Valparaiso Mayor Matt Murphy led his final city council meeting Monday.
Murphy opted not to run for a second term as mayor and came up short in his bid to return to the city council. During Monday's meeting, he thanked his leadership team and all of the city employees, as well as the clerk-treasurer and city council.
"I feel like we got a lot done, despite having one arm tied behind our back for about a year and a half with COVID, and that was very, very challenging. But with your support, we got through it, and we did a lot of other great projects," Murphy told council members.
Jon Costas will return to the Mayor's Office in January, with a swearing-in ceremony scheduled for New Year's Day.
Murphy also took time to recognize Project & Facilities Management Director Don McGinley, who's retiring at the end of the month after a 25-year career with the city. Murphy said McGinley has been the driving force behind the city's key projects.
"This includes such monumental projects as Central Park Plaza, the Urschel Pavilion and Ice Rink, the Brian Cardinal Basketball Courts and the Jeff Samardzija [baseball] park," Murphy noted.
McGinley said he enjoyed every bit of his work with the city, including working with residents and other city departments.
