As the last quarter of the year approaches, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the residents of Shippensburg Boro and surrounding municipalities for their trust and support during the past eight years of serving as the Mayor of Shippensburg Borough. When I began this journey, I had no particular agenda. I felt that my many years of serving on Borough Council, the Shippensburg School District, and thirty years of working for Shippensburg University offered me the experience and connections to help guide me going forward.

Before too long into my term, the needs became evident and new ideas began to flourish. Blending other groups and individuals with these ideas, plans started to create a path of goals and growth for our community. Then COVID hit and stopped us all in our tracks. My connections kept me confident through these rough times, and before long we all slowly began to come back into a changed world. Through time, we started to regroup, and although it was a huge setback, the goals and ideas we started are finally back on track.

As Mayor, you must be a mentor for your residents, community organizations, and
your police department. Some things were trial and error, but like parenting, there is no guidebook. I assure you I always tried to be brutally fair, honest, and do my best.

I worked on searching for new ways to assist with our borough’s budget. I wrote grants and created a foundation for our police department to help purchase things our borough budget could not support. I believe the police foundation was probably the best support I created, as it has purchased many things over the years the police department needed and the borough budget struggled to support. I love the men and women of our police department and pray for their safety every day. My only regret in leaving them is that I feel I have failed in finding a solid way to help recruit new officers. This is a major issue for many small-town communities. I pray there is a turnaround in the near future for all of them.

With all this said, I feel that I am leaving my position knowing we have all grown together for the better. Shippensburg is a great community, and I will hold those words in my heart forever. I am blessed to have been part of your lives, serving as your Mayor.

God bless you all,
Mayor Kathy Coy