Selectman John Riley; Solving Problems on Behalf of the Community

When Michael Peraino was sworn in as the new Chief of Police on May 3 in front of a packed room of friends and family, he wasn’t the only person present who was about to officially take on a new position. Prior to the Chief being the center of attention, John Riley had become the new Chairman of the Board of Selectmen, switching seats in a bloodless but approved coup.

Riley is a lifelong resident of Hingham, a father of four and owner of local firm Riley Construction. He has been a Selectman since 2006 after previously serving the town as a member of the Planning Board for 21 years, which included eight stints as Chairman. When you watch him at Selectmen meetings, he has a quiet confidence that prefers to concentrate on solutions rather than problems, a talent that he has nurtured after over 40 years in the construction industry.

While some people may see public service as a means to an end, for Riley it all comes down to the needs of the community, something that he has strived to maintain in all of his aspects of town involvement. 

“My decisions going forward since the time I was sworn in were very simple,” said Riley. “ My position was that if it was in the best interests of the town, then I’ll vote for it. If it’s not or it’s questionable, then I won’t.”

His experience in his day job has been invaluable in deciding the best route to take when it comes to getting required work done, admitting that he has had “the opportunity to be on almost every street in Hingham, repairing water and gas pipes, installing new services and you get to understand where everything is and how it all works above ground as well as below.”

However it was Riley’s father who originally persuaded him to bring his talents to benefit the town, rather than just standing on the sidelines.

“My father was a Sewer Commissioner in Hingham for 10 years and I was complaining to him about this and that, he turned to me and said that if this is so much of a concern you should get yourself involved," Riley said. If you want to change things you have to get involved but don’t expect anything out of it except your own self-satisfaction. And that’s why I do it.” 

His time in public service has not been without difficulties, in particular the allegations brought against Riley by Hingham developer Thomas Hastings.  Riley said he was accused of "using my position to feather my own nest”, a damaging imputation that was investigated by the State Ethics Commission who exonerated him of all charges in March.

Riley admits that dealing with these slurs on his reputation had been difficult.

“For somebody to suggest that I was using my position to better myself not only angered me, but I felt a bit of a betrayal. My father used to say to me that all you have is your reputation and with this ethics violation, that came into question and how do you get your reputation back once something like this happens?”

Although he has been cleared of all charges, Riley understands that there will always be an element of doubt in the minds of some people.

“It’s very important that I stay above all that,” he said. “ But there’s really no reason to use this position to further myself and I’m not in a position in life where I need to do that.” 

With the investigation behind him, his positions on the Planning Board and now on the Board of Selectmen have given Riley a unique opportunity to give something back to the town especially when you consider that his hobby is house restoration. There are numerous projects being planned and discussed within the rooms at Town Hall, including the improvements to the harbor area and to North Street that Riley hopes will enhance the historical heritage of the downtown area. 

“I thought it was important to try to bring back that era and my part was to convince the powers-that-be that it would be a nice place to put the old brick sidewalks, different lighting, rid ourselves of telegraph poles and the wires that go with them," he said. "The wires will go underground within the next year and then it will be a sheer view of beauty.”

For John Riley, this is what he can use his position within the community to achieve. Enhancing the Town of Hingham for the benefit of all residents and not just individuals.