Marlborough's mayor says he'll retire instead of running for a seventh term
MARLBOROUGH — Arthur Vigeant, the city's longest-serving mayor, announced Monday that he will not seek a seventh two-year term this fall, and will instead retire after 30 years on the City Council and Mayor's Office.
Vigeant said in a press release that he will retire once his current term concludes at year's end.
“Serving as mayor of my hometown is the honor of my lifetime," Vigeant said in the release. "While it will be tough to move on after being involved for so many years, I’m ready to start a new chapter in my life with my family and close friends. The goal of anyone serving in public office should be to leaving things in better shape than when you started. I have done that and am proud of everything that my administration has been able to accomplish over the last eleven years."
Vigeant was first elected mayor in 2011, defeating Matthew Jones by just 42 votes. He replaced Nancy Stevens, who opted not to run again after serving three terms.
Despite the close race in 2011, Vigeant was consistently reelected by healthy margins. He was unopposed in 2013, then defeated Edward Bigelow in 2015 and 2017 with 64% and 68% of the vote, respectively. In his last two mayoral races (2019 and 2021), Vigeant defeated David Garceau with 62% and 64% of the vote, respectively.
Sixth term: Vigeant wins defeats Garceau to earn another two-year stint as mayor
During his time in office, Vigeant oversaw several major projects, including construction of the Goodnow Brothers Elementary School and the new Marlborough Senior Center. His administration touted the work the city did with the Marlborough Economic Development Corp., which helped bring major businesses, including Quest Diagnostics, Boston Scientific and, most recently, BJ's Wholesale to Marlborough.
Vigeant praises cooperation with council
Vigeant, who before becoming mayor served 18 years (1993-2011) on the City Council, praised the cooperative nature between himself and the council and his office as the reason he was able to accomplish his goals.
“Gridlock and infighting may be the norm in Washington, D.C., but in Marlborough we’ve focused ongetting stuff done,” Vigeant stated. “I am fortunate to have worked with great people on the City Council and School Committee and am grateful for their friendship and efforts to make Marlborough stronger. While disagreements are inevitable, I hope our residents look back on the last decade as examples of how government should work. It’s amazing how much good we can do by working together.”
Corporate move: Wholesale club operator BJ's is moving offices to Marlborough
Challenges during Vigeant's time in office include a debate over the creation of a fire station on the city's west side. It was a hot topic early in his administration and remains unresolved, as a deadlock remains between the mayor and the City Council on how to best go forward with a proposal to build a new station at a site on Elm Street.
Vigeant's decision not to run guarantees that a new mayor will be elected in November. City Councilor Christian Dumais is the first, and is so far only, candidate to announce his intention to run.
This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Marlborough Mayor Vigeant will not seek reelection
