Slogan has ‘run its course,’ will be eased out of use

By Ally Lanasa, Staff Writer

Mayor Zackery Tyndall

(Oct. 29, 2020) Berlin Mayor Zackery Tyndall is gradually removing the “America’s Coolest Small Town” slogan, starting with letter heads and his business cards.

However, it will remain as part of the town’s marketing, said Town Administrator Jeff Fleetwood.

“It’s still going to be on the front of the [Town Hall] building,” Tyndall added.

Berlin won Budget Travel Magazine’s America’s Coolest Small Town award in 2014.

“I think it’s run its course,” Tyndall said. “We are America’s coolest small town. It’s a huge accolade brought by the people of Berlin, the administration, everybody who works here, the council at the time. So, I think it needed its homage. We needed to have that opportunity to celebrate it, but now it’s time to let that move on.”

Being financially conscious, Tyndall said there is no additional expense to the town that would not normally occur with the change in office. The letter heads and business cards have to be adjusted for the elected officials anyway.

The mayor added that the slogan is slowly transitioning back to just “the town of Berlin.”

“As we move forward, if we purchase a new sign out front it will probably just say ‘town hall’ [or] ‘town of Berlin,’” Tyndall said. “But we’ve got some time.”

The decision did not go before the council, said At-Large Councilmember Jay Knerr. Nor did Ivy Wells, the town’s economic and community development director, know about the change.

Fleetwood said the mayor has the authority to make that decision without input from the council.

Fleetwood added on Tuesday morning that Tyndall has apologized for the oversight of not informing the councilmembers and is communicating with them accordingly.