Published November 22, 2019

MELROSE — Paul Brodeur got to work this week as the first newly elected mayor in nearly 20 years.

He was sworn into office Monday morning. The former state representative and aldermen-at-large, a lifelong Melrose resident, said there’s much to do, and that he needs everyone’s help for the city to realize its full potential in the years to come.

Following are remarks Mayor Brodeur made after taking the oath of office:

As I was thinking of what I would like to share with you today I came across something Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote which I think might be helpful in our exercises. “An institution is the lengthened shadow of one man.” Let’s think about that and return to it later.

NEW MAYOR Paul Brodeur, accompanied by his wife Liz and sons Ethan and Sam, is sworn in by City Clerk Amy Kamosa on Monday, November 18 at approximately 9 a.m. (Jim Shaer Photo)

When I was on the campaign trail one of the most common questions I received was why I wanted to leave my job as State Representative in order to come back to the city level as mayor. As State Rep I was helping to pass statewide legislation, amending a $42 billion budget, and advancing meaningful policies across a wide spectrum of departments and services. As mayor, I’ll be responsible for filling pot holes and fixing neighborhood issues all within the confines of a couple square miles. Folks at the doors would listen to me politely and then get this skeptical look on their faces and ask, “ Isn’t this a demotion?”

I loved getting this question because it gave me a chance to share what has become an open secret: Melrose is part of who I am. This community, its parks and schools, its families and neighbors have left an indelible imprint on my identity and how I aim to lead my life. The chance to give back to this city, to make it better than I found it, is the opportunity of a lifetime and something I’d never be able to do in the same way from my office in the State House.

Truth be told, I’m not the first to ditch Beacon Hill for Melrose.

Having served as town moderator in Melrose from the end of the civil war until the turn of the 20th century, Levi S. Gould served a full term as State Representative in 1868. The House of Representatives at the time was somehow more raucous than it is today, and while Gould served admirably, something in Melrose must have called him to return. As moderator in Melrose, Gould would have been intimately aware of the petty disagreements neighbors had as the city expanded rapidly as well as the more significant challenges that Melrose families face—getting on with life after a son didn’t come home from war, or trying to manage a business through the worst depression in American history at the time. Despite this, Gould decided to return and served as Melrose’s first mayor.

When I think of Emerson’s quote that institutions are the lengthened shadow of one man, I think of people like Levi Gould, and I am grateful for his example and the example of his successors, most recently our first female mayor Gail Infurna. In addition to stepping up to the job selflessly, she has been a tremendous help in facilitating a smooth transition. While she has departed us temporarily for warmer temperatures, I think I speak for all of us when I say thank you.

Institutions are the lengthened shadow of one man. I would like to make it the mission of my administration to prove this sentiment false. I know that they come cheaply from politicians but I’m going to make you two promises today. One, that I will make mistakes. And two, that I will need your help.

Let’s get one thing straight. I will not and cannot do this job alone. And while I will be supported by a team of extraordinary professionals who dedicate their time, talent, and ingenuity to this city, we alone are not enough. In order for Melrose to continue to become the community we are called to be I will need each of you—in order to make sure that our children are learning and thriving in and out of the classroom, in order to improve our city infrastructure, in order to keep our neighborhoods safe and our community open and welcoming to all I will need all of you.

I am particularly mindful of what selfless service to community is as I reflect on the tragic passing of Worcester firefighter Lieutenant Jason Menard. Lieutenant Menard’s selfless sacrifice not only saved lives but demonstrated the dangers that first responders everywhere face every day on the job.

With his and the example of so many before me, I am eager to get to work. I will be speaking with you again in January as we begin a new chapter in Melrose’s history. But today, please accept my expression of gratitude for your lifelong support of me and my family. And, please, get involved. Reach out to my office, talk to your neighbors and friends, and let’s work together to leave Melrose better than we found it.