As my time serving on the Middleburg Town Council is quickly coming to an end, it is a great time to reflect on the last 20 years! It has been an honor and a privilege to have been allowed and trusted to help lead this wonderful Town that we all love and cherish. This is not a job that I have taken lightly and I have learned so much in the process.

I've learned that decisions that are made require a lot more time and thought than one may think. There are so many consequences to our actions and ALL must be considered... it is not always simple.

I've learned that you are never going to always please everyone. No matter how hard we try to make the right decision, there will always be some people that will not be happy... this is true in all aspects of life, but I have finally been able to accept this and know it's OK.

Once you have made a decision, know you've done the best you could and move on.

I've learned that if you treat people with respect, you will receive respect. We all have our own opinions, but it's how we express our opinion and how we treat others that make the difference.

I've learned that we must listen to others and don't have "tunnel vision". It's also important to make sure people have all of the information to understand why we are making certain decisions... sometimes a simple explanation makes it easy to understand.

Middleburg is such a special place full of history, beauty, and energy. I am so very proud of how we have continued to grow and move forward with the times and yet have tried very hard to not lose our identity and our charm. I hear people that have grown up here and have moved away say the Town has changed and not the same and I understand that to a point (I grew up here, too), but how much of that change is actually HOW we grew up and the wonderful simple lives we had when we were young. There are more buildings along the streets, so that certainly has changed the look, but we have worked very hard to maintain the character and appearance of the town. We are blessed to have a strong Planning Commission and Historic District Review Committee, as well as excellent staff to make sure all of these requirements are met. We also have many wonderful committees and volunteers that love our town and work so very hard to make our town so special. Yes, we have changed, but overall I think for the better. If we are not moving forward, we are going backward. We must continue to make sure we stay current and keep our Town healthy... we must thrive and not just survive.

I am proud of the improvements we have made through the last 20 years. Just to name a few: We have added an economic development department that has given a strong voice to our business community and in return has helped to keep our tax rates low for our citizens. We have also been able to help many local events take place by helping them financially and giving them a boost to move forward and we have continued to support many of our established events. We are in the process of bringing new businesses to our town that will enhance what we have and offer even more for our residents and visitors.

Our utility systems are in excellent shape and we now have the money (through good financial planning and a great utilities committee) to upgrade all of our systems and water and sewer lines (which we are in the process of upgrading in our Ridgeview area right now). We also have added money to our budget to be able to continue to upgrade our systems through the years as the needs arise. We are in great shape above and below ground! This has been a long time coming! And contrary to what some think, our rates are quite reasonable.

Our streets have never looked better! Our power lines were buried; new water lines installed, new streetlights and crosswalks were upgraded. So again, below and above ground, we are in good shape! I hear from so many how good the town looks and business is strong.

Our budget is strong and well managed. Our council (past and present) has worked very hard to make sure we spend wisely and save money for our future.

I know that our future will be in strong and capable hands and I have no doubt that future Mayors and Councils will continue to make the right and well thought out decisions for our Town and its citizens. We are so very blessed to have such caring, smart and dedicated employees. They make all of us look good! I know we will continue to have and hire the strong staff that we have now. The hiring process is long but finds us only the best to work for our Town.

It is a bittersweet time for me... I will miss being part of the Middleburg Town Council and working with such great people, but I look forward to some more "me" time and doing more with my family.

I sincerely thank you for the trust you have placed in me... it truly has been an honor. I have learned so much and also have made so many wonderful friendships. Not only have I worked with so many great people in our town, but in the County and the State. I will carry these friendships forward with me and for that, I am truly blessed.

I will cherish these last 20 years and will look forward to watching the exciting times of the next 20 for our wonderful town! With love and thanks, Betsy.