Mayor Conger Speaks to Class

Posted Apr 1, 2025

Jackson Mayor Scott Conger spoke this week to Dr. Evans' State and Local Government class. He talked about how he was the CEO of the city with 911 employees and a $98 million budget. He told us the only city official that he does not appoint is the City Recorder but he gets to recommend a person to the City Council for the job and gets a veto if he doe snot like the council nominee.

After breaking down the city budget, he explained that a mayor’s job involves something different every day which is why he likes the job. He also talked about how he works with the council, regional governments, state government, and his plans for Jackson in the future. He expects Jackson to add 10,000 people in the next decade which requires important planning to manage the growth well.

Most importantly, he taught us two important lessons. First, treat everyone’s concern as important because when they contact the mayor’s office, that issue is very important to them. Second, he told us that his greatest joy as mayor was putting handicap swings in the parks. The sheer joy of seeing the joy someone felt to swing for the first time ever reminds us that politics, at its heart, is about helping people.