Mayor Todd Booth, recently re-elected to continue leading the City of Mendenhall, shared a wide-ranging vision for the city's future—focusing on infrastructure expansion, economic development, public safety, and beautification efforts.
Reflecting on accomplishments from his previous terms, Booth emphasized the behind-the-scenes progress made on infrastructure, particularly water and sewer systems. “When I took office, our infrastructure was maxed out—we couldn’t even add another house or business,” he said. The city secured grant funding to expand sewer capacity and improve the water system, including the addition of a 150,000-gallon water tank near Highway 43. While elevation issues currently limit its use to about 100 homes, Booth is pursuing funding to raise the tank and fully integrate it into the city’s water system—preparing Mendenhall for future growth.
A signature initiative of Booth’s administration has been the development of the frontage road along Highway 49. The installation of water and sewer lines there is underway, aimed at attracting new businesses and capturing economic traffic from the highway. “You can’t depend solely on residents’ taxes. You have to stop some of that traffic,” Booth said.
In collaboration with MDOT, Booth is also pushing for safer traffic crossings at key intersections, particularly Highway 49 and 540, which he noted has a troubling accident history. Though the plans have changed due to funding issues, the current project includes left-hand turn lanes and acceleration lanes to improve safety. Additional improvements are being considered at the 13 and 49 intersection, and Booth remains in talks with MDOT leadership to explore traffic light options for other high-traffic areas.
Looking ahead, Booth plans to continue working with the same board of aldermen, whom he praised for their support and uni fied vision. Infrastructure remains a top priority, with plans to finish the last 20% of road paving across town and to upgrade aged water systems by installing more isolation valves—limiting the impact of water breaks on residents.
Beautification is another key issue for Booth. Although acknowledging the uphill battle against blighted properties and littering, he expressed pride in recent progress. “We have a cleaner city today than what we had 10 and a half years ago,” he said, crediting residents for changing habits and showing more pride in the community.
On the economic front, Booth remains focused on revitalizing downtown. While small businesses often face tough odds, he noted that many recent additions have managed to stay afloat. He is also working closely with property owners to improve and reopen vacant storefronts. An increase of \$160,000 in this year’s city budget is being used to strengthen services, particularly the police department, giving the new chief the resources needed to enhance public safety.
Mayor Booth closed by thanking residents for their patience during infrastructure disruptions and called on the community to continue supporting city efforts. “I just ask the citizens to continue to work with us, help keep their properties in good, presentable order, and work with the city to improve Mendenahll.” he said. “The better we look, the more we can grow.”
