Mayor Todd Concludes Term After More Than A Decade Of Service To City

     Mayor Mike Todd concludes his term on June 22nd after 16 years of service to Grain Valley. Todd began his service to the City of Grain Valley in 2004 as an Alderman and has served as Mayor since 2010. 
     Grain Valley has seen historic growth during Todd’s tenure. Todd and the Board of Aldermen were part of the planning and infrastructure of the development of the area surrounding the I-70 interchange area and Rosewood Hills and Woodbury subdivisions. Todd has also been involved in several community building efforts in the City, including the Trail or Treat event established 8 years ago, establishing the Mayor’s Christmas Tree Fund two years ago, and the formation of the Grain Valley Youth Engagement Services (GV YES).
     “It has been a great experience for myself and my family. We got to experience a lot of wonderful things from lighting the Mayor's Christmas Tree to dressing up at Trail or Treat to many more. It has given me a chance to really give back to my community and at the same time has shown my daughter what service to one's community is,” Todd said.
     “There are lots of things I'm proud we accomplished as a community.  We have had tremendous commercial and residential growth while at the same time keeping Grain Valley one of the safest cities in Missouri.  We've lowered our tax levy several times while keeping our services at a great level for our residents.  Over the last several years we have really seen community pride when it comes to our events.  Attendance at these events has gone up and it really helps to keep that small town feel.  Throughout all of this, it is also important to me that we have continued to be able to offer senior citizen discounts on water along with free Community Center memberships. One of the things I'm most proud of is our staff.  I'm probably biased, but I truly believe our city employees are the best group of city staff you will find in the state of Missouri.”
     Todd and his wife Tosha have worked alongside a team of volunteers to coordinate the Grain Valley Fair and parade for several years. The Fair added a 5K event two years ago, the proceeds of which benefit local nonprofit organizations. Todd will remain active with the Fair committee, who has recently teamed with the Grain Valley Partnership to offer Food Truck Fridays in downtown Grain Valley beginning June 19th.
     As Todd steps away from City leadership, he says he is proud of the work completed and will miss working with the community and City staff in this capacity. As for things he won’t miss, he could only think of one thing.
     “Unfortunately, with the rise in social media we have seen negativity increase as well. Not just in Grain Valley, but everywhere. I won't miss the negative attacks based on half-truths and inaccurate information.  After these years, it’s still difficult to sit back and see it occurring, but in the position of an elected official you can't really respond for a number of reasons.”