I would like to express my deepest thanks to the citizens of Foley for the tremendous support shown to me in the election. I am humbled by your support, and will work hard as your mayor to meet the needs of our growing city.
I extend my sincere thanks to Mayor John Koniar for the legacy he left to our city through his 40 years of service. Congratulations to Richard Dayton, our newest council member, representing District 3 in southeast Foley. We have a strong council team with a combined experience of over 50 years in public service. Foley is known as “The Forward City” and we will work together to keep it that way.
We have faced many challenges this year, including the COVID pandemic, the economic downturn it created, and hurricanes. We have weathered these challenges and will continue to do so because we are resilient and have a love for this city that we call home. Rapid growth is an immediate challenge in Foley. We have in place environmental, planning and infrastructure strategies that will serve us well. Since 2008, many upgrades to building codes, zoning and storm water management have occurred. We still need to do more. I have asked our Planning Commission to present ideas that will serve Foley in the coming years.
If you look at the founding of Foley in the early 19th century, you will notice the Village concept in the downtown area. It has served us well and created a location offering a quality of life desired by many. Managing city growth in a way that contributes to a desirable quality of life does not normally just happen. It is planned. Foley addresses this through completing comprehensive plan studies and following them. We have just completed a study for the Southeast Quadrant, and are currently working on one for the Southwest Quadrant of town.