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ALPENA -- For the last 12 years, Matt Waligora was not only the mayor of Alpena, but also a familiar face to his constituents, who never needed to fear approaching him to discuss city matters.
On Monday, during the Alpena Municipal Council meeting, Waligora submitted his letter of resignation, effective Dec. 31, and he is now moving on to the next chapter of his life outside local government.
Last year, the city council voted to move council elections to even-numbered years to sync up with Alpena County elections, adding a year to council members' terms.
In his letter to the council, Waligora explained that he did not intend to run again for mayor even before the vote to extend his term, but he voted in favor of the motion because he knew it would save taxpayers money by sharing the ballot with the county.
As the final year of his term neared, Waligora felt he had fulfilled his duty to voters by serving a four-year term, and he is ready to move on.
Waligora said he has no regrets about any of the actions he took or didn't take during his time as mayor, but he said he wonders at times if maybe he should have done things a little differently. He said he took every action based on the information he had at that time.
The mayor also said he enjoyed his time in office and contributed much of the success that Alpena has had over the last decade to city staff and fellow council members.
He said the thing he will likely miss the most is the interactions he had with people, no matter where he was or what he was doing.
"Having people come up to me or call me, no matter who it was or where I was, who wanted information or needed help, just never bothered me," Waligora said. "I really enjoyed working with the people, and that is probably what I'll miss the most."
As word spread about Waligora's decision, those who worked and served with him shared their thoughts about him as a person and what he meant to the city and the city's relationships with others.
Often, Alpena and Alpena Township work closely with one another. Although the two governments remain in a court battle over water and sewer rates paid by the township to the city, township Supervisor Nathan Skibbe developed a relationship with Waligora that helped officials from the two municipalities communicate with one another more freely and helped work on many regional issues.
"Matt Waligora served his role as mayor with enthusiasm and was a wonderful spokesperson for the city," Skibbe said. "Working with him over the past seven years has been a pleasure, and I am proud to say that I consider him a friend."
Alpena Councilman Mike Nowak, who has served alongside Waligora for 11 years, said he was taken aback when Waligora broke the news to him. He said that, with Waligora gone, he will continue to work as hard as ever to make sure the progress made under the mayor's leadership continues on.
"I was as shocked as the rest of our community was," Nowak said. "He has done a great job, and I will do all I can to continue the great work this council has done over the last couple of years. I will fill whatever role I am called to do to continue heading Alpena in the best direction for all of us."
Alpena Mayor Pro-Tempore Cindy Johnson said she appreciated her time working with Waligora and admired the way he conducted himself during his time on the council. No matter the situation, Waligora handled himself with dignity and integrity, she said.
"It has been an honor to serve alongside Mayor Waligora, both through Alpena's progress and its challenges," Johnson said. " The mayor truly cares about this community, and, over the years, I've gotten to see him navigate through some of the pitfalls of government in a way that made his job look easy. Those of us who have served with him, however, know being mayor is anything but easy. It is to his credit that he was able to be a strong leader and disagree with people without being disagreeable himself. I will miss working with him."
Alpena City Manager Rachel Smolinski may not have worked with Waligora for as long as some on the council or other employees at City Hall, but she said the mayor was integral in helping her get settled when she accepted the job and moved to Alpena in 2019.
"It has been a pleasure working with Mayor Waligora over the past four years," she said. " As a first-time city manager and a new resident to the Alpena community, he always provided me with a great perspective, as well as history on issues in the community. I have greatly appreciated his professionalism, dedication, and his ability to have a meaningful conversation, even if there is disagreement. Mayor Waligora will be missed, and I wish him the best in his future endeavors."
Waligora was also on the council when it voted to hire Anna Soik, the clerk and financial director for the city.
She said Waligora's personality helped her feel comfortable in her job and with her relationship with the council.
"Mayor Waligora has been a pleasure to work with, and his relaxed and easygoing demeanor has made interaction with him very approachable," Soik said. "He will be missed and we wish him well in his future. Thank you for your service, mayor."
Waligora said he intends to live in Alpena and has no plans to move, at least not in the near future. He said his plans now don't include any future ambitions to run for public office.
"I'll never say never or say 100%, because you don't know what the future holds," Waligora said. "Currently, I don't have any plans to do that."
City officials will announce in the coming weeks the process of naming a new mayor and who will fill the vacant seat on the council.