opportunity for real change as budget approval timelines provided hurdles. Success in prairie politics demand the flora start at first opportunity in the year; I am bearing witness to a council adapting and following similar course of action. Discussions have already taken place to explore opportunities for greater efficiency within our city.
I have visions of continued plans and goals for Monroe to stay strong and am excited for 2018 and look forward to working with the council to serve the citizens of Monroe.
It has been a pleasure to work with the members of our council, and I would like to thank departing Aldermen Charles Koch and Tom Miller for their dedicated service and sincere concern for those of you whom they represent. In closing, I would like to recognize two new members joining the council, Donna Douglas and Mickey Beam; congratulations and welcome to the team.
- Louis Armstrong is the mayor of Monroe. His column appears monthly on Saturdays in the Monroe Times. He can be reached at mayor@cityofmonroe.org.
Low on the ground along the southern bluff pale purple petals had broken the surface and were reaching skyward to absorb the lifeblood of the spring sunshine. Prairie politics dictate the flower must start the next cycle of life and work throughout the following months to store energy deep within its root system to be able to survive another winter and emerge once again next spring.
Where the pasqueflower marks the start of a new beginning for the prairie, Election Day marks the beginning of a new council for the city of Monroe. Mother Nature provided one final cold and snowy day of the season to greet the voters as they arrived to cast their votes.
The prairie's cycle of life can be likened to fiscal planning of our city. Where the pasqueflower deals in budgets of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, the city plans with taxes, bonds and other revenues from higher government. It is a yearlong cycle to emerge fiscally successful in subsequent years, and I am witnessing a change in the planning practices of our council.
Substantive budgetary discussions of the past tended to originate mid-summer, and this would typically hamper any opportunity for real change as budget approval timelines provided hurdles. Success in prairie politics demand the flora start at first opportunity in the year; I am bearing witness to a council adapting and following similar course of action. Discussions have already taken place to explore opportunities for greater efficiency within our city.
I have visions of continued plans and goals for Monroe to stay strong and am excited for 2018 and look forward to working with the council to serve the citizens of Monroe.
It has been a pleasure to work with the members of our council, and I would like to thank departing Aldermen Charles Koch and Tom Miller for their dedicated service and sincere concern for those of you whom they represent. In closing, I would like to recognize two new members joining the council, Donna Douglas and Mickey Beam; congratulations and welcome to the team.
- Louis Armstrong is the mayor of Monroe. His column appears monthly on Saturdays in the Monroe Times. He can be reached at mayor@cityofmonroe.org.
