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Oxford Mayor Robyn Tannehill joined The Extra Mile podcast to talk about why she ran for mayor, MDOT projects in the city, the Double Decker Arts Festival, the explosion of growth in Oxford and more.
Tune in to The Extra Mile presented by the Mississippi Department of Transportation. Co-hosts Paul Katool and Will Craft take listeners inside the world of transportation infrastructure in Mississippi.
(Drew) MDOT presents The Extra Mile podcast.
(Paul) Welcome in to another edition of The Extra Mile podcast presented by the Mississippi Department of Transportation. I’m MDOT Digital Media Manager Paul Katool. As always I’m joined by my co-host Will Craft. He handles government and constituent affairs at MDOT.
And I’m very excited. We’re back at my old stomping grounds today on the road. We are on the Square Books Balcony on the historic Oxford Square. And we are very excited about today’s guest. We are talking to Oxford Mayor Robyn Tannehill. Thank you so much, Mayor for joining us today for making the trek across from City Hall over here.
(Mayor Tannehill) Well, it was a beautiful short walk. Thank you so much for having me. It’s such an honor to be with y’ all today and excited to have y’ all in Oxford.
(Will) Yeah. Love it. Love it.
(Paul) Absolutely.
(Will) So, Paul real quick. Where are we at right now?
(Paul) Yeah. So, this is the Square Books. It’s a very famous small bookstore nationally kind of renowned. You’re on the balcony. So, actually if you’re listening right now we recommend actually watching on YouTube.
(Will) That’s right.
(Paul) Because it’s a beautiful backdrop for sure. So just a little bit of information about Mayor Tannehill. So, she’s worked in economic development and tourism here in the city of Oxford. She was an alderman and of course now mayor. So, Mayor Tannehill, why did you decide to run for mayor of Oxford?
(Mayor Tannehill) That is such a fabulous question.
(Paul) Let’s hear it.
(Mayor Tannehill) I wish I knew. No, just crazy I guess. You know I as you said have worked in economic development and in the chamber of commerce and I was the director of tourism many many moons ago. And from that point on I opened an ad agency and represented lots of small business clients and really fell in love with how do we promote small businesses? How do we tell the stories of our community of our business community?
I’m of the families that call this place home. How do we leave it better than we found it? And for about 15 years I volunteered in about any role you could be. I was president of the Young council, president of the chamber of commerce, president of PTA’s at several different schools. Just you know a long list of finding ways to give back.
And after I chaired the $30 million referendum to fund our new high school I was a little frustrated with how city leadership was engaging with the public school district and so, I decided to run for alderman. I’m an art major which gives people great great comfort and me managing an $82 million budget. And so, I would tell people I’m running for alderman, and they were like “Wait. What?”
And so, I just decided I’m one of those people that puts my money where my mouth is. And I was offering a lot of suggestions and just decided I’m just gonna jump in there and see if I can make a difference. And so, I was very blessed to win that position and for four years served as alderman and realized a lot of the things I wanted to change I needed to be in the mayor’s seat to really affect that change. And so, when the mayor at that time decided not to run again I threw my hat in the ring.
(Paul) Excellent.
(Mayor Tannehill) And here I am for round two.
(Will) That’s right.
(Paul) There you go.
(Mayor Tannehill) One year into my second term. Just crazy enough to do it twice.
(Paul) Love it.
(Will) I know the people of Oxford love you and you’ve done a great job for all it counts for what our input is. Everything’s going great around here. A lot of stuff going on always. The place is hopping. We’ve got cars moving around. Round-abouts. You guys have a lot of round-abouts around here.
(Mayor Tannehill) We do love a round-about.
(Will) You like the round-abouts?
(Mayor Tannehill) We do. I told Chancellor Boyce when he was appointed I said, “You know it seems every chancellor these days comes in and changes our mascot, so we’ve got one for ya the running round-abouts.” We put them everywhere. Come on! Let’s do it.
No, I you know it being an elected office I’m no different from anyone else. I just get hammered on social media all the time. And one of the latest fake accounts that was set up was “Round-About Robyn.” Yeah. I was like you may think that’s an insult but I kind of like it. So, you know it is, we do have a lot of round-abouts. Of course, we’re sitting right now at the original round-about. The historic downtown square is our original round-about.
