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Mayor Ruby Kenzy Mumphrey highlights housing, service and safety gains in Lincoln Heights
Summary
Mayor Ruby Kenzy Mumphrey outlined partnerships and service changes that she said delivered seven new houses through Habitat for Humanity, enabled residents to pay trash collection via their water bill, and secured grants for street and school-safety improvements.
Mayor Ruby Kenzy Mumphrey, mayor of the Village of Lincoln Heights, described a series of recent initiatives she said have strengthened the small community and improved services for residents.
Mumphrey said networking with outside groups and grant-seeking have helped the village fund street repairs and a safe-routes-to-school project that paid for lighting outside the local school. "One of our biggest partners is We Thrive," she said, adding that grant opportunities were pursued because the village's budget is smaller than many municipalities.
The mayor described a billing change that she said improves convenience for residents: by working with the village manager, the village made it possible for residents to pay their trash collection through their water bills, replacing a prior system in which residents paid for trash separately.
On housing, Mumphrey said she contacted Habitat for Humanity about undeveloped parcels and, after three years of outreach, helped secure development of seven houses on those sites. She also credited a Rock the Block program that provided exterior repairs, new gutters and rails for participating households: "There was 27 homeowners that participated in Rock the Block, and it was over 400 volunteers," she said.
Mumphrey recalled her path into local government, saying she first joined the council in 2016 and has focused on educating and empowering residents. "I've always put them first," she said, describing long-standing efforts to engage neighbors and bring resources to their blocks.
Looking ahead, Mumphrey said she has two years remaining in her term and offered advice to future leaders: "Do your homework, network, and be open to differences of opinion," she said. She thanked residents for what she called a blessing of service over the past eight years and said she hopes the village will continue to thrive.
No formal motions, votes or policy adoptions were recorded in the remarks. The comments were delivered as a mayoral address to the village; Mumphrey did not announce a specific next-step timetable for the projects she described.
