It's been an honor and 20-year labor of love, of which I've been sincerely humbled to have been able to serve the good people of Wood River. The employees and staff of the city are consummate professionals and have always been supportive of me on this incredible journey. I sincerely wish Mayor-elect Stalcup and the new City Council the best.

There is much to reflect on. Probably one of the most trying times was in 2006 when a tornado touched down in the city. There were people who were without power for up to eight days. The way that strangers came together to help one another was a demonstration of caring reaching out in a time of crisis and being able to meet the needs of people one-on-one. It's life in a small town at its best. More recently, during a storm, an elderly lady had a power line down on her property. Her son called me because she was on oxygen. I called and Ameren put her on top of the repair list, so her oxygen supply was quickly restored.

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There have been remarkable achievements over the years. Housing developments have taken off and particularly over the past two years with 34 home builds and home permits. During my tenure Heritage Trails, Rock Hill Trails, and Grandview Hills subdivisions have developed, along with new home construction on numerous lots throughout the city.

Not just housing but businesses have and are developing. A healthy indication of a growing economy is the retail growth of the city of well over 14% over the last three years. Since May of 2020 there have been over $9 million in building permits issued which is a positive marker of this continued trend.

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Many improvements such as the new police station, the soccer park, skate park, renovation of Emerick Sports Park, playground additions, the walking trail at Belk are but a few. Street improvements with roto milling and resurfacing, going from oil & chip streets to asphalted streets, with the latest project underway a cumulation of $30 million dollars in sewer separation, water line replacements, and fire hydrant upgrades just to name a few. There is too new interest in downtown redevelopment.

My signature achievement is the voter-approved 1% sales tax. Flood relief with the detention ponds have begun, as well as the sewer separation project and with the $2.5 million grant, the recreation center is back into play. These projects and many more to come will benefit the people of the city for generations.

I feel very blessed with the friends I've made over the years and that I've been able to reach out and help individuals and make sound decisions for what's best for the citizens as a whole. There are so many good memories for me personally. It's now on to a new chapter for me with my immediate plans to spend more time with my grandchildren and family.

Thank you to all
Cheryl Maguire
Wood River

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