12/20/2022
This is a rather long post, but I wanted to share with all of my neighbors, friends, and supporters. As you may know, I chose not to run for another term on the Mason City Council. My term in office will end on December 31, and last night was my final city council meeting. I was humbled by the kind words that were shared, and I was delighted to have my family present for this milestone. The following is my farewell speech to the city council and to the people of Mason:
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Mason City Council Farewell Speech
Mayor Pro Tem Marlon I. Brown
Monday, December 19, 2022
(As prepared for delivery)
Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
Thank you for this recognition of my tenure of service on the Mason City Council. It’s surreal to think that I have been privileged to serve on this council for a decade. Nonetheless it has been my honor to serve as an elected official for the City of Mason. I am forever grateful to the residents of this community who have embraced me and my family and allowed me to have the opportunity to represent them and help lead our city.
I want to take a moment to first say thank you to my family who is here tonight – my wife Margaret, my son Owen, and my parents Adell and Claudria Flourry. They have supported me over these past ten years, and I could not have effectively served the Mason community without their love, encouragement, patience, and understanding. Whether it was helping with campaigns, juggling a busy calendar, structuring family life around my civic obligations, or sharing in my joys and frustrations – my family has been my rock. I am so thankful for each of you.
When I first ran for office, I thought that I could contribute in a meaningful way that would help “Keep Mason Moving Forward”. I sought to bring a fresh perspective to the council, but the reality is that serving on the council gave me a fresh perspective. I have served with 11 different councilmembers, 3 mayors, and 3 city managers. Each of these leaders, in their own unique way, has taught me something important about the Mason community and about how to be a better elected representative. Even when we’ve found ourselves with different opinions on an issue, I learned to actively listen, consider other points of view, try to find common ground, and prioritize the greatest good for the community. We have had a potpourri of personalities to serve on this council and whenever discouragement tried to creep in, I would always remind myself that the people of Mason (in their infinite wisdom) elected each of us to be their voices in governing this city. And that is something truly humbling – that we are not a team of rivals pursuing our own individual interests but that we are a team of equals in pursuit of the common interest.
I am so proud of all that we have accomplished together over the past few years. Now, I could filibuster my final meeting and proceed to list out all that we have done, but for the sake of my son who should probably be getting ready for bed soon, I will try to be brief. First, I am grateful to have led our city’s sesquicentennial anniversary celebration. With the help of numerous individuals and organizations, we organized a year-long celebration that included the March 9th ceremony, the Mason Spring Swing Jazz Festival, Independence Day festivities, the Sesquicentennial Grand Ball, the legacy tree project, and other Mason 150 commemorations. 2015 was truly a year for “Making Mason Memories” and I hope the good Lord blesses me to be able to see Mason’s bicentennial celebration in 2065.
I’m also incredibly proud of the progress that our community has made in numerous areas. We’ve made some great improvements to our parks – including purchasing Rayner Park from Ingham County. We’ve continued to invest in our infrastructure – including making our community more walkable and even adding sidewalks and a safer overpass crossing for our neighborhoods along W. Columbia St. We’ve implemented a citywide recycling program, enhanced our police and fire services, worked to improve our wastewater treatment plant, and established a unique partnership with the Mason Public Schools. Moreover, for the wonky folks like me – we’ve even implemented multi-year budgeting and a comprehensive approach to planning that links our budget, capital improvements plan, recreation plan, and our master plan. Along the way, we appointed the first woman to serve as Mason’s city manager, our council has diversified in terms of age, gender, and race, and we have reaffirmed in both word and deed that Mason is, and will always be, a welcoming and inclusive community. I am pleased to have played a small part in many of these accomplishments and I can say without hesitation or reservation that the City of Mason continues to move forward in positive ways. is alive and well so let’s keep this trending not simply on social media, but in the work that we do every day.
So, as I conclude these farewell remarks and my final term on this council, I count myself fortunate to have worked with each of you as colleagues and to have served this wonderful community. I am reminded of the words “E pluribus unum” which translates as “out of many, one”. These words adorn both the Great Seal of the United States and the Great Seal of the State of Michigan, but they also are written into the fabric of Mason. Out of many, one – describes the dedicated city staff who live the “one city” motto every day. Out of many, one – describes generations of Mason residents who have gathered around the courthouse square to enjoy parades and community festivals. Out of many, one – describes our service organizations and faith communities which are a beacon of hope when the obstacles of life seem too hard to overcome. And, out of many, one – describes the community that welcomed me as newcomer to town, made me feel a part of Hometown, USA, and bestowed upon me the honor of a lifetime in serving as a Councilmember and Mayor Pro Tem for the City of Mason. Thank you Mason, and until the next time I have the privilege to serve, I now yield the floor.
