Marlborough Councilor Samantha Perlman Aims For Mayor's Seat: Q&A

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

Marlborough voters in 2023 will get the chance to elect a new mayor for the first time in more than a decade, starting with this week's mayoral preliminary. Mayor Arthur Vigeant is retiring at the end of 2023, capping six terms that followed his two decades as a city councilor.

Vigeant first won the mayoral seat by 42 votes in 2011 in an open race against Matthew Jones 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.

With no incumbent in the race, four Marlborough residents have stepped up to run for mayor, including At-Large Councilor Samantha Perlman. She won her council seat in her first run for office in 2019, earning the most votes of any candidate in the field of seven who ran at-large that year. Perlman has continued to grow her political following locally, earning the most votes of any candidate (even Vigeant) in the 2021 election, and picking up endorsements this year from prominent locals like state Sen. Jamie Eldridge and former councilor Marilyn Perry.

To help voters prepare to make a choice in the preliminary election on Tuesday, we asked each candidate to answer eight questions about why they're running for mayor, and what they would do in office. Here's how Perlman answered:

What have you achieved as a councilor that you’re proud of?

My four years as a citywide Councilor are incredibly meaningful and I want to thank our community for twice electing me to represent them. As one of most reliable and responsive City Councilors, I have carried out my values of integrity, communication and transparency in my public service since day one.

As an At-Large City Councilor, I am proud to prioritize accessibility. I have met thousands of residents both in the community and at their homes while going door-to-door in my elections, even when running unopposed in 2021. I was honored to learn from our community and was honored to receive the most votes in those races. Shortly after taking office in 2019, I sprung into action, assisting residents during the pandemic, helping our City access additional state funding, supporting our students and teachers, ensuring access to vaccines and testing, as well as delivering meals to our seniors.

Beyond my approach to governance and community engagement across policy issues, I am proud of my work supporting our education and youth, open space and environment, and strengthening the financial health of our city.

1. As a Councilor, I do not shy away from innovation, even when first getting elected, advocating for creative approaches to our city’s challenges, such as pushing for a public art ordinance to revitalize our downtown and seeking to diversify and open up the process for joining boards and commissions. Whether it was advocating for ward road repairs, voting to increase the Senior Tax Work Off Program or securing critical dollars into our West Side Stabilization Account for a new fire station, I am invested in Marlborough’s present and future.
2. Serving on the Finance Committee throughout my Council tenure, I have shaped four budget processes firsthand, ensuring that budgets like our FY24 $189 million dollar budget deliver on the municipal services that our residents deserve. I remain a strong advocate for environmental protection and open space such as advocating for the City’s purchase of 33 acres of open space to add to Callahan State Park in partnership with our state leaders and Sudbury Valley Trustees.
3. Investment in our youngest residents is a distinct priority for me. I am not only very active with our school district, visiting classrooms and attending cultural programming, I also launched my own youth program, Youth for Sam. This program has engaged countless local students and young professionals in our campaign and local government. By modeling the importance of civic engagement, I demonstrate to young people that they can already be active participants in our local government and that they have the agency to improve our community.

What drove you to run for mayor?

I am running for Mayor because, as a citywide Councilor, I have been able to listen, to advocate and take action on behalf of people and businesses across our entire community. Our City deserves new bold leadership that puts residents first. Public service is at my core and I care deeply about our community here in Marlborough.

When I first ran for office in 2019, I was motivated by the power that government has to improve the quality of life for residents and build community across numerous life experiences and points of views. In order to actualize a vision of a more transparent, inclusive and relevant local government, we need a qualified and versatile leader to tackle our city’s challenges. I am that leader. Now in my second term on the City Council, I see firsthand how our city is at a crossroads. Our city requires a Mayor who will enhance quality of life for our residents and prioritize sustainable growth. I care about our city’s future and will actualize Marlborough’s potential as an innovation hub that truly celebrates and empowers our mosaic of diversity.

I also offer the most comprehensive professional background and education in law and urban planning, training and experience that fills a knowledge gap in current city leadership. As the only candidate with citywide elected service, I understand the unique challenges in every neighborhood whether it is traffic and congestion on Route 20 and speeding on Church Street or the impact of flooding on Elm Street and protecting the wildlife corridor of Fort Meadow. Offering unique expertise with my professional work in nonprofit education, I helped pass the state law on civic education and will partner with our Superintendent and School Committee Members to guarantee the best education for every student.

Serving on the Finance Committee throughout my Council tenure, I have shaped four budget processes firsthand and worked in tandem with our business community. I am also active with our veterans community, serving as Vice Chair of our City Council’s Veterans Committee. I also possess robust relationships with our state and federal leaders, necessary to secure pivotal investment in city infrastructure.

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

As a citywide councilor, I have the distinct pleasure of engaging with constituents and forming connections within the city for the past four years. Many of these community members emphatically encouraged me to consider running for Mayor in the future, regardless of who was currently in the position. I saw their enthusiasm for a community-oriented and accessible leader humbling and I appreciated their investment in me. The timing to deepen my public service by running for Mayor this year was right for me and for our community’s needs. After serious deliberation, I decided to enter the race because I am the best and most versatile candidate to lead Marlborough forward.