The next round-about that surfaced is at Gertrude Ford and Old Taylor Road. And you know, we knew that was a spot that we didn’t want a three-way stop. We didn’t want a red light. We needed traffic to move efficiently there. And Oxford is a town that really round-abouts are such a great solution for us because we have few places where it’s constant high traffic. We have peak hours, peak times of the day, school drop-off’s, special events that kind of thing. We’re if you had a red light there you’d have long periods of time where people are unnecessarily waiting at red lights. And the round-about allows them to move through. So, we had Gertrude Ford and Taylor Road.
And then we started talking to MDOT about really creating a better spot at Highway 6 in South Lamar. And so, you know we visited about different solutions there and with MDOT arrived at roundabouts kind of being the best solution there. And as you can see now we have put them just about anywhere you can, and we love em. You don’t have those people who get t-boned at a red light anymore. So, the accidents that happen are someone getting rear-ended because you thought the person in front of you went ahead. I provides much slower traffic, much more efficient movement throughout town. So, we’re big fans of the round-about.
(Will) I know some folks are skeptical but as you would attest, you know they’re situationally they’re perfectly fine in different spots. They work well. Someone has joked before on this podcast that ya gotta hit those things about 65
(Paul) Come on, Will.
(Will) and that’s how you get around it.
(Mayor Tannehill) That’s right. On two wheels.
(Will) Totally kidding. Do not take that bad advice.
(Mayor Tannehill) This is advice from your department of transportation.
(Will) Unsolicited.
(Paul) So, besides the roundabouts in town any other MDOT projects that have already been completed or on the docket that you’re excited about?
(Mayor Tannehill) We have one in particular that’s in the design phase right now. I think we got our environmental impact studies finished this past week. We’re in the process of purchasing some property that has to be acquired. But you’ll shocked to know three more roundabouts at University and Highway 7. And it is a project it has been jointly funded by the city of Oxford, Lafayette County and MDOT.
(Will) Well good.
(Mayor Tannehill) The state legislature has provided us with about $4.5 million for that project and through MDOT. And so, we are super excited. It’s probably our most dangerous intersection in town one of our busiest. And so, that will make a huge, huge impact. And we appreciate the partnership with MDOT. And you know, we’re moving along.
(Paul) That’s awesome.
(Will) And mentioning all these MDOT projects, the roundabouts, none of this is the least of which contributed I don’t know if I phrased that correctly at all but the explosion of growth, right? A lot of these things you’re talking about these projects gotta get the traffic moving because there’s been so much explosion of growth. Paul mentions all the time that every time he comes back up here it looks different there’s something new, something going. What do you think that’s because?
(Mayor Tannehill) Well, we’re excited if that is the case. And you know, we have growing pains for sure. I say often that if your largest challenge is the result of tremendous growth you should just say thank you. And so, we do. That does not mean that there are not challenges.
You know, I would say the growth can be attributed to a lot of different things. For one the best public school district in the state. We have people who have moved from communities all over around us to be able to put their kids in public school and not have to pay for private school. We are seeing that even more as our workforce can work from home and commute and that kind of thing. We’re seeing more and more families locate here.
Obviously we’ve got an amazing university. And as it has grown with faculty and staff and students that has certainly increased our population. We have our largest freshman class we’ve ever had before. Yeah. Somewhere between five and 600 more students than we’ve had in a freshman class. That means there are five or 600 more cars than we’ve had previously. That means there are five or 600 more parents who are coming with their cars.
Um and from a transportation perspective those are things that really make a huge difference in our infrastructure. But you know winning football season and the national championship baseball team a community that is still focused on quality of life and providing arts and cultural opportunities and SCC sports really doesn’t get much better than this.
(Paul) That’s true and I didn’t know you had worked in ad agencies, so it makes sense the “We get to live here” hashtag. I always thought that was pretty brilliant. Did you come up with that yourself?
(Mayor Tannehill) Thank you. Yes. Yes, we did. We did. Several years back that was um you know I do still get to do some fun creative stuff every once in a while in this job so. Um, I’m an art major and my assistant was an art major and she’s a great graphic designer and so we have a lot of fun uh figuring out ways to promote the community.
(Paul) Very, very cool. So, yeah you were just talking about you know game day and uh football and everything so, I’ve been up here a ton. I can’t wait to get up here in the coming weeks so, how do you kind of manage the traffic and parking and everything when it comes to game days in the SEC? I mean this is big time college football.
