By Chanae Nielson It was another good year for Taylor as residents celebrated half a century as part of an incorporated town. “Sweet Corn Festival, Trapper Days and 4th of July were enjoyed by many, and once again were a tribute to the wonderful community service oriented residents who call Taylor home,” said Town Manager Gus Lundberg. This past year witnessed the highly anticipated opening of Walmart, which brought about 200 local jobs and significantly contributed to an increase in sales tax revenue for the town. Burger King opened shortly thereafter and work continues on a five-plex strip mall at Silver Creek Crossing. Overall the town saw an increase of $279,583 in sales tax revenue and issued about twice as many residential building permits as in the previous year. Freeman Park and the East Ballfield Park on Love Lake Road underwent major upgrades over the past year. Utilizing $185,000 in funds from a Community Development Block Grant and local funds of $40,000, the town made Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) improvements including additional handicapped parking and wheelchair access. New playground equipment, including an extremely popular zip line, was installed just in time for the 50-year celebration. A separate grant was used to replace a number of road signs, as well. David Smith is the new mayor, with Shawn Palmer continuing as vice mayor. “We did rewrite our entire zoning ordinance this past year and we just got that approved. Our zoning ordinance is now easier to understand, and a little less restrictive in setbacks for auxiliary buildings and fence lines,” said Allen Davis of the Building Department. “Next year we will work on adopting a new building code.” For this year, the town is in the design phase on three major construction projects for improved bio-solids treatment equipment at the wastewater treatment plant, replacement of antiquated runway lighting at the airport and solutions to address the flood prone Airport Wash drainage area. “A lot of the area is in a flood zone and consequently, everybody has to pay flood insurance. We’re working on getting the map rezoned and we’re still beginning in the study phases right now, so it will take several years to complete this project. I’m sure there will be construction associated with it in the future, but we won’t know when until the studies are completed,” said Davis. Like many others, the Town of Taylor continues to look for ways to stretch the budget and use resources as effectively as possible. “In the long haul, one thing we’re trying to do is work with the Town of Snowflake to use resources more efficiently. Right now both towns get a little bit done, but we can be making better use of the money, particularly by combining our resources when it comes to the planning and development of road projects,” Davis concluded.
