Mayor’s letter addresses closing of offices due to COVID-19

Published 3:06 pm Wednesday, March 18, 2020

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March 18, 2020

To the Citizens of Greenville:

I want to take this opportunity to thank you for the cooperation, support and prayers from all of you during this very difficult time for our city, state and country.

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At this time we find ourselves facing uncertainty…fighting fear of the unknown in the form of a virus that has spread hardship and misery around the world the last several months. Now it is our turn.

Am I uneasy? Yes. A little apprehensive? You bet. Afraid?  No…and that’s because I know the people of this community better than anyone and I know how they react when their backs are against the wall.

In Greenville, Alabama we pull together in tough times. Friend helps friend. Neighbor helps neighbor. Stranger comes to the aid of someone they’ve never even met before.

We are one as a community. We are one as a family. We’ve got each other’s backs. We keep each other safe.  In tough times we are a fabric that can’t be torn apart.

Life in Greenville is about to change for a little while, but working together as a community we will get through this. From washing our hands regularly to staying home when we are sick, we’ve all got to do our part to stop the spread of Coronavirus and help bring this pandemic to a halt.  We’ve got to do everything we can do to protect each other. We’ve got to do everything we can do to protect this city we love and call home.

In the meantime, I’ve made the difficult decision to suspend or cut back on many of our city services for a period of time. City buildings will be closed to protect our workers as well as the public. We won’t be playing any ball at our parks or at any gymnasiums for the next few weeks, as we take every possible step we can to help bring this national emergency to an end. Click HERE and HERE for a listing of City Closures.

Our essential services, such as police, fire, E-911 and sanitation, will continue to do their job each and every day. By reducing our staff to essential employees only, we hope to minimize disruption to services you expect and need, while at the same time limiting people’s exposure to the Coronavirus.

President Lyndon Johnson once said, “Yesterday is not ours to recover, but tomorrow is ours to win or lose.” He was right. How we react to this difficult period and how we choose to face this battle, will determine how we fare in the face of the adversity that lies ahead. Each of us has an opportunity to make a difference in this fight, an opportunity to make this world better because we were committed to remaining positive and doing what’s right in these troubled times.

I have no doubt in my mind that we will do just fine, because I know my community, I know my people, and I know what they are made of.

Stay safe Greenville, Alabama. Take care of yourselves and those you love.

Working together, we’ll win this battle, and be back to normal soon!

Dexter McLendon, Mayor

To view Mayor McLendon’s letter, click HERE.