that attracts people from the region. We want to be that place that people want to live, the city that they want to move to.” With a walkable downtown, plenty of greenspace, and a myriad of trails for active transportation, Liberty continues to add to its outdoor amenities. “We have one of the best parks groups in the state. We have a lot of trails, and we have parks within the downtown area that people can walk,” outlines Smith. “We have invested a lot of money into our parks program, and we’re constantly looking for ways to expand trail systems within Liberty.” MOVING FORWARD As for what the future holds for the city of Liberty, Smith says he will remain focused on business recruitment and retention. “I will continue to fight that good fight of bringing in additional developers,” he conveys. “The mayor and the council’s vision for our downtown will be a big priority for 2025. We also have some additional industrial development that has been approved. I’ll be recruiting additional businesses to come into those developments and then continuing to make sure that our existing employers are happy and love Liberty the way the rest of us do.” For the mayor, the attention will be on smart growth, and ensuring Liberty remains a top community to do business, and call home. “We want to be a city that everybody in the region is envious of, where people 117 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 02 LIBERTY, MO
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTI5MjAx