Abbott was first elected to City Council in November 2005, taking office in January 2006 after a nine-way race for three at-large City Council seats. He said serving the city has “been a true honor from that day forward.”
“It’s been a real honor to serve the city,” he said. “We got a world-class city.”
Credit: The city of Fairfield
Credit: The city of Fairfield
Fairfield Mayor Mitch Rhodus proclaimed Tuesday, June 14 as Councilman Timothy Abbott Day in the city before presenting him with a key to the city and a glass vase recognizing his service.
“I can’t say enough about how much I appreciate everything you’ve done for the city,” said Rhodus, who served alongside Abbott during a part of his first tenure on City Council. “It’s been heartwarming for me to know that somebody who’s had his eye on the checkbook, like Tim, and the experience and everything you’ve brought with you to local government has just been unheard of in this community.”
After moving to Fairfield, which is his wife Kathy’s hometown, he soon met the late Dr. Erick Cook and the late Dr. Charlie Wiedenmann, the then-high school principal and then-superintendent, respectively, with the Fairfield City School District. The 1983 New Miami graduate said the educators were not only mentors, but they “really recruited me to run for City Council and be a leader in Fairfield.”
It was because of Duke Energy that he ultimately ran for City Council. Abbott said Duke “encourages their employees to take leadership roles in the communities that we serve. That was really what got me started in the City Council role.”
Abbott added he’s “been termed out of every board” he’s been a part of, and he had previously chaired the Butler County United Way campaign. Among others, he’s also been on the Butler County SELF Board and Butler Tech Business Advisory Council.
The 2008 New Miami Athletic Hall of Fame inductee served eight years as an at-large council member but was required by the city’s charter to sit for two years before running for another Fairfield City Council term. In Nov. 2015, he ran for the 4th Ward Council member seat and was subsequently re-elected in 2019. City Council will appoint a replacement to fill out the remainder of the term, which ends in December 2023, though the process has not yet been established.
Abbott said his “most proud” accomplishment was to take over leading council’s finance committee. The high bond rating has historically been a top priority for the council. Over his time leading the finance committee, Fairfield’s bond rating has been a Aa2, the second-best local government credit score possible, and the highest for a city the size of Fairfield to maintain.
“We’ve been able to do that through some very hard economic downturns, and that’s what I’m most proud of,” he said.
There are things the council is currently championing he’s been proud to have worked on.
“We’ve accomplished a great deal, but there are some exciting things this council is embarking on with redevelopment and the (Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area),” Abbott said. “I think they got a keen eye on what the future of Fairfield is going to look like and the changing demographics.”
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