A new mayor for Shawnee meant a new year of growth and stronger sense of community being celebrated at the city’s 2024 State of the City event.

Giving his first State of the City speech on Thursday at the Aztec Shawnee Theater, Mayor Mickey Sandifer called for unity and celebrated growth and accomplishments the City of Shawnee achieved during the past year.

Here are a few takeaways from the Shawnee 2022 State of the City address, which can be viewed here.

Shawnee is stronger as a community

With new members elected to the Shawnee City Council in November and the recent hiring of a new city manager, Sandifer signified it was a new era for the city.

“While I do stand here as today as Shawnee’s 24th mayor, I stand here with the entire community, east and west of 435, north and south of Shawnee Mission Parkway,” he said. “Every resident, every business, every soul in our community has a reason for calling Shawnee home.”

Using his speech as a call for unity, Sandifer asked for people to stand together to get work done in the city.

“Today we put our divisions behind us,” he said. “Today we look for what will drive Shawnee forward, what will bring the next generation to Shawnee, what will define our city’s future.”

Sandifer highlighted city staff achievements

The City of Shawnee has four accredited departments, meaning they each meet a set of standards for outstanding performance. Those departments include: The Shawnee Police Department, City of Shawnee Fire Department, Shawnee Public Works and Parks and Recreation.

“Accreditation is achieved through no small feat or effort,” Sandifer said. “It demonstrates the highest level of commitment to our community, constant improvement and overall excellence in everything these departments do and accomplish.

“Shawnee’s the only city in the state of Kansas where all four of the departments were recognized for their service to the community,” he continued.

The city’s Finance Department was also highlighted for winning its 18th consecutive Government Finance Officers Association Award for Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting.

Shawnee continues to show growth

Shawnee’s continued expansion was a focus of Sandifer’s speech.

“We’ve seen growth and development, success and celebration and a better for people who call Shawnee home,” he said.

When detailing Shawnee’s growth as a city since its incorporation as a town in 1856, Sandifer joked with the crowd.

“When I was in high school, Old Shawnee Days was just called Shawnee Days,” he said.

During the past year, Shawnee City Council has approved projects ranging from a new rental project to a new kind of Chick-fil-A restaurant. In addition, the city’s also seeing new businesses pop up, from an upcoming Mexican supermarket to a new gas station.

Panels added their expertise

During the State of the City event, Sandifer moderated two short forums, one with city developers and business leaders and another with high school students from Shawnee Mission Northwest and Mill Valley high schools.

Each added their input for what Shawnee is doing right and their hopes for the future.

“I think to finish downtown, to keep our community moving forward, we do need to work together,” said Kristen Shelley-Chapin, board chairperson for the Shawnee Chamber of Commerce. “We are neighbors and friends first, and I think if we all come to the table with that mindset, we’re going to be able to accomplish everything that we have on our plates.”

When asked to give his advice to the city’s leaders, Luke Dent, a student at Shawnee Mission Northwest, called for people to work together.

“Constant communication and collaboration is key,” he said. “When everybody has input and everybody knows what’s going on, I think positive outlooks are possible.”

See what other cities are saying: 6 takeaways from new Lenexa mayor’s first State of the City address