Galvin Blasts 'Outrageous' Globe Article in Facebook Post to Supporters

Editor's Note: The following was written by Woburn Mayor Scott Galvin and posted on his public Facebook page. The posting is in response to the article in the Sunday Boston Globe that called into question the circumstances following a crash he was involved in while driving in a city-owned vehicle on October 19, 2011.

(This article was updated on Thursday, Oct. 10 to indicate a change made in Mayor Galvin's original post in the second paragraph.)

Dear Friends: 

I’d like to take this opportunity to clarify information contained in an article published in the Boston Globe on Sunday, October 6, 2013.

On the evening of October 19, 2011, I attended a Woburn Redevelopment Authority meeting in City Hall, and subsequently attended a Woburn Business Association meeting at the current Crowne Plaza. I sat at a table with Massachusetts State Police Lt. Colonel Marian McGovern, Woburn Police Chief Robert Ferullo, and Representative James Dwyer. I had one glass of wine over the course of the two-hour meeting.

While driving home, I was involved in an accident. Three different entities found the operator who struck my vehicle to be at fault – The Registry of Motor Vehicles, the City’s insurance company and the other operator’s insurance company. I am deeply offended by any inference of impropriety by myself or any other city official as it relates to this accident.

It is outrageous, given the deepening shutdown of the federal government, the ongoing ethnic strife in Syria, continued violence in all parts of the Middle East and numerous other high profile issues, that the Globe would interfere with a local municipal election by unfairly reporting a two-year-old motor vehicle accident on the front page of the Sunday edition of their paper. I soundly defeated my opponents in a three-way primary election by a 2-to-1 margin, and face the runner-up on November 5, 2013.

I’m proud of my record of public service (including 16 years as an Alderman and 4 years as Mayor), proud of my family, friends, supporters and the life we all share here in Woburn. Unfortunately, the Globe article has unfairly cast a negative light on our community, which I will not tolerate.

Over the past four years as Mayor, and in collaboration with a majority of the City Council, we have achieved great results for Woburn residents:

• Lowered the average residential tax bill two out of three years
Reduced water and sewer rates by 5% in 2010 with no increase since.

• Improved Woburn’s financial strength by increasing reserves, including the doubling of Our Free cash reserves and significantly reducing real estate taxes owed at the end of the year.

• Reduced the city’s overall energy usage and dependency and attained “Green Community “ status along with a grant that allowed us to install 1800 LED streetlights with a projected energy savings in excess of $100,000/year.

• Purchased over 80 acres of open space, including a portion of Spence Farm and Whispering Hill, preserving these community and recreational areas and curbing traffic congestion and impacts on infrastructure.

• Continued to invest in Our School system by obtaining a financial commitment from the MSBA to fund 50% of the feasibility study costs for a new Hurld/Wyman elementary school.

• Invested $1 million in a new state of the art public safety dispatch center and obtained $150,000 grant from state to study benefits of implementing regional dispatch center.

I have worked tirelessly during the last several months to run a positive and honest campaign based on my record. I look forward to continuing the work of improving the quality of life for all of Woburn’s residents.