Thank you, mayor, for your service

Alpena Mayor Matt Waligora announced Monday he will step down from the mayorship on New Year's Eve after 12 years of service to Alpena and Alpenans.

Waligora said in a letter to the Alpena Municipal Council on Monday that he planned to finish out his current term, but, after the council extended council terms by a year so council elections happen in even-numbered years, that "didn't fit" for him.

So he tendered his resignation, effective Dec. 31.

Waligora will leave the city in a reasonably good position.

City government is financially healthy. It has a solid city manager in place in Rachel Smolinski, who just received a good review from the council. Most of the city's leadership positions are filled (including relatively new police and fire chiefs), and the team in place works well and works well together.

Outside of city government but influenced by it, economic development is booming throughout the city and the surrounding region, which will add to the city's tax rolls and help the city stay financially healthy.

We are sure Waligora has regrets -- or, at least, things he wished he could have accomplished.

For one, unless something miraculous happens in the next few weeks, he hasn't been able to end the years-long court fight with Alpena Township over water and sewer rates. A resolution seemed at hand numerous times, only to fall apart, and that ongoing fight scars both municipalities and hurts their constituents.

Still, Alpena is in a good place right now, and Waligora and his leadership deserve credit for that.

"Together we've all made an incredible number of positive changes," Waligora wrote in his letter to the council, "and I will truly miss being a direct part of what is yet to come for our city. Perhaps my most important goal was to be as accessible and approachable as possible. I think I accomplished that, especially for those that had no idea who to talk to or how local government works."

We say job well done, Mr. Mayor, and we wish you well in your future endeavors.

Thank you for your service.

(THE ALPENA NEWS)