McDonald to seek another term as mayor of Bartlett
Bartlett Mayor Keith McDonald will seek a fifth term as the suburb’s elected leader in November 2018.
McDonald, first elected in 2002, made the announcement Wednesday afternoon, ending speculation about his plans. Health issues raised questions about his political future, but those were resolved with a recent surgery, where he had two discs removed and surgeons cleaned up bone spurs in his neck.
“Because I had a successful surgery,” McDonald said when asked why he was announcing more than 18 months before the election, adding the chronic pain he has suffered for three years “is pretty much gone.”
“I’ve been encouraged by family and friends and business people to do it,” McDonald said in a telephone interview.
McDonald was first appointed a city alderman in 1997 and was elected to a full term as alderman in 2000. He served half of the four-year term before being elected mayor in November 2002. He was unopposed in the 2014 election and in his first re-election bid. He easily defeated Phil Agnew in 2010.
McDonald has led Shelby County’s largest suburb through tough economic times and establishment of municipal schools along with the other five suburbs in the county. Despite those strides, McDonald said there are still things to accomplish.
“There’s still work to be done with the schools,” he said, noting that since the district opened in 2014, the city faces continued growth in enrollment and striving for continued improvement. Additionally, the suburb is still coming out of the recession and needs new housing to serve the demands of people wanting to move to the city.
“I am very proud of our accomplishments as a city, and I am grateful for the opportunity to continue to help lead Bartlett and make it a great place for our future generations,” McDonald said in a statement announcing his candidacy. “With the establishment of Bartlett City Schools, a cornerstone of our community, we have seen an increase in home values, continued growth in the new home sector and continued interest from businesses who wish to call Bartlett their home. We will continue to strive to attract strong industrial development and retail business that will make our tax base stronger and provide jobs for our citizens.”