ASHTON HAYWARD

Friends-

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, I wanted to express again my thanks and gratitude for all your support, prayers, encouragement and hard work during the campaign. It has been a tough and exciting year, and I believe the best is yet to come.

The past few weeks since Election Day have moved seemingly at light speed.  After the Veterans’ Day holiday, we hit the ground running with several important meetings to lay the groundwork for our City’s transition to the new form of government and to start implementing our “20 Solutions” plan.

Here’s a quick rundown of what I’ve been up to over the past couple of weeks:

* I’ve met with City Council members DeWeese, Johnson and Pratt, and will meet with the remaining members of council after Thanksgiving to discuss their goals for the city and their districts.

* At my direction, the City will be hiring a national search firm to assist in identifying prospects for the new Chief Administrative Officer position.

* I am directing a small team of outside budget analysts to start identifying potential spending reductions we can implement this budget year, to start saving tax dollars as soon as possible.

* New Pensacola Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Jim Hizer and I have met to discuss ways the city can assist our area’s economic development efforts to bring new jobs and help grow our existing businesses.

Going forward, there are several other things I’m hoping to accomplish before the new year.  There is much work to be done, and I am doing my best to ensure a smooth transition, while not letting up on our campaign promise to move our city forward.

This won’t happen overnight, and the solutions won’t always be easy.  I’m going to continue to need your support, but also your patience, as we work through the next few weeks and first few months of my administration.

We will be sending out regular updates through email, Facebook, and the local media and blogs to make this process as transparent as possible. Stay tuned!

Again, thank you all so much for your support, encouragement, and prayers. Keep them coming and I know if we work together, we will succeed.

Have a happy and safe Thanksgiving!

The Haywards – Ashton, An, and Aiden