August 2023

Murray Journal - Garry Hrechkosy District #5

Dear Residents of Murray District 5 and Greater Murray City,

The last 18 months on the Council have been a rewarding experience and I am so proud of what we have accomplished for Murray. To name just a few of our accomplishments, we:

● Reduced the proposed property tax increase from 20% to 15%,

● Funded the Murray Theatre and Armory renovation, and

● Increased Murray employee pay to keep pace with inflation.

What does all of that mean for you? A reduced tax burden on you and your family while still balancing the budget, creating and protecting community spaces for you, and ensuring that we are keeping the best public servants in our city.

This year, I was proud to be elected the chair of the Council. As Chair, I pledged to improve transparency and improve ordinances. So far this year, we have:

● Added 2 additional police officers and one additional firefighter/first responder because public safety is always my top priority.

● Proposed and passed a reasonable travel policy that caps council member spending and brings all council travel into one budget, improving transparency and ensuring we are spending your tax dollars wisely.

● Passed an update to power ordinances to allow larger solar panel arrays on commercial buildings so that businesses, reduce environmental impacts and support our local businesses.

With just under 5 months remaining in the year, I am optimistic about what this Council can achieve. We will continue to be proactive by eliminating unnecessary ordinances, supporting our city departments, and keep Murray thriving while continuing that small town, friendly, quaint feel. I welcome your thoughts and look forward to hearing from you.