Arrigo Holds Off on Having Inauguration Celebration

There is too much work to be done to throw a party right now, Mayor Brian Arrigo said this week.

Due to the mayoral recount that continued into December, Arrigo never had a chance to transition into office, but rather came in with only a few days to plan for the inauguration. He originally had planned to have an inaugural celebration at the end of January, but this week – after spending three weeks in office – he said it just wasn’t the time.

“The three weeks since have been extremely busy, as my administration has hit the ground running in tackling the many challenges we have inherited,” he said on Tuesday in a statement. “I have begun the process of evaluating each and every department in the City to make sure we deliver the most efficient city services possible to Revere’s taxpayers. This process won’t be quick or easy, but it’s something I’m fully committed to. The hectic nature of my early days in office has not allowed for time to have a traditional inaugural celebration or address to the City. However, I’m proud to have made my office accessible to all by creating a welcoming environment at City Hall, and by opening my doors for office hours every Thursday night so residents can come in after work and discuss any issues of concern.”

In his first few days, Arrigo and his administration have been trying to understand just where things are at. He said he would likely spend a good deal of his first months professionalizing City Hall by establishing written hiring practices, written protocols and other standard organizational structures. Starting from the ground up on such things, he said, is going to take time. He will outline these plans in a speech to the Council on Feb. 8.

“At the City Council meeting on February 8, I will speak to the Council and to the residents, laying out my agenda for the months and years ahead,” he said. “I look forward to discussing some of our ambitious plans to transform City government and deliver the better Revere we promised residents on the campaign trail.”

Arrigo also pointed out that he will remain accessible to the public, and made a point of noting that the shades in the Mayor’s Office are once again open for everyone to see inside – a nod to his promise of transparency.