(Mayor Tannehill) It is. It is. And there you know can’t miraculously create you know thousands of parking spaces overnight. Um, we try to accommodate everyone the best way we can. We have built a parking garage in the past two years and that has certainly helped. But neighborhood downtown is just used to streets being filled with cars. And um, you know people just know that is a town of twenty-eight thousand taxpayers, okay?
On any given Thursday like today we have between fifty and 60,000 people in town with students, with workforce that comes in from surrounding areas. So, we have to have the infrastructure in place to support fifty to 60,000 a day. And an Alabama home game like we’ll have next month, we’ll have 250,000 people in town. And so, you’ve got to be able to flush the toilet that many times 365 days a year. And you’ve got to be able to accommodate the traffic for those days and every other day of the year as well. And for a town with 28,000 taxpayers that’s a real challenge.
Um, and that is why we rely on partnerships with MDOT and with our state legislature and with our federal partners to um help us fund those types of infrastructure projects that you know, and I think it’s critical for our state. Oxford is really an economic driver for the north half of the state. And so, we’ve got to continue to invest in infrastructure to keep it an attractive place for people to live, to go to school, to do business and to visit.
(Paul) No doubt about it.
(Will) Kind of piggyback riding right off of that I’ve heard tell that the public transit system here is pretty impressive.
(Mayor Tannehill) It’s amazing. It is amazing. Well Richard Howorth who owns Square Books on whose balcony we are sitting this very moment. This is his brainchild. And absolutely one of the greatest gifts that our community has. You know, there just aren’t many towns this size that have a public transportation system that’s carrying about one point five million riders a year. And so, obviously that’s not one point five million people but that’s riders from point A to point B that didn’t happen in a car.
And so, that’s one of the ways we’re addressing our infrastructure issues is by really pushing public transportation and trying you know, look at these roads around the square. They aren’t going to be widened. You know, you’re not gonna have on street parking right here. But you know what, we have added two great bus stops downtown. And so, and new lines and so, you know, you can get to the square without having to park your car. And without having to drive up north or south Lamar. So, we are working on that.
We also have um and like I said one point five million people a year are being moved on our public transportation system. We have also focused a lot development wise on making people build mixed juice developments. So, if you’re going to build 400 townhomes for purpose of student housing, you’re gonna have to have some commercial there as well. We’ve seen Dollar Generals fill that gap a lot, but it’s keeping us from everybody in town going to University Avenue or Jackson Avenue West to get toilet paper. We’ve got to start serving people where they are to help and assist in some of our traffic issues.
(Will) Well, every point you just made about having a good public transit system where it just improves so many things. I feel that’s a lot of the things that we see with this current administration. They want to see those type things. It’s awesome somewhere here already doing it and already doing it well, you know. It’s that kind of example.
(Mayor Tannehill) Well, thank you very much. I am following a lot of folks who have provided great leadership for this community for a long time.
(Will) Oh sure. That’s right.
(Paul) So, listen one of my favorite moments of my college career was when the Avett Brothers, I think I’m saying that correctly, played Double Decker. People were spilling in the streets. I’ve never seen, that photo is just fantastic, amazing. And I know that you had a lot to do with Double Decker. Talk about that festival and kind of what it means for Oxford. And what it means bringing people into the city.
(Mayor Tannehill) Well, in 1994, a thousand years ago, I was named tourism director and was just young and dumb enough to think that I could pull off a festival in seven months and I did. And with little support from city leadership at the time and we had our very first Double Decker Arts Festival. When I was named tourism director I was like okay what do we do best here? Music, food and art. That’s what we do best here and why aren’t we celebrating that someway that showcases people that are making that a reality.
And so, we have our very first Double Decker Arts Festival in ‘95. And that year we had nine thousand people. This past year we had over 80,000. So, it has grown just a bit ah but it’s wonderful. And we’ve got a visit Oxford staff actually was just named best tourism office in the southeast in a 14-state region our Oxford office was just tagged the best tourism office in the southeast and so, I’m very proud of them and the work that they do is astonishing.
But Double Decker continues to grow. We’ve expanded now. It’s two days. It’s Friday and Saturday. And we’re able to pull in lots of musical acts that appeal to lots of different ages. It’s still a family event and it’s still free. And that’s what’s always been so important to me is that we have an event Oxford can price itself out of being a place that families can come and enjoy sometimes. I mean SCC sports; the Gertrude Ford Center and those kinds of events are so expensive for families. And so, it’s important to me that we continue to have something that’s free to our community.
