8 Questions For 2023 Marlborough Mayoral Candidate Patrick Hogan

MARLBOROUGH, MA — Marlborough's 2023 mayoral election will be one of the most important in more than a decade.

For the first time in 12 years, Marlborough voters are getting the chance to elect a new mayor. Mayor Arthur Vigeant is retiring at the end of his term this year, capping more than a decade in office that followed two decades as a city councilor.

Vigeant first won the mayoral seat in 2011 in an open race against Matthew Jones by just 42 votes after former mayor Nancy Stevens left for a job with the state Department of Public Utilities. Vigeant has breezed through each election since: he went unchallenged in 2013, and won by about 1,500 votes or better against Edward Bigelow in 2015 and 2017, and former police officer David Garceau in 2019 and 2021.

Patrick Hogan, a Marlborough police officer, is running for mayor in his first bid for the seat. He'll face candidate Michael Baker and city councilors Samantha Perlman and Christian Dumais in the preliminary on Oct. 10. The top two finishers will advance to the general election in November.

Hogan, who is endorsed by the local firefighters union, says as mayor he would want to take on issues like MCAS scores, perceived under-staffing in some city departments and development projects. Here's how he answered the Marlborough Patch mayoral questionnaire:

What experience do you have that makes you feel prepared to become mayor?

I believe my life and work experience separate me from the other candidates. I’m 54 years old, own a home, married, and just welcomed a baby girl in July. I have an extensive work history with 30+ years of service with the MPD. I have been on the streets and in the homes of residents. I know Marlborough, inside and out. I have the ability to identify problems, find solutions and take action. I also have a wealth of experience as a union officer. I have been directly involved in collective bargaining and labor disputes as well as managing personnel and operating within a budget.

What drove you to run for mayor?

My motivation to run is firmly rooted in my strong affinity for Marlborough and my desire to continue my public service to the city where I was born and raised.

Were you considering a run against Vigeant, or did his retirement motivate you to run?

I was not planning a run for office until Mayor Vigeant announced his retirement.

If you become mayor, what do you think the next phase/future of Marlborough is?

I see and hear concerns from residents regarding the amount of development going on in the city. I am proposing a Growth Development Plan that will study the impact of all recent development in the city. This study would give the community a sense of what more, if any, the city can handle and the impact on services and infrastructure. I will solicit input from residents as well. The future of Marlborough is bright. We need to engage the business community and attract exciting, new business to Marlborough, but we must do it responsibly.

You may have heard my opponents advocate for a city planner. We currently have funds, specifically budgeted for city planning, through the Marlborough Economic Development Corp. These funds have been untouched and accruing for years. Before we spend money on hiring a full-time City Planner, I suggest we utilize the resources available to us to assess the need. My opponents either didn’t know the funds were available or didn’t bother to research it. Right now, we could hire specific planners with specific expertise for specific developments instead of funding an unnecessary position that requires post-employment benefits as well. A much smarter and fiscally responsible approach.

What would be your immediate priorities as mayor to accomplish in a first term?

The Marlboro Public Schools need to be the center piece of our community. Recently, the state released the latest MCAS results. Marlborough’s scores are a disappointment. As chairman of the school committee, I will strive to improve those scores by providing teachers and para-educators the support and resources they need.

Another priority is providing more services for seniors like expanded transportation options and senior center programs. Also exploring the viability of potential senior and veteran housing sites like the Sears Anchor store at the mall and the vacant IC School Building.

What are the threats or problems facing Marlborough that you would focus on?

The biggest threat is the public safety manpower issue in the city. The Police, Fire and DPW are understaffed. The city has grown exponentially since the 90’s and we have fewer patrol officers now than we did then. This leads to the specialty units, like traffic and community policing, being absorbed back into patrol. The impact is felt with less traffic enforcement, smaller specialty units and fewer cops on the street. We become reactionary instead of proactive.

The Fire Dept. is also understaffed. How can we build a new Fire Station if we don’t have the manpower to staff it? My opponents are putting the horse before the cart by promising a new station while ignoring the staffing issue. The minimum manning at the FD is 14 Firefighters per shift. According to the Firefighters union the ideal number for minimum manning would be 22. Cities of similar size to Marlborough have at least a 20-man minimum. Our FD is staffing their apparatus with the bare minimum of firefighters. This is not safe for our Firefighters or the residents of Marlborough.

The DPW street department has gone from 29 workers to 11. It is difficult to maintain roadways with less than half the workforce. A smaller public safety workforce tasked with an increased workload is a safety concern for everyone in Marlborough. It is a problem in need of a solution. I believe we need to fully staff our police, fire and DPW to make our city safer and streets better maintained.

The state’s refugee/homeless crisis has come to Marlborough, and that even attracted a neo-Nazi demonstration. How would you handle this situation while also defending people who are vulnerable to attack?

As far as handling the influx of immigrants, I would endeavor to do what Marlborough has always done. Absorb, Assimilate, and integrate. Following the example of the previous groups of immigrants to arrive in our city. Irish, Italian, Greek, Brazilian, Latino, etc., etc. The ethnicity may change but, in the end, we are all the same.

I would be remiss if I ignored the very real issue of how the current group of immigrants are arriving. There are many Marlborough residents waiting for status updates from USCIS. Some, who follow the rules, waiting years to bring family to this country. The inequities of the immigration system are not lost on me. But our hands are tied with this current situation as the state, due to the Right to Shelter law, arbitrarily decides where and when to place new immigrants.

There has been one demonstration at the hotel. A small group of ignorant cowards in masks. The response from our police department was swift and effective. To characterize the immigrants at the hotel as “vulnerable to attack” is disingenuous and inflammatory. Many of the immigrants have been moving freely about the area and patronizing the various storefronts in proximity to the hotel. They are no more “vulnerable to attack” than any one of us.

What’s your favorite thing to do in Marlborough in your free time?

Now a days, I spend the majority of free time with my beautiful wife caring for our 12-week-old baby daughter and our 12-year-old dog. Our home abuts the downtown district, we enjoy taking walks downtown where we visit the restaurants, breweries and Union Common. I belong to Crag Fitness and get in as many sweaty CrossFit workouts as I can and, when time allows, I play the guitar in a local band.