Mayor outlines steady investment in infrastructure, public safety and fiscal strength in 2025 State of the City

The mayor delivered the 2025 State of the City address, highlighting steady, incremental work to maintain and improve American Fork's core services and infrastructure.

In a wide-ranging speech, the mayor framed the city's progress as the product of many small, consistent efforts rather than single, dramatic projects. He said the city continued major investments in pipelines, valves, monitoring systems and treatment facilities and is finishing systems to support new pressurized irrigation meters and a resident-facing dashboard to encourage water conservation. "Great things are done by a series of small things brought together," the mayor said, quoting Vincent Van Gogh as a theme for the year's work.

Why it matters: The address provides a council and public accounting of near-term infrastructure priorities and the fiscal context for planned projects and rates. The mayor stressed that maintaining water quality and supply, upgrading roads and protecting neighborhoods from flooding through sewer and stormwater rehabilitation underpin other city goals.

Key points from the address included the following:

- Water and conservation: The mayor described city investments and monitoring aimed at ensuring water quality and reliability and referenced the rollout of pressurized irrigation meters and related software so residents can track usage and conserve. He tied the work to staff efforts spanning more than a year to create the necessary infrastructure and rate framework.

- Public safety and emergency response: The mayor said the fire and rescue department responded to more than 5,000 calls last year, making Station 51 the busiest in Utah County, and described investments in training, equipment and wellness programs for responders. He also noted the police department handled tens of thousands of calls while continuing training and community outreach.

- Roads, parks and library services: The mayor listed millions of dollars invested in road and infrastructure work, specific street projects and rehabilitation of stormwater and sewer systems. He noted parks and recreation achievements—new playgrounds and amenities—and that the library hosted hundreds of thousands of visitors and nearly 1,000 unique programs.

- Fiscal health: The mayor said Moody's had upgraded the city's bond rating to AA1, the highest in the city's history, and that the city again received the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award. He framed fiscal discipline as enabling the city to respond to emergencies and invest in long-term projects.

- Capital acquisitions: The mayor confirmed the city will take delivery of a much-needed fire truck this year, a vehicle ordered in April 2023 that cost more than $1,000,000.

The address closed with a reaffirmation of priorities—roads, utilities, public safety and careful planning for growth—and a call to continue incremental, steady work. The mayor noted that many city functions are not visible to residents but are essential to reliable services.

What’s next: The mayor said these priorities will guide work into 2026 and beyond; the council will consider routine agenda items, project agreements and budgets in upcoming meetings.