Mayor-elect Dan Rizzo has been gearing up for the day when he takes over city government – which is less than a month away.
He has been getting around the area, seeking the advice of experts in municipal government and having attended the Harvard training session for newly elected mayors and representatives.
He will come into office with a city that is fiscally sound, with millions in the bank, with the great amounts of infrastructure work already completed, new schools built and a brand new police station and fire headquarters with new apparatus.
Rizzo will need to get his hands around the fact this city needs yet another new school to fill the growing demand for more students.
There is also the weak economy to deal with. The weak economy causes home prices and real estate values to continue downward, for fixed expenses to rise, and for taxes to rise as a result.
Rizzo will inherit a rapidly changing city with thousands of newcomers and the continued outflow of old families leaving for the suburbs.
He comes into office with the approval and working majority of the city council on his side almost to a person.
With all that good will, it should a simple task for Rizzo to get settled and to get underway.
He is also a very friendly man, and approachable, too, with a great amount of friends and allies throughout the city and his recent election by a wide margin proved that.
The unveiling of his transition team this week is a sign of good things to come, we believe.
Rizzo is looking forward to new administration establishing itself.
So is everyone else in this city who cares about city hall and who look to city hall for leadership.
Good luck, mayor-elect Rizzo.
