John Mefford, longtime Union City Commissioner, will take on a new role in 2027 as Union Mayor.
On election day, he won with 1,405 votes – 51% of the vote. Mefford will succeed current Mayor Larry Solomon.
Mefford has lived in Union for 27 years and has worn a lot of different hats around the community. Before retiring, Mefford worked in education and was a chemistry teacher at Ryle High School. He has served on the Union City Commission since 2010. On the Commission, he has overseen the city’s Finance Department.
Mefford looks forward to combining lessons learned from his many community roles to inform his new position. In particular, he said his experience on the city commission will be vital.
“I have always been very protective of what makes Union special, its hometown charm, and I think that came through in my work as a Commissioner,” Mefford said. “Like we did on the commission, I plan to continue listening to residents, working together and being a responsible steward of their tax dollars.”
Some things in Union will stay the same. Mefford is grateful for the highly trained and skilled city staff that he has worked with as Commissioner and looks forward to continuing that relationship in a different capacity as mayor. Mefford is also adamant about keeping a hold of Union’s unique character throughout any and all development.
“Knocking on doors, I heard loud and clear that residents want to keep everything that makes Union a great place to live and raise a family,” Mefford said. “The Union Town Square is a great example of that. It supports bringing the residents together and maintaining a sense of place.”
Plans for Union Town Square have been in development since 2022. Mefford sees its establishment as another chance to preserve and promote green space. This is something he sees as important to the future of Union. To do so, he wants to take a slightly different approach to development in the city.
“Union has experienced a tremendous amount of growth over the last 20 years,” Mefford said. “But it has to be balanced with infrastructure needs and quality of life. We need to take a closer look at how development is affecting green spaces, roads, infrastructure and public services.”
LINK nky asked Mefford how he plans to examine that issue further during his term.
“We will seek public input and facilitate thoughtful and deliberate studies on the impacts of development,” Mefford said. “We can grow without losing our identity.”
Mefford sees maintaining infrastructure, responsible growth, green spaces and place-making as critical goals during his upcoming term as mayor. However, he won’t judge his success by any of those projects individually. He hopes to better the city as a whole.
“I am really excited about my future as mayor,” Mefford said. “I think some of our best opportunities are still ahead of us. And I believe that the success of a mayor should be judged on whether we leave it better than we found it.”
