A farewell message from Fairfield Mayor Ed Malloy

As I close this chapter of my public service to the City of Fairfield, I want to thank our wonderful city staff and the long list of council members I have served with. I also want to thank the citizens of Fairfield for your trust and support of the direction we took as a city. We have a community to be very proud of and that pride stretches back 180 years to our beginnings and extends to today where we are recognized as one of the most successful cities in Iowa and beyond. That success has its roots in the things we have accomplished working together with a vision and goals to make our city a place everyone can live and enjoy.

Over the years we have taken on projects that honor our traditions, and ones that added new dimensions to our community. We have invested in our downtown with streetscapes, lighting and façade restoration and in new amenities like the loop trail, Arts and Convention Center, outdoor pool and recreation center, and recreation at our lakes. We have made big investments in our infrastructure and we have raised our financial standing.

At one time, the diversity of our community and the diverse interests of its citizens was a challenge that needed to be addressed. I saw within that challenge an opportunity to allow for the expression of new ideas and new partnerships as a means of re-invigorating our community and adding a new chapter to our history - one that would unify the community with an appreciation for differences. Through collaborative planning initiatives where all ideas are vetted and refined, we found a common ground to build on new ideas. Over the past two decades we have broadened the participation in the community and it has strengthened us.

I have referred to Fairfield as the 'city of 1,000 passions” because there is no shortage of interests, ideas and energy from our citizens to create something new and share it with the community. The city has been a willing and accommodating partner with businesses and developers that has added to the capital base of our community.

We are fortunate to have brilliant business leaders who have grown all sectors of our economy including manufacturing, finance, commercial and retail, and we continue to be the entrepreneurial capital of Iowa and the nation for our size.

The recognitions we have received over the years is a testimony to the good works we have done together as a community. We seized on the opportunity to compete with other cities around the state for special designations like Iowa Great Places, Blue Zones, Cultural District and the Most Entrepreneurial City in America and in Iowa. We have drawn the attention of journalists for our accomplishments like Smithsonian Magazine naming Fairfield No. 7 on the list of Best Places to Visit in America.

Public service is an honor and respect for the elected office one holds is essential. I have always felt that Fairfield's city government is a model of respect for the process of governing. We have listened when we needed to and we have done our best to find consensus and we have conducted ourselves with dignity and self-restraint. I am confident that will continue in the next administration. I congratulate Mayor-elect Connie Boyer and Councilman Michael Halley for an historic election. We are fortunate to have these two leaders in office.

I thank my family for their encouragement and support over the past 18 years. I sign off with gratitude for the opportunity I had to be a part of governing Fairfield.