On FitzGerald's watch, the county built downtown Cleveland's new convention center and Medical Mart, as well as a new government headquarters. And a publicly financed Hilton Hotel is now beginning to rise downtown, too.
FitzGerald declined an offer to talk about his time in office, but released a 100-page illustrated report touting his accomplishments -- along with a video farewell address.
"Over the last four years, we've turned the page on decades of corruption and mismanagement, and established a county government that is smart, effective and knows how to get things done for the people that it serves," he says in the video.
FitzGerald set up $100 college savings accounts for kindergartners, and a $100 million loan fund for economic development. He also helped craft a $50 million plan to demolish vacant and abandoned homes.
FitzGerald lost a bruising gubernatorial fight that saw incumbent Gov. John Kasich carry nearly 64 percent of the vote.
FitzGerald's successor, Armond Budish, has scheduled an inaugural ceremony for Jan. 4.