Hello from Town Manager, Mike Jones

Hello and thank you for visiting us! I take great pride in leading the operations of our wonderful small town and hope that you too will share in the pride and excitement that comes from being involved with our home!

Why should you consider Chatham as a place to call home or do business? First and foremost, we are a friendly small town. We speak to people here and people are happy here! You are welcome here, you are wanted here and you are appreciated here! Your decision to come here will be rewarded in many different ways. Chatham offers a business friendly tax and government structure that ensures municipal responsibilities are met yet we keep your tax burden low. Residential services are of top quality yet the tax burden is low. Water, sewer and garbage collection rates are very affordable. You can afford to live here!

Chatham is a safe town. You can rest assured you are living in one of the safest communities in the United States. Our police department provides professional, friendly service and utilizes the modern principles of community policing. Our police officers know our residents and make special efforts to get to know everyone in Town. All Town employees act as eyes and ears for the police department and keep watch over our Town. Your children can play safely in your yard as well as our parks. There is peace of mind in Chatham and we intend on keeping it that way!

Chatham has a number of opportunities and challenges. I seek to bring new businesses to Chatham while supporting those that have been the backbone of our community for many years. I am making every effort to obtain federal stimulus funds which will help us cope with the needs of our aging infrastructure. We make every effort to improve the quality of the services that we offer the public and are open to suggestions, questions, comments and concerns. Our Town Council is a very active and responsive group of elected residents who have the well being and good governance of our Town first and foremost in their minds.

You may have heard Chatham is close to a proposed uranium mining and milling site that is approximately seven miles outside of the Town. The Town is very concerned about this proposal and is keeping abreast of every development. It is a matter for state and federal agencies to decide upon and the Town has no authority to regulate the industry as it is not inside the corporate limits of the Town. However, we are maintaining close correspondence and asking questions of state and federal officials regarding every aspect of this proposal to ensure we are not only protecting our future but our concerns are being heard and considered. The Town has taken only one position on this proposal – we have requested the state conduct an independent professional study which examines a variety of issues which includes safety, health and welfare – both short and long term. As a Town, we want all the facts available before we make a decision as to where we will stand on this issue. Once the study is complete, the Town will take a more defined position based on the information provided, as well as the research and investigations we conduct. Please note, we will stay current on this matter and we will make sure the voice of Chatham and its people are heard. When Chatham talks, we listen!

Once again, thank you for taking the time to visit our website. I encourage you to visit our Town, talk to our people, walk our streets and take a day to see just how wonderful life is here. Chatham is a place where time moves at a slower pace and life can be savored and appreciated. So come on down, lower your blood pressure and check out this place I am proud to call home. Our Town office can be reached by calling (434) 432-8153 and any employee will assist you. Should you wish to contact me, I can be reached by e-mail at chathamvatownmanager@comcast.net, personal mobile telephone at (434) 334-9647 or the Town office at (434) 432-8153. Thank you for your interest and I look forward to talking with you!

Best regards,

Mike Jones