To the Citizens of Suffolk:

As 2011 comes to a close, the members of Suffolk City Council want to take a moment to wish you and your family a happy holiday season, and to share our reflections on a significant year for our city.

In 2010, we were recognized by CNN Money Magazine as one of the “Top 100 Best Small Cities To Live.” In 2011, we continued moving forward with an eye on the future. We’re making progress by directing the consistent growth of the city, while being mindful of the importance of economic stability.

Suffolk continues to grow, as is evidenced by the 2010 census results, which saw population numbers soar to close to 85,000 residents, a 33-percent increase from numbers just 10 years ago.

Despite the national economic challenges, we have seen continued diversified business development, including new retailers and restaurants. Capital investments in 2010 were more than $71 million, and more than 800 new jobs were created.

We also witnessed the transformation of U.S. Joint Forces Command to the Joint and Coalition Warfighting, or JCW, and the preservation of more than 1,000 jobs in Suffolk.

Our accomplishments in 2011 have been many. We’ve set the bar high and will continue to meet challenges as we move forward.

Even in these trying economic times, the city’s bond rating has seen positive movement in the past couple of years, due to City Council’s aggressive strategy with capital “pay-go” policies and strong planning for tomorrow.

Standard and Poor’s and Fitch have seen the progress and upgraded the city’s bond rating to AA+, another step on the way to a coveted AAA rating, which means tremendous savings for residents.

We are also proud of the city’s Fleet Management Department, which was named in the Top 100 fleets by Government Fleet Magazine.

Another impressive accomplishment is the fact that Suffolk earned the Margaret A. Nichols Risk Management Leadership Award. Factors that led to this award included the dramatic reductions in employee injuries and lost days at work, as well as the significant reduction in the number of worker’s compensation claims.

The G. Robert House Jr. Water Treatment Facility in Chuckatuck was praised by the Virginia Department of Health and received a Bronze Award for meeting the state’s optimization goals for the clarification and filtration of drinking water.

An additional success story has been the impact of the Suffolk Initiative on Youth. The program has captured more than $1 million in grants to help fund summer enrichment and after-school programs, implement a mentoring program, provide youth work and training opportunities and enhance a recognition program for successful youth.

Speaking of our youth, two highly anticipated skate parks, one at Bennett’s Creek Park and one to complement the KidsZone Community Playground at Lake Meade, have been welcome additions.

In fact, our recreational opportunities were one of the features considered when we earned the “100 Best Small Cities” designation, and we continue to experience increased family and senior citizen memberships at the East Suffolk Recreation Center.

A vital part of our commitment to citizens includes responsiveness during emergencies or natural disasters. Whether it was the multiple snow events last winter or in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene, thanks to prudent planning and smart spending, Suffolk was ready to coordinate its tactical response at its new Emergency Operations Center located at the King’s Fork Public Safety Center.

Building on an already solid foundation of support for public safety, City Council approved funding for enhanced personnel and equipment for police, fire and rescue, resulting in reduced response times to save lives and property.

Suffolk continues its “going-green” push with the kickoff of citywide curbside recycling. TFC Recycling delivered rollout containers to more than 29,000 homes for every-other-week service. This environmental initiative allows the city to gain mandated compliance with state recycling requirements and, perhaps more importantly, significantly reduces the city’s landfill disposal.

We also understand how important it is to “give back” to our community. The Suffolk Relay for Life Golf Tournament at the Sleepy Hole Golf Course was a huge success, with all proceeds benefiting the American Cancer Society. A $20,000 donation was made as a result of the tournament on behalf of the city.

This year also marked a new venue for the Relay, as we gathered at Bennett’s Creek Park to “Celebrate a World With More Birthdays,” raising more than $243,000 for cancer research.

Another highlight this year was the Tidewater Builder’s Association’s Fall Homearama, which showcased nine beautiful custom homes in The Riverfront community at Harbour View. A sign of our improving economy and the fact that folks want to call Suffolk home was evident in that seven of the nine homes were under contract before the end of the event. Nearly 80,000 visitors toured the homes.

The coming year is an opportunity for us to continue moving forward. No matter which borough you call home, progress can be seen throughout the city of Suffolk. We are encouraged by these achievements and are fully aware that it took a lot of commitment by city employees to get us to this point. Through our collective contributions and hard work, we’ll achieve a vision of an even better Suffolk.

We remain united in purpose to deliver the very best service in 2012 to our citizens, and send our best wishes for a wonderful holiday and a very happy new year.

 Mayor Linda T. Johnson

Vice Mayor Charles F. Brown, Cypress Borough

Council member Curtis R. Milteer, Sr., Whaleyville Borough

Council member Leroy Bennett, Nansemond Borough

Council member Charles D. Parr, Sr., Suffolk Borough

Council member Jeffrey Gardy, Holy Neck Borough

Council member Robert C. Barclay IV, Sleepy Hole Borough

Council member Michael D. Duman, Chuckatuck Borough