Back to Work, Together: Building West Memphis’s Future With Our Young People

Adapted from the mayor’s post-election Facebook letter to West Memphis. This expanded draft is for review and approval before publication under his name.

West Memphis, thank you.

Thank you for your confidence, your support and your belief in the future of our city. An election gives us an opportunity to choose our leadership, but its meaning reaches far beyond the final results. It is about the community we want to build together and the future we will leave our children.

Whether you voted for me or supported another candidate, my commitment to you remains the same. We have work to continue, responsibilities to fulfill and a city to move forward.

Our shared goal is a cleaner, safer and more prosperous West Memphis—a place where families can thrive and where the next generation can see a future worth building.

Campaigns bring different ideas and perspectives into the public conversation. Once the election is over, we must bring our attention back to the work that serves everyone.

Today, it is back to work.

I want to congratulate Dr. Alfreda Robinson and Frank Paige on being elected to our City Council. I look forward to rolling up my sleeves and working alongside you and your fellow council members to make the city we love an even better place to live, work, play and raise a family.

That responsibility belongs to all of us in public service. Our focus must remain on the people of West Memphis and the progress we can make together.

We should appreciate what we have begun without losing sight of what still needs our attention. Gratitude for the opportunity to serve must be matched by a willingness to keep working.

As I reflect on this election cycle, one opportunity stands out: We must do a better job of encouraging our young people to participate in the process.

You have heard me say it since my first day in office: Our young people may be 50% of our population, but they are 100% of our future.

That message is about our responsibility to them. We cannot speak about building a better future for young people without finding meaningful and intentional ways to involve them today.

Their perspectives belong in the conversation. Their questions deserve our attention. Their interest in this community deserves encouragement.

If we wait until later to invite them into civic life, we risk missing a valuable moment right now.

In the next few weeks, my team and I will meet with youth leaders from our community. We want to engage young people at the collegiate, high school and junior high levels to explore how we can deepen their involvement.

Those conversations are an opportunity to listen.

We should not assume that we already know the best way to reach every young person. Meaningful engagement begins with understanding their perspectives and exploring, together, what participation can look like.

This is not simply about asking young people to pay attention to government. It is about helping them recognize that they have a place in the life of their city.

The work begins by making that invitation clear and taking their involvement seriously.

West Memphis’s future is bigger than any one campaign or election. It is the work we share as neighbors, parents, public servants and community members.

I remain committed to the things we have begun and to the vision of a cleaner, safer and more prosperous city. I also remain committed to bringing more of our young people into the conversation about where we go next.

Thank you again for your confidence. Thank you for your support. Let us move forward with purpose, with a willingness to work together and with our children’s future in mind.

Let’s keep West Memphis on its winning streak.

May God bless you and the great city of West Memphis.

Marco McClendon
Mayor, City of West Memphis