By Dyna Folkersen
FAIRVIEW— Cliff Wheeler bid the Fairview City Council a fond and emotional farewell during a council meeting on Dec. 16. This marked ten years of continuous service on behalf of Fairview City: nine years as city councilman and approximately nine months as mayor.
“It’s been an honor to serve, and I thank you all for the experience,” he said. “I’ve just always been involved in the community.”
Wheeler was born and raised in Milburn but moved out of the area for some time. Altogether, Wheeler has lived in the Fairview area for 45 years.
Wheeler’s objective as a councilman and mayor was continuing with the historical preservation of Main Street, maintenance and upkeep of the museum, grounds improvement of the cemetery, restoration of the Old City Hall, and encouraging volunteer service in the city.
“It’s been a privilege to be of service to the citizens of Fairview. To know they have trusted me to be their mayor, I’m truly grateful for that,” Wheeler said.
“But not only that, it takes more than one mayor to run the city. Our city councilmen and city workers, [as well as our] volunteers are simply wonderful and always ready to serve,” he added.
Wheeler’s main objective was to entice businesses to grow into Fairview and to develop a richer business corridor, giving Fairview a healthier tax base to maintain and update its infrastructure.
“I got involved in public service because I saw a need to be involved and [had] a desire to help,” Wheeler said.
With a proven track record of leadership and dedication to the city, he has done just that by helping to bring culture, art and heritage to the forefront of the community through his service on various committees and his work with a broad spectrum of organizations.
“We have had a lot of positive changes and positive growth to the city through my time in office,” he said.
One of those positive changes was his work with Fairview’s Dance Hall Restoration Committee, who assisted him in raising funds for the restoration of the dance hall. Wheeler also served as president of the North Bend Entertainers group, who, through music, make good use of the dance hall with local bands and individualized talent such as Fairview Idol.
When asked what he plans to do now that he is no longer the mayor, he replied, “I’m sure I’ll know what that is when we get there. I’m not one to sit on the sidelines for very long.”
Some of those other plans include being on the Fairview Museum Board as well as the Sanpete Valley Healthcare Foundation Board, which raises money for new equipment for the hospital.
Wheeler will be replaced by newly elected mayor, Brad Welch, who serves as a city councilman. Welch is a long-time Fairview resident who is on the Sanpete County Search and Rescue Squad and who is vice president of Centracom.
