Fairfield city administrator takes job in Carroll

FAIRFIELD — City Administrator Aaron Kooiker is saying goodbye to Fairfield.

Kooiker announced his resignation as city administration during Monday’s city council meeting. Kooiker has accepted a job to be city manager in Carroll, Iowa. His last day with the city of Fairfield will be March 3.

Kooiker said the decision to move to Carroll is best for his family, because it will put him closer to his mother and his wife’s mother, so the couple can better care for their parents.

“I grew up in Sioux Center [northwest Iowa], so this puts me back in my old stomping grounds,” Kooiker said.

Kooiker was hired to be Fairfield’s city administrator in 2017, so he just completed five years in the role. He said one of the things he’s most proud of accomplishing in that time is improving the city’s finances.

“The city is in a very good financial position now, and we’ve increased our bond rating,” he said. “Another great accomplishment has been the sewer plant upgrades, and all the street projects we’ve worked through.”

Kooiker said he’s pleased with the service Fairfield has been able to offer its residents in these past five years. He said he was glad to be part of the planning for the new fire station that will be built at the corner of West Briggs and North Fourth.

The Fairfield City Council will need to decide how to handle city business in Kooiker’s absence. The council’s personnel committee plans to meet at 5 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 26 to start the discussion. Kooiker said that, luckily, he will be leaving after all the budgeting for 2023-24 is finished. He expects that his responsibilities will have to be shared by other city staffers while the council searches for a replacement.

In addition to his work with the city, Kooiker has been involved in several organizations in town.

“I’ve enjoyed my time in Kiwanis, and I’ve been involved in First Baptist Church quite a bit,” he said. “RAGBRAI came to town my second year, and that was an enjoyable experience, too.”

When Kooiker and his wife, Michelle, moved to Fairfield in October 2017, their son Landon was a sophomore. The following school year, Landon won a state title for Fairfield as champion of the long jump at the state track meet in Des Moines.

Because of that and so many more memories, Kooiker said it is bittersweet to know that he will soon have to leave Fairfield behind.

“It’s exciting to look at the opportunities coming for Fairfield, but it’s also sad because I met a lot of folks in town and built working relationships with our staff and council,” Kooiker said. “They’ve all been fantastic.”

Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com