New City Hall

Through a Facebook post yesterday (September 11, 2026), Mayor Gregory announced the City had entered into a purchase agreement for the former First Federal property at 2323 Ring Road with the intent of it becoming the new City Hall. Comments have been overwhelmingly positive.

The current City Hall was not designed to be a government office building and I know from experience it has not functioned well. I support finding a replacement, but the decision needs to be considered carefully.

I opposed construction of a new City Hall on the old Elizabethtown Laundry property since it was first discussed. The property is much more valuable to the downtown area and the community as a whole with a private development that will generate tax revenue. Abandoning that project is a smart move.

Is the Ring Road property the right property for City Hall? Based on what has been shared, it’s too early to know. I am concerned that it’s another building that wasn’t designed for government use. Are significant compromises being made again? The staff working in the current City Hall certainly needs more space, but the former First Federal building is twice the size. Will personnel from other City facilities move to this building? If so, what happens to the other facilities? The larger building and the 18 acres it sits on will have greater operating and maintenance costs. How much higher will those costs be? Will the City market a few acres of the property to recoup some of the taxpayer dollars spent?

We need a City Hall that serves the public and employees well. The current one does not. Let’s make sure this is the right building and our tax dollars are spent wisely.

You can be assured that if I am elected to City Council I will examine large expenditures like this with a critical eye and will not hesitate to ask questions.

Learn more about me and my campaign at www.JimShawForEtown.com and follow my Facebook page for updates at www.facebook.com/JimShawEtown