Real State of the Union Revealed by State-of-the-Village Speeches

President Trump is giving his big speech to Congress tonight.

But even when we have a president who does try to mouth rhetoric that remotely rhymes with reality, I’m not satisfied to take a White House resident’s word on how things are going in the country. How in the world would he know?

To conjure the real state of the union, I always survey the state-of-the-village speeches delivered every January and February at city halls, county libraries and local country clubs by mayors of towns across the country. Small-town mayors have the advantage of being far closer to the action of which they speak; and they’re compelled be at least passably accurate while speaking to people who drive the same streets, drink the same city water, pay the same property taxes.

Generally, mayors have sunnier messages than we usually hear from national pols, who are forever trying to feel your pain or exploit your anger. Republicans talk about how Americans are being raped and murdered and sex trafficked. Democrats talk about how Americans are “playing by the rules,” trying to “make ends meet,” but are still “hurting.” 

Life in America sounds considerably better on the ground (except when it sounds considerably worse).

Better:

“Simply put, Hornell is on a roll,” said the New York burgh’s mayor John Buckley in his state-of-the-city speech last week, citing a series of development projects that “have helped create a warm, welcoming, and inviting environment to our downtown and will help attract more businesses, entrepreneurs, and commerce and breathe new life into our downtown.”

“Mount Prospect is clearly on a roll,” echoed the Illinois town’s mayor Paul Hoefert in his speech at Old Orchard Country Club. “It is an incredibly exciting time in our history,” Hoefert said. “As such, I had an idea, maybe we should rename Mount Prospect, ‘Mount Prosperous.’ If you are looking to relocate or open a business, take a hard look at Mount Prospect. If you are looking to move to Mount Prospect, schedule time with a realtor and buy a house, if you can find one. Mount Prospect truly is the ‘Land of Opportunity.’”

“The city of Statesboro [GA] is strong, and its future is brighter than ever,” said Mayor Jonathan McCollar at his state-of-the-city address, delivered to a packed Emma Kelly Theater, downtown. 

“Lynnwood’s bubbling energy is being reflected in its current city council,” said Lynnwood, Washington’s City Council President Nick Coelho. “This group of electeds recognize that improving the town we love is a team effort, and this council is active with an ‘Avengers-style’ capital A. This year alone, each of us is working on meaningful projects that serve to grow our city’s pride.”

“I am proud to report to you tonight that the state of our city is strong,” said Buckhannon, West Virginia Mayor Robbie Skinner. “With the right decisions and strong heart and dedication, we continue to be well-positioned for the future. Let the world have no doubt, that we are one of the very ‘Best Small Towns in America!’”

“Always having dirt turning simultaneously all over town is why we’ve had continued growth,” said Morrilton, Arkansas Mayor Allen Lipsmeyer, boasting of 29 building permits issued in 2024.

“The city is doing fabulous. Our economy is great. Our budget process is very transparent, and we are always balancing our budget. We care about our taxpayers’ money,” said St. George, Utah Mayor Michele Randall in her speech at the Dixie Convention Center.

Randall was among several mayors who acknowledged some shadows, too. “I think people are concerned about water—and we do have a 20-year plan for that,” Randall said. “And, of course, they complain about traffic. We do have issues here that make traffic difficult with the ridges and the rivers and different things. But we have amazing staff to address all those things.”

Worse:

They also have some water problems in Phenix City, Alabama. Leaky water pipes, to be specific. Of 123 identified leaks, the city has only fixed about half, said Mayor Eddie Lowe during his state-of-the-city speech. “I wish I could tell you that we’re going to fix the leak tomorrow and that we get to it next week. But, but I can’t say that … leaks occur, new ones occur everyday … They occur because of the age of the infrastructure. They occur because of the changes of weather. So we fix a leak, there’s going to be another one that follows it. But if you’ve called and your address is on the list, I promise you it is being triaged and worked on.”

One reason the city is struggling to fix the leaks is that it’s short on manpower, Lowe said: “We budgeted for 571 employees, we currently have 415 which is 156 short so when you look at those numbers we are still down almost 30% in our workforce.” 

Why? “One of the problems we have… when we get people in we can’t hardly get them [to] pass the drug test,” Lowe said, as the CBS TV affiliate quoted him: “We can ill afford to hire people that’s gon [going to] put this city, your taxpayer money, in a liability situation. We’re just not going to do that.” 

(Phenix City Police Chief George Staudinger was just as plainspoken, saying during the meeting, “Last year, we had six homicides in Phenix City. That was about 50% of what it was the prior five, several of the last five years prior to that. We’d like it to be zero, but in reality there’s people gonna do bad and we’ve got a good police department that has been very effective in bringing those folks to justice.”)

Buckhannon Mayor Skinner is worried about his first responders’ mental health: “Think about this,” he said. “A first responder in a small town often answers a call to an incident involving someone they know personally. Witnessing a friend, family member, or loved one experience a traumatic event is extremely difficult. Across the nation, thousands of firefighters have lost their lives to suicide—stemming from mental health struggles unknown to their co-workers, families, or communities.” Skinner said Buckhannon is partnering with wellness agencies in surrounding counties to provide help for first responders in need.

At the municipal level, sometimes shit happens. Orange, Ohio Mayor Judson Kline used his state-of-the-village address to apologize to residents who used faulty glasses that the town purchased and provided for viewing the solar eclipse last April. Judson noted that the village got a refund for the opaque shades, and used the money to host a free outdoor concert at the village amphitheater out on Lander Road.

One issue a number of the mayors felt compelled to address is the divisiveness of American society without and within. 

The quality of the civic dialogue in Ridgewood, New Jersey is “more important to all of us than everything I’ve discussed so far,” Mayor Paul Vagianos said near the end of his state-of-the-village speech. “I personally applaud each and every one of you who no longer engage in personal attacks, who passionately promote and defend the positions you take on the issues that come before us, who care enough about the village to be here and engage with us. We need you here. Our community needs you here, and we are all grateful for the change in tone.” He added, “Let’s face it, as tonight’s State of the Village shows, we can get more done when we aren’t fighting with each other constantly.”

Lynnwood, Washington Mayor Christine Frizzell acknowledged in her state-of-the-city speech that “the government landscape at all levels is shifting,” and added, “Whenever there is a change in leadership, there is likely going to be uncertainty about the future.” She promised, “I can reassure you that Lynnwood is going to continue to do what we’ve always done during calm times and stormy times—serve our community.”

Hornell Mayor Buckley wrapped up his speech, too, with a message about the political climate:

“The exchange of ideas has been overshadowed by a fierce drive to advance ideological agendas—no matter the cost,” Buckley said. “The combination of a series of divisive presidential elections, an unceasing 24/7 news cycle, and the toxic poison of social media has only accelerated this downward spiral. The negative impact this continues to have on friends, family, and society in general is beyond measure.”

Quoting Ronald Reagan to the effect that Hornellians should “talk to each other, instead of about each other,” Buckley urged the city council to “rise above the noise and chaos”:

“We must remain steadfast in our commitment to serving the residents of our great city, undeterred by the negativity swirling around us. Let us lead by example—embodying transparency, fairness, positivity, teambuilding, and collaboration. Together, we will continue serving residents and make positive change in the city we love. Let us continue to move Hornell forward!”

I’ll have what Hornellians are having.

David Murray is editor and publisher of Vital Speeches of the Day and executive director of the Professional Speechwriters Association.