Marlborough Candidate Profile: Arthur Vigeant For Mayor

MARLBOROUGH, MA — Marlborough Mayor Arthur Vigeant is seeking his third term in office, not counting the 18 years he served before 2011 as a City Councilor.

But this year, Vigeant is being challenged by Marlborough police officer David Garceau. Vigeant had a strong showing in the October preliminary election, getting about 58 percent of the vote — although only about 11 percent of Marlborough voters turned out in the election.

Vigeant, 62, says he wants a third term to continue making investments in public safety, including a new fire station on the west side of the city. He also touts his experience over Garceau, who has never held office.

Here's how Vigeant answered the Patch candidate questionnaire:

The single most pressing issue facing our city is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The single most pressing issue facing the City of Marlborough is ensuring public safety. As mayor, there are many ways to ensure safety is the top priority; some of the essential methods are:

• Continued investment into police and fire personnel
• Move forward with the fire station on the West side of Marlborough to ensure timely responses for residents and businesses.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

The most noticeable difference between my opponent and I is leadership and management experience. I have spent the last 30 years fine-tuning my leadership and management style in both municipal government and the private sector.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform:

• Continue our dedication to roads and infrastructure with a commitment to maintaining our planned minimum of $5 million of improvement per fiscal year.
• Opening the new elementary school on time and below budget is a priority of mine. Our students and adequately investing in them needs to be a top tier priority, and that is why our school system continues to improve.
• Continue on-going municipal improvements, including our enhanced library and new fire station, which will better serve individuals who live on the west end of Marlborough. These have been identified as goals through my work in the community and with education and safety professionals.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

Over the past 8 years we have invested millions of dollars into our roads, experienced an impressive economic upturn by recruiting businesses from the small one-person operation to global leaders, filling vacancies throughout the city, completed our new senior center, started construction on a long awaited elementary school and made critical investments in our public safety and our children's education. The unprecedented success our community is having comes only when you have experienced leaders in place that put petty differences aside and work towards common goals. Whether it has involved the City Council, School Committee, Department Heads, boards and commissions, city employees, or union leadership, Marlborough stands apart from Cities and Towns across Massachusetts because we work together to get the job done.

By maintaining fiscal discipline paired with wise, prudent investments, I have had the back of our hardworking residents throughout my career and will continue to ensure our city is fiscally responsible. By partnering with our finance team and the City Council, Marlborough recently earned a AAA bond rating for the first time in its history. This achievement saves taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars and allows our city to borrow money at a much lower interest rate to fund significant capital expenses like buildings and roadways.

The best advice ever shared with me was ...

Listen before you speak and always get the facts before making a decision.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I am grateful for the faith and trust placed in me by our city residents for the last eight years. I am proud of my administration and all that we have been able to achieve while ensuring our community is affordable, competitive, and on a sustainable path. I am respectfully asking for your support in the November 5th Election to continue our progress and ensure this great community remains a place we are proud to call home.