Thank you, Provo

It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve my hometown as mayor. It was trusted friends and associates who pushed me to do this, and I’m forever grateful they did. My administration has been marked by teamwork and partnerships—and together we’ve accomplished so much. I’m very proud that during my time, Provo has:

• Added more than ten police officers and ten firefighters and built a police and fire headquarters, a city hall, and two new fire stations,
• Tackled our biggest infrastructure problems, by building a state-of-the-art sewer treatment plant and a new water treatment plant, and
• Built the nation’s fastest growing airport, making international travel a reality and boosting both quality of life and the economy
• All while submitting 8 balanced budgets, not one of them proposing a tax increase and while doubling the amount in the rainy day fund!

How did we accomplish this? By helping businesses thrive, so that we’ve seen a $10M increase in annual sales tax revenue and by tapping four times more in outside funding than during any prior administration. Generational Provo projects built off non Provo-resident dollars: that’s been a hallmark of my administration.

From day one, my goal was not to survive politically; it was to lift to Provo in ways that will be felt not only now and but 30 years on. I feel we’ve accomplished that. Being recognized as the best run city in the nation was only a cherry on top.

Thank you again for allowing me this phenomenal experience. What I will miss most will not be the projects and meetings; it will be the great people I have worked with through these eight years. You will always be in my heart.