Novato's Mayor Leaves Office with a Year of Wins and Tough Lessons

Novato's former Mayor, Tim O’Connor, wrapped up his term in December, looking back at a year packed with achievements and challenges. He pointed out that the city made big strides in 2025, like catching up on audits, giving out over $1 million for affordable housing, and starting a grant program to help downtown businesses. The city also made sure their budget was balanced and put extra money from Measure M into fixing up infrastructure. O’Connor didn’t shy away from the hard parts of the job, like dealing with the sudden loss of councilmember Mark Milberg. He talked about how the city came together to support each other, showing just how strong the community can be. He also thanked his family and city staff for their support, saying that public service isn’t easy and takes a lot of teamwork.The city council praised O’Connor for his leadership, saying he made sure everyone worked together and valued each other’s input. Meanwhile, Dale Fine, the outgoing President of the Novato Chamber of Commerce, talked about how the city has been working hard to create a friendly environment for businesses, even with tough economic times. He mentioned that new hires, like city manager Amy Cunningham, have helped build stronger connections between the city and local businesses. Fine highlighted the importance of listening, compromise, and working with different perspectives to build a strong business community. He made it clear that Novato is ready for business, despite the challenges.