With Town Councilman Henry Leger stepping down it will end his 12 and a half year tenure on the Fountain Hills Town Council, to date the longest of any council member who has served.

Leger said he has been asked what stands out about his time on the council.

“Just doing the work,” he said. “It’s not what [gets done], but how.”

Leger said he takes pride in not having made a firm decision on major issues before going into a meeting.

“I’ve always held back [decisions] until we go through the process in the meeting,” Leger said. “I’ve received thousands of emails, but I never give up my vote.”

Leger and his wife, Janet, and their two daughters moved to Fountain Hills more than 25 years ago. He was elected to the council in 2006.

He became involved in the strategic planning process initiated by Mayor Wally Nichols in 2005. Leger served on the Technical Advisory Committee for the strategic planning initiative. He calls the Strategic Plan the “people’s plan,” saying it is a balanced and measured approach to good government based on research.

Leger said the council should never take credit for accomplishments.

“It is the [council’s] job to set policy and legislate,” he said. “It is staff that puts the plan into action.

“Once the vote is done you move on.”

Originally from Massachusetts, Leger moved to Arizona in 1970 where he earned his Master’s Degree in educational psychology. He had a 30-yer career in as a professional in leadership and organizational development. He has also worked as an internal consultant for several Fortune 500 companies.

In addition to serving on the council, Leger is active with the Fountain Hills Cultural and Civic Association and the Chamber of Commerce. He served on the Chamber’s Business Vitality Advisory Committee and was on the executive committee for the Downtown Visioning project.

Serving on the council was challenging at times, according to Leger, but he said he learned a lot about the town and the most effective way to get things done.

“For the most part the process has worked through the heated moments and through some light moments,” Leger said. “We look at it as community first, not politics, and use a measured, balanced approach for what is in the best interest of the community. It is, ‘Where do we want to go and how do we get there?’”

Though his council service is done, Leger said he is passionate about the community and is not likely to just fade into the background.