Alpena Mayor Matt Waligora resigns | News, Sports, Jobs

Alpena Mayor Matt Waligora

ALPENA — After 12 years serving as mayor of Alpena, Matt Waligora announced in a letter to the Alpena Municipal Council today that he will step down from his position on New Year’s Eve.

In his letter, Waligora City Attorney Bill Pfeifer and Clerk Anna Soik will determine and announce how his replacement will be chosen.

Last year, the council voted to move council elections to even-numbered years to sync up with Alpena County elections. That move added a year to Waligora’s term, which was extended through 2024.

But Waligora said in his letter today that he has fulfilled the duty he promised to voters by serving a four-year term, and he is ready to move on.

“I supported council’s decision to add a year to each of our terms to get on an even year election cycle as the right thing to do for our staff and taxpayers, but it didn’t fit for me personally as my plan was to end this year,” the mayor said in his letter. “Every city employee and every resident I encountered made me a better leader than I was before I met them.”

Waligora said there have been many positive developments during his time in office and he shared his thanks and admiration for his fellow council members and the city staff.

“I appreciate council more than you know,” he wrote. “We’ve had many differences of opinion, but our deliberations have been professional and respectful. Although our individual thoughts about certain topics are not always the same, our overall vision for Alpena is very similar.”

Over Waligora’s time as mayor, he worked with three city managers, two city engineers, two clerk/treasurers, two assessors, three city planners, three police chiefs, two fire chiefs, 11 council members, countless other city employees, and one city attorney.

“Together we’ve all made an incredible number of positive changes, and I will truly miss being a direct part of what is yet to come for our city,” Waligora wrote. “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.”