Dear Downey Family, My term as Mayor will officially end next Tuesday and I'm sad to say this will be my last Mayor's Corner. This past year has truly been an unforgettable experience for me personally and I feel honored to have the opportunity to serve this community.

As I reflect back on the past year, there were so many significant events that I felt fortunate to be a part of. First, although a difficult challenge, we were able to close an $11 million gap and approve a balanced City budget for the first time in three years. Like more local cities, Downey was no exception in facing tough economic hardships, but with the help of my fellow Council colleagues and City staff, we were able to make the best sound decisions that would have the most positive impact on our community. Our top priorities were to preserve our City's excellent quality of life through top notch public safety services and by maintaining premier City services and programs.

The relocation of our very own Space Shuttle Mock-up, now officially named Inspiration, was another highlight this past year. After many years in storage, Inspiration was relocated to the Downey Studios parking lot where it is being housed under a temporary tent for public viewing. Built in 1972 by Rockwell International, the 122-foot-by-78-foot Shuttle has the distinction of not only being the first full-size Space Shuttle ever built, but it was used for two decades for detailed engineering fittings and testing. I cannot express to you enough how proud I am of our City's rich aerospace history and we continue to inspire our next generation of explorers through our Columbia Memorial Space Center.

The Endeavour flyover was truly a breathtaking experience. Downey was fortunate to be included in Endeavour's final flight route and I remember the excitement of the crowd as the Shuttle approached the Space Center at a short distance away. A truly historic day for our City and one I will never forget.

A significant development that we approved this year was the Tierra Luna Marketplace. This development will definitely be one you will want to stay tuned for. Not only will Tierra Luna help produce more than $4.2 million dollars in revenue to the City, but it will help create 3,000 permanent jobs, 1,200 of which will be high paying medical jobs. The magnitude of this development will truly be a giant economic leap for Downey. This 1.5 million square foot development will replace Downey Studios and construction is expected to begin next year.

As many of you know, I am a big supporter of our Veterans and have strived to find ways to recognize them for their service to our country. I was proud to welcome home close to twenty service men and women and hold special presentations to honor them at several of our City Council meetings this past year. They each came with their families and for me to be able to recognize them and present them with their own military banner, was probably one of the most meaningful things I did as Mayor. This was just a small token of my appreciation for all they have done to preserve our freedom and serve our country.

They truly are our hometown heroes.

Just last month, we had the honor of unveiling our very own Veterans Memorial right outside City Hall. This was a project that meant a great deal to me and I am glad that we were able to finally have a monument to honor those Veterans who have sacrificed their life. Joshua Whittle - this was especially dedicated to you.

To the Citizens of Downey, I would like to thank every single one of you for allowing me to serve as the 45th Mayor of this City. I have met many of you throughout this past year and I am proud to live in a community with so many dedicated folks. To my fellow Council colleagues, City Staff and community groups, thank you for all of your support and for helping make Downey the City that it is today.

To Superintendent Dr. Wendy Doty and the Downey Unified School District Board Members - thank you for supporting me in my term as Mayor and for being understanding of my hectic schedule.

Last but certainly not least, I would like to acknowledge and thank my parents for all of their love and encouragement. My beautiful wife Esther and my two sons, Blake and Cole, thank you for putting up with me over this past year! Without your support, none of this would have been possible for me. Sincerely, Mayor Roger C. Brossmer

********** Published: December 6, 2012 - Volume 11 - Issue 34