Tom Borroni Named City's 'Employee of the Year'

When Tom Borroni first heard that his peers selected him as the city’s Employee of the Year, he said he didn’t believe it.

He thought back to his 21 years as a New York City police officer and history as a prankster. When a new, young police officer started handing out multiple summonses a day — more than were really necessary — Borroni told the rookie that he had received a special award. The young officer got all dressed up and went to the mayor’s office to pick up his certificate, which ended up being a blank piece of paper.

“Well, it was a whole made up story,” Borroni said in his northern accent. “When I was awarded Employee of the Year, I was like, ‘OK, the joke’s over.’ ”

But it’s no joke. Borroni has gone “above and beyond” the call of duty in his job, said , who announced the award publicly at the luncheon Wednesday.

“Tom is a dedicated code compliance officer who is in touch with his constituents,” Leinbach said after the luncheon.

On a day-to-day basis, Borroni drives around the city and looks at properties to make sure they are in compliance with city codes. He said the infractions he mostly sees are overgrown grass and weeds and parking violations. It’s pretty basic stuff for the four-year city employee.

But Borroni was able to use his charm and friendly attitude to help turn what could have been a disagreeable situation into a neighborhood project.

Overgrown weeds in a at the intersection of Glen Burnie and Kirkside avenues had turned the small plot of land into an eyesore. The city started receiving complaints, and it planned to plow the parcel and put in sod.

Borroni walked around the neighborhood last November to let residents know the city’s plan. He talked to Glen Burnie Avenue resident Beth Bosserman Curts, who didn’t like the solution. She came up with her own strategy, going door to door and asking her neighbors if they would be interested in re-planting the triangle and caring for it.

The neighbors planned through the winter and replanted the triangle in May. They’ll take turns maintaining the garden, coming together as a group every few months to prune and weed.

“The flourishing garden project undertaken by the neighborhood and facilitated by Tom is a great example of the unique community bond shared by Temple Terrace citizens and employees as they jointly devise creative solutions to local issues,” Leinbach said. “He positively demonstrates the level of service we constantly try to achieve.”

Borroni said Curts deserves most of the credit for the project and should be nominated for “Neighbor of the Year” if that existed.

“If I could pat anybody on the back it would be her,” he said.

He also said humbly that he appreciates being recognized as the city’s Employee of the Year, but he’s not sure he deserves it.

“I see a lot of men and women that work for the City of Temple Terrace, and I think they should be awarded,” he said. “… I look at this as just a part of my job.”