(Paul) That’s amazing. Certainly, one of the coolest events to me in the whole state of Mississippi as the year goes on. Very cool. And that’s cool. Your baby.
(Mayor Tannehill) That’s my baby.
(Paul) It’s grown up.
(Mayor Tannehill) It is my baby.
(Will) We’re gonna have to do a live recording from the Double Decker.
(Mayor Tannehill) Let’s do it. Let’s do it. And y’all can maybe look at it and tell me how to get all the traffic to move around during that.
(Paul) May be impossible.
(Mayor Tannehill) Good luck, right? Drones? I don’t know.
(Will) Her expert opinion. I tell ya. Well, Mayor, a little off the beaten path question here but certainly one we have become to love with our podcast. I know you probably have to be careful about your recommendations in the hometown here but maybe a favorite spot to go eat even if you’re traveling
(Mayor Tannehill) Are you trying to get me in trouble?
(Paul) I was about to say it can be out of town for sure.
(Will) Outside of Oxford
(Paul) Outside of Oxford. We know about everything here.
(Mayor Tannehill) Well, that might get me in worse trouble.
(Paul) True.
(Mayor Tannehill) No.
(Will) It doesn’t have to be just one.
(Mayor Tannehill) Well, you know, when you are in a town that has multiple James Beard chefs of the year and a town that is recognized in Southern Living probably nine out of twelve issues a year because of their food narrowing down to one restaurant is just impossible. So, you know, it’s one of those things that we have so many amazing restaurants that it just kind of depends on what you’re in the mood for. And do you want to brave square traffic to eat, or do you want to go down West Jackson or do you out to Eastgate Shopping Center and have some sushi or a pancake? Cause you can have either. Um and it’s you know, I would tell you if I had one favorite, but I just don’t.
(Will) That’s fair.
(Mayor Tannehill) I just don’t. I love them all. We are like any good mayor would say, right? But we are so blessed to have amazing food in this community. And um, you know, people say what’s the secret sauce for Oxford? How do you get on all these lists and all these magazines and that kind of thing. What is it? What is it that pulls everybody your direction? And I tell them all college towns I think are cool.
I mean they all have a certain atmosphere that’s hard to recreate in a community that’s not um a college town. But a lot of places have thriving downtown districts and tree lined streets and beautiful architecture and good public schools but what makes Oxford different is the people. And a lot of that shows up in our hospitality industry, the people who continue to work on their craft and create amazing dining options in Oxford that pull the masses in.
We’re actually gonna have if I can plug real quick Holly Jolly Holidays that will be from Thanksgiving through the first of the year. And it’s the perfect time during the holidays to do your shopping and to come try out some of those amazing restaurants. And we’re gonna have ice skating outdoors for that period of time as well.
(Will) Hey. You heard it here first.
(Mayor Tannehill) That’s right.
(Will) Live and breaking.
(Paul) That’s awesome.
(Mayor Tannehill) That’s right.
(Mayor Tannehill) We’re super excited.
(Will) We’ll have to make a plan to come up here.
(Paul) Very cool. Very cool. I love the square jam also on the square with setting the whole basketball kind of
(Mayor Tannehill) Coming up in a few weeks.
(Paul) Cool. That is very cool.
(Mayor Tannehill) October 14th. Be there or be square.
(Paul) I like it. There’s that branding again. Well, this was just an awesome conversation. We really appreciate you making time for us.
(Mayor Tannehill) Oh man, I appreciate you inviting me. I enjoyed it.
(Paul) Awesome.
(Will) Great.
(Mayor Tannehill) Let’s do it again sometime.
(Paul) Let’s do it.
(Will) Absolutely.
(Paul) Well, I’m just gonna risk my job. Lots of MSU civil engineers and just give a “Hotty Toddy” before we sign off. So, thank you everyone out there for listening and watching The Extra Mile podcast. You can watch and listen to episodes by visiting GoMDOT.com/TheExtraMile. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter @MississippiDOT is the handle. We want to thank our producer Katey Hornsby and our editor Drew Hall. They made the trek up to Oxford with us. Yeah. So, remember to drive smart out there on Mississippi highways.