City of Marlborough, MA - Inaugural Address

I would also like to recognize the individuals that will be serving with me for the next two years, who will be working with me to preserve Marlborough as the City that we are proud to call home. I would ask these individuals to stand and be recognized as I call their names:

I am honored to share this day with our elected officials, past and present, and with my colleagues in City government. I specifically recognize my colleagues because the voters of Marlborough have entrusted us with the care of our city and schools. I undertake the position of Mayor knowing that all of us who hold office are caretakers of the public’s trust, of the public’s money, and of our public resources. We can only fulfill this important mission by working collaboratively.

I do not expect, nor would I want, all of us to agree on each and every issue. I value and respect each and every one of you, and I look forward to lively and spirited debates knowing that the outcome, whether I agree or disagree, will result in what is best for the people and the City of Marlborough.

Today we begin a new era of cooperation and communication in our City government. We must keep this spirit in mind every day, and work to make the politics that has at times divided us a thing of the past. Our challenge is to be the best stewards of our City and our City's schools.

Much has been made of the fact that I am the City’s first woman Mayor. I suppose that there is something here for the history books. But this isn’t the only chapter in history I’m interested in writing. I stand before you this morning, not as the first woman Mayor, but as your Mayor, ready to lead our City in the years to come. Today, we need to move past this historic mark, and begin our work.

Within the first 100 days of my administration, we will begin the important work of re-inventing our City government, and departing from business as usual. We can improve some of the entrenched practices in our City. Those that preceded us in our elected offices worked on behalf of our City wholeheartedly, and we owe them our deepest gratitude. We face many challenges today with unfunded mandates, decreasing state aid, unprecedented litigation, and federally mandated capital projects. These challenges require that we look for innovative strategies to improve the way we do business as a City. This applies not only to the Mayor's office, City Council, and School Committee, but to every City department and department head as well. Your input and cooperation will be essential to our future success. The work of addressing these challenges starts tomorrow.

Tomorrow, we will submit our request to the Massachusetts Department of Revenue Division of Local Services, to request a comprehensive review of our City's financial practices. The Division of Local Services offers free financial management review for cities and towns that ask for help. The Division has prepared 300 reports over the last~20 years, in an effort to provide insight into the best financial practices available to municipalities, and innovative strategies for dealing with financial issues. Our City has nothing to lose, and everything to gain, by taking advantage of this free service.

This month, we will begin the process of making the Old Central Fire Station a productive asset for our City. At the first City Council Meeting, I will submit a request for the $200,000.00 that is required to complete the renovation of this valuable asset. At the same time, I will submit a request to the City Council to begin the process necessary to sell the property. By acting on both requests, we will make significant progress on a long standing project. This building has sat idle for far too long and must be sold, or converted to a revenue producing asset for our City.

Also this month, we must make progress in the search for our new superintendent of schools. At our next School Committee meeting, I will name the members of a new search committee. This committee will consist of a school committee members, business and community leaders, City Councilors, and former school administrators. Filling this position with the best qualified candidate is essential for the continued success or our schools, and for the sake of our school children, we must make this a priority for the School Committee.

Over the next month, you will be hearing about a new economic redevelopment program, the Marlborough 2010 Initiative. In 2010, Marlborough becomes 350 years old. This initiative is an opportunity for us to focus on the type of City we want Marlborough to be in 2010. This revitalization program is designed to bring redevelopment, economic opportunity, and revitalization to areas of our City in need of attention. The objective of the Marlborough 2010 Initiative is to promote economic development that will enhance both the position and the perception of Marlborough as a desirable place to live, work, invest or visit. I am pleased to report that our business community is willing to step up and provide personal and financial support for this project. I want to thank former Mayor Mike Hogan for spearheading this initiative, and offering to serve on the Board of Directors of this new project.

During the first 100 days of my term as your Mayor, the residents of our City will see a noticeable departure from business as usual. Instead of asking how the City has done things in the past, we will ask "what is the best way to proceed?" I will ask the City Council for their cooperation in restructuring the City's legal department. The goal is to restructure the City Solicitor's position so that the head of the City's legal department can provide continuity of representation that will transcend changing city administrations. By restructuring the legal department, we will improve efficiency and reduce expenses by decreasing the amount of legal work that the City outsources to independent attorneys.

In the coming months, working with my colleagues on the City Council, we will improve our budget process. While we are in a better financial position than we were a few months ago after the State certified the City's free cash, our financial challenges are not behind us. Our City's Health Care Trust Fund still owes the taxpayers a significant sum of money, we have pending litigation, and we face Federally mandated capital projects that must be addressed. We must improve our budget process to make sure that we find the right balance for our seniors, students, families and businesses, through increased cooperation and before the Mayor's budget is sent to the City Council. Doing this will insure that we are delivering the maximum benefit to our residents for every tax dollar spent.

Beginning with my first School Committee meeting as the committee chair, the committee will receive my full participation. Serving as the chair of the School committee is one of the most important functions of the Mayor, and our students deserve nothing less than my full participation.

By changing the way we think about our City government, seeking to improve the way we do business as a City, and by increasing the communication and cooperation between the Mayor's office, City Council and School Committee, we can improve the lives of our residents. Innovation alone will not solve all of our problems. We face concrete challenges in the near future. Our wastewater treatment plants are in need of attention. We face a federally mandated upgrade of both our Easterly and Westerly Wastewater Treatment Plants. In addition, our Westerly Treatment Plant is out of capacity and presents a roadblock to future growth. I have already begun the process of addressing these issues with our Commissioner of Public Works. We have no choice but to devise a comprehensive plan for resolving these issues. We will ask for State and Federal Assistance where possible, and will continue to work with our own resources to bring the issues with our wastewater treatment facilities to a resolution.

I would like to conclude by reflecting on what makes our City a place that we are proud to call home. We have rich history, and the best of community traditions. We value our seniors, our education system, and we have the best of neighbors. In short, we have a community that we all value. As members of this community, you should expect your elected officials to work to make Marlborough one of the best run cities in the Commonwealth. We want you to be proud of how your City is led and run. I will work daily to make sure that when I say "Today begins a new era of cooperation, communication, and collaboration in our City government" that those words have meaning, and reflect our desire to serve you.

I ask that this spirit of cooperation extend to all residents of our City. Every resident can make a difference to our City, our schools, and our neighborhoods. No contribution is too small. Perhaps your contribution will be increasing your weekly recycling as a way to reduce City spending. Maybe you will be inclined to volunteer for an hour or two each month in our Schools, senior center, or for the friends of the library. Your business may wish to increase your donations of supplies to our Schools. Your contribution may be continuing to check on an elderly neighbor, or helping a neighbor clear her driveway and sidewalk of snow. Every contribution of time or effort helps, and continues our community's tradition of giving back to the City that we are proud to call home. I ask that in the coming years, we all seek opportunities to continue this tradition. I know that many of you here today already do your fair share. Some of you may not know how you can help. Ask. Ask your City Councilor, ask your neighbors, ask me.

Thank you to my family and friends for your love and encouragement. Thank you all for your support and for placing your confidence in me. Thank you for making history. And thank you for your continued contributions to our community.