Newton Massachusetts inaugurated a new mayor last month, Setti Warren. In contrast to his dawdling predecessor, Mayor Warren has thus far begun to establish an assertive and confident leadership style. During the transition between his election and inauguration, Warren took to the time to closely examine all city departments and their leaders. This resulted in a selective "cleaning house" pursuant to which several long-tenured department heads were let go, saving the City thousands of dollars and sending a message about Warren as an executive who would demand accountability and efficiency.
Mayor Warren also hired an experienced and much-respected former Newton official, Bob Rooney as his chief operating officer to work with remaining department heads to find ways to enhance the provision of city services. Additionally, in the face of a budget deficit of approximately $11 million, Warren is holding a series of "Town Hall" meetings with Newton residents to hear their thoughts on which services should be cut and which should be retained. The initial consensus among civic-minded Newtonians is that Mayor Warren is not only willing to make some painful cuts if necessary, but that he will only do so after careful consideration and listening to the voices of the people. And it's not just the local "gadflies" who are impressed with him so far, it's also, according to my sources within the Department of Public Works and the Police Department, those who work for the city.
Kudos to Mayor Warren for the way he's starting out as our new mayor!
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