Lexington is a small Lauderdale County town near the Tennessee state line. Settled by farmers and cattlemen, the remote town epitomizes the term "brain drain." Yet not all intelligent and hard-working individuals leave; some remain to build up the small town whose population hovers around 750.
One such person is Sandra Killen-Burroughs. Mrs. Burroughs is the mayor of Lexington and donates a tremendous amount of her time to that town. As mayor, Sandra presided at a town meeting Tuesday night to hear citizens' opinions on annexation of an area south of the town.
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It seems there was more yelling and bad behavior than at a county commission meeting. Some commented on an alleged mismanagement of funds from c. 1995, while others questioned the mayor as to her efforts to secure a new grocery store for this off-the-beaten-path town. In short, many brought up every town issue but the one at hand.
Others proceeded to speak on false rumors around the annexation. No, property taxes and water will not go up.
In short, many came to the town meeting with a lynch mob mentality and would not be deterred by the facts. Yet many others did indicate a desire for annexation. It will be interesting to see what steps the town next takes.
We know that Sandra has considered ending her stent as mayor after this term. It will be Lexington's loss. There's an old saying that if you're not going forward, you're going backward. Lexingtonians should consider where their small hamlet would be if not for local leaders with the vision of Sandra Killen-Burroughs.
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