Outgoing Somerville Mayor Curtatone took some time look back on his challenges and accomplishments in office last week at Thursday’s town hall meeting.

By Joe Creason

It is the end of a long and popular run for Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone. Since announcing that he would not be running for tenth term back March 1, the community has had time to think about what a new city administration is going to look like. In order to answer some of these questions and reflect on the legacy of Curtatone’s 18-year career as mayor, a town hall was held at the East Somerville Community School last Thursday, moderated by Emmy Award-winning broadcast journalist Bryon Barnett.

“Best job I ever had, what a privilege and honor it has been,” Curtatone said, “You don’t leave when you want to leave, that means you stayed too long and you don’t want to be happy when you leave so I’m sad for the right reasons.”

Mayor Curtatone’s ninth term came during a time of global crisis in the form of the Covid-19. When he was asked about his response to the pandemic, the mayor had much to say. “We had one goal, keep everyone safe. At a time of crisis, you need bold leadership, you cannot have uncertainty,” Curtatone said.

Though Somerville tragically suffered 96 confirmed fatalities from Covid-19, the city was heralded for its aggressive response to the crisis. This includes the early approach to shutting down business operations and economic activity.

“I sleep well at night knowing that’s what we did. It wasn’t about being conservative, we were just following the science and the data,” Curtatone said.

The mayor also spoke on the economic development his administration was able to achieve, community wealth and the new main street. “We want to make sure that we give the space for residents to develop their ideas, implement those ideas and be a part of that dream of being on a new main street,” Curtatone said.

According to the mayor, the vibrant DNA of the city is what attracts the employers and the economic dynamism which makes Somerville such a great place to grow a business. It is no surprise that Greentown labs, the largest incubator of climate change solutions, is stationed in Somerville, according to the mayor.

“This development is the product of many hands, as it is with anything we do. When I climb a ladder for Somerville, I never have to look over my shoulder because I know there are 80,000 people below me,” Curtatone said.

The mayor highlighted how Somerville was voted by peer cities, some of which are among the largest cities in America, as one of top 15 forward looking municipalities.

“We want to be that civil society that embodies the progressive ideals which make Somerville the standard bearer. A small city that had constantly gotten in its own way and has been the brunt of jokes for generations, can actually show that leading with progressive values, with a social conscience and sound public administration and long-term planning, they’re not mutually exclusive, they’re inextricably linked,” Curtatone said.

When asked about how he encourages his staff to be abnormal, Curtatone noted that if the municipal government wants to evolve as an organization, it has to take risks and that means being abnormal.

In these times of social change and shifting conversations around race, Curtatone noted some technical steps his administration took to contribute to the larger conversation such as the office of racial and social justice, among other policies. He added that this is not enough.

“What we’ve done is to become better listeners. Not to co-opt the narrative of those whose perspective is closest to the pain of racial injustice which we can never understand. We must reestablish our commitment to the work,” Curtatone said.

Curtatone’s final term as mayor of Somerville ends on January 1, 2022.

Click here to watch the full town hall meeting.