Former Mayor and current Councillor-at-Large Dan Rizzo has issued the following statement on his candidacy:
It is with tremendous pride in Revere and its diverse citizenry, that I formally announce my candidacy for Mayor.
Over the course of the past few months, I’ve reached out to thousands of residents, initially to listen to what they had to say, and then to candidly share with them what I think.
What I heard, loudly and clearly, is that people feel their city government is not working for them.
I heard frustration about the way City Hall is functioning, I heard disappointment about the many broken promises spouted by the incumbent Mayor four years ago.
I heard anger both about the massive overdevelopment of apartments in our city, as well as about the number of vehicles which make our streets virtuously impossible to navigate.
Finally, and most sadly, I heard deep and heartfelt concern from many who fear that in only a few years, there might no longer be a place for themselves; for their new neighbors; or for their children or grandchildren in a future Revere.
I’m running for Mayor because I agree with each and every point articulated by these voters.
I’m running for Mayor because I believe City Hall should be putting Revere residents, and their quality of life, above the profit margins of Out-of-Town Developers.
I’m running for Mayor because at this important time in our city’s history we have a responsibility to protect those old and new residents who have invested in Revere, before another term of careless spending and reckless tax increases prices them out of the city.
Today, Revere stands at a crossroads.
Together, we have the power to chart its future course.
The questions you need to ask yourself are these: First, do you want more apartment complexes, more traffic, and more detriments to your quality of life in Revere?
The current Mayor has brought more apartments to the city than the last three Mayors combined!
The result of these policies has been to further congest our streets; to push our schools over capacity; and to have stretched our public resources to the breaking point.
As Mayor, I called for a two-year moratorium to put a pause on large-scale residential development and fix our antiquated zoning ordinances. I urged a focus on commercial development over residential, like the revitalization of Northgate and Broadway, and on affordable senior housing, like the One Beach complex.
Sadly, this plan was disregarded and undone by the current Mayor.
Once again, I believe we need to impose a two-year moratorium to all large-scale residential building, implement smart traffic signalization, and bring in a full-time traffic professional on staff to direct traffic as efficiently as possible.
In addition, to help with our growing student population, I will work with the Governor and the Massachusetts School Building Association to help fast track the process to build a new high school and best provide for our increasing class sizes.
The choice is clear.
If you want four more years like the past four years, vote for him.
If you believe we can do it better, than I urge you to vote for me.
Second, do you want more accountability, more transparency, and zero incidents of corruption?
The current Mayor has failed to provide proper oversight in City Hall, resulting in two major corruption scandals which have resulted in criminal indictments.
I am proud to say that during my term as Mayor, I oversaw a completely scandal free administration, and held each and every department accountable through monthly reports and the creation of responsible departmental forums for oversight and communication.
To restore public trust in City Hall, we have to reinstitute monthly meetings between department heads that include our city’s finance team to protect your tax dollars. We also need to enforce our residency requirements for hiring that apply to all City Hall employees. Lastly, we must pay special attention to outside audit reports in order to provide better oversight to all revenue received and spent by the city.
The choice is clear.
If you want four more years like the past four years, vote for him.
If you believe we can do it better, than I urge you to vote for me.
Third, do you want unnecessary tax increases which take more from your wallet but achieve fewer and more expensive city services?
The current Mayor has raised the budget by $50 million in only four years, hired over 130 new employees, and has raised residents’ property taxes, on average, just over 20%.
Those are the facts.
During my time as Mayor, the city’s finances were recognized by the Government Finance Officers Association for excellence in budgeting. We achieved record levels of free cash and more than doubled our city’s “rainy day†fund. We need to fight to protect our people and their hard-earned tax dollars.
As Mayor, I’ll put a stop to rampant over hiring at City Hall, apply a fiscally responsible mindset to our yearly budgetary review, and I’ll focus on commercial development that will increase our commercial tax base.
The choice is clear.
If you want four more years like the past four years, vote for him.
If you believe we can do it better, than I urge you to vote for me.
It is obvious that the current Mayor and I have completely different visions for the future of Revere.
In November, the residents of Revere will have the opportunity to choose who they believe has the right vision for the future of our community.
You deserve to hold your elected officials accountable for what they have promised and what they have delivered. I am anxious to compare my record and my vision and contrast it to the record and vision of the current mayor.
I will continue to knock on doors and listen to what you have to say, and, will work every single moment I can to earn your confidence and your vote on Nov. 5.
