As his town lit its Christmas tree, Irmo Mayor Barry Walker Sr. reflected on a year defined by opening back up.

Walker delivered his third “State of the Town” address as Irmo marked its 132nd birthday and the formal beginning of its holiday season, taking stock of the changes the town has navigated in the past two years.

“Back in December 2020, 10 months into the COVID-19 worldwide pandemic, I delivered my inaugural ‘State of the Town’ address,” he told a packed amphitheater in Irmo Town Park that reflected the return to normalcy that his speech highlighted. “Irmo citizens were locked down, scared to interact with each other, concerned about meeting at church or going to the grocery store.”

Walker emphasized that while the pandemic shut things down for a time, the town has continued to move forward.

“This past year we attracted hundreds of new businesses, hundreds of new local jobs and added over 20 acres of new public green space,” he said. “We protected our first responders by giving them the best equipment possible. We restructured our Town Hall to operate more efficiently to respond to the citizens' needs quickly. We increased our town budget, generated more revenue, increased our financial reserves to the tune of over $6 million. We’ve done all this with no tax increase and by simply spending less than we took in.”

He further highlighted efforts to grow staff and resources for the town’s police department, expanding parks (as with the ongoing expansion of Irmo Community Park, home of the town’s Okra Strut festival) and the formation of an events committee to generate ideas for more events to take advantage of those parks.

Walker also mentioned the county’s widening of Broad River Road between Interstate 26 and Ballentine and the ongoing process to update the town’s flag as points of emphasis in the new year.

“In the near future as part of the new normal, the Town of Irmo will embrace over the fence opportunities to meet your neighbors at regular Events in our parks,” he said. “In the near future Irmo will work closely with our chamber of commerce to attract new businesses in our town. We will be able to accomplish all of this while still having a surplus at the end of our annual budget.”