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

As a lifelong resident, I know that our city is an incredibly special place. Marlborough is home to a diverse community, hub for businesses of all sizes and a desirable place to live, work and play. At the same time, it is a community facing challenges balancing the rapid growth that is pricing people out of our city and losing sight of the quality of life for our existing residents.

As Mayor, I would continue to build on my commitment to activating our downtown as a destination that is the beating heart of our city. I will support balancing growth and residents’ quality of life by investing in strong city planning and infrastructure such as the West Side Fire Station, department staffing and the array of road repairs. I will continue to advocate for education and youth, keeping in mind that climate resiliency in Marlborough is critical as we assess our impact on future generations. It is the obligation of the Mayor to promote innovative and proactive solutions that keep our residents, businesses, infrastructure, and city safe now and in the future.

Lastly, Marlborough is a leader in the region as a biotech and business hub and it is critical that we invest in our public transportation system for both residents within the community and those working in our city. In order to do so, Marlborough must actively participate in regional initiatives, partnering and learning from our surrounding communities and positioning ourselves as a key player in MetroWest.

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

My goals are informed by my citywide council service encompassing long term planning, supporting our schools and centralizing climate resiliency. It is our city’s responsibility to proactively plan for our collective future which is why one of my immediate priorities as Mayor would be to hire a city planner and develop a master plan. A city planner and master plan would gather and assess data on our population, zoning, growth, transportation, incomes, traffic and walkability to align with community input so we proactively predict and address our city’s needs, such as infrastructure upgrades and actualizing a long-overdue West Side Fire Station.

Building upon the dedication of our school district, I will invest in and retain our staff through competitive salary packages, prioritize building capacity to lower our student to teacher ratio and enhance the classroom experience for our 5,000+ students. Further, I will deepen varied enrichment, expanded literacy and STEM programs, internships and project-based learning to strengthen Marlborough Public Schools. I will also be active in protecting our environment, mitigating impacts like flooding to protect our homes and roads. We will conserve open space, increase our tree canopy to combat rising heat, and guarantee every resident access to parks and recreation. Further, I will aggressively access state and federal grant funding and strong financial planning to continue keeping our tax rate low so that seniors and families can stay in our city.

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

In addition to the high rate of development and growth that is overwhelming our city infrastructure and schools as noted above, I will add the threat of our climate crisis, an often overlooked issue, which impacts every facet of our city: from roads and public safety to the health of our seniors and the air that we breathe.

As the only candidate with a comprehensive environmental background, I am uniquely equipped to protect and adequately maintain our open space and ensure we are maximizing Marlborough’s climate resiliency. I am grateful to our Conservation Commission and Conservation Officer for leading the way with their incredible work protecting and preserving our green space and wetlands.

Our city has significant protected open space with wooded trails, scenic views, wildlife, and other amenities for all to enjoy. I will keep connecting every neighborhood through our citywide trail system and secure equitable access to parks and green space. The pandemic further highlighted how these assets are vital to our physical and mental well-being and the city’s responsibility to protect and grow our open space. Such land is vital for checks on carbon emissions that increase the pace of global warming, and filters for rainfall and other runoff that can cause pollution in our watersheds and groundwater. I propose increasing and preserving tree canopy to mitigate rising temperatures and provide cooling for our neighborhoods. Additionally, we will install solar panels across all municipal buildings to reduce energy costs. As Mayor, I will devote the necessary resources to protect, enhance and expand these vital assets. Sound stewardship of our natural resources must be integrated into all city work.

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?

Marlborough, a city built by immigrants, is a diverse community in the heart of the Commonwealth. I am proud to see community members, organizations, and our school district actively support and welcome our newest residents. Many of these individuals are fleeing violence and unimaginable conditions, and deserve the dignity of a safe place for their families to live in.

Our city will not tolerate the hate by outside groups, and I have condemned such despicable behavior, which does not reflect our community’s values. I have taken action as a City Councilor, visiting the hotels to meet with the agencies, engaging our state and federal leaders to push for action and connecting community members to volunteer. As Mayor, I would have publicly welcomed the new families and centralized city services to help new residents become integral members of our community. I would lobby our state and federal officials for necessary financial resources and social services. The state should supplement hotel taxes that our city typically receives, as those directly support our economic development. Further, I would advocate for increased work permit authorization to connect new residents with jobs here in our city.

We must also collaborate with surrounding cities and towns to strategize together and combine resources for statewide advocacy and services. Transportation remains one of the biggest hurdles for new families and we must push for investment in MetroWest Regional Transit Authority buses and expansion of our city shuttle to the commuter rail.

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

Marlborough’s conservation land and trails are a highlight for me! Whether it is hiking through Felton Street Conservation Land, the Desert, biking the rail trail or visiting Stevens Park, there is no shortage of recreation opportunities. Experiencing our parks and nature with the range of wildlife in our region is truly special for me. I also love spotting the Sligo Hill Water Tower throughout the city’s peaks, especially during the fall foliage season. I also intentionally walk the streets in our city as much as possible so I can observe the needed infrastructure upgrades and traffic safety. Outside of nature, I love the arts and attend local music and theater productions (shout out to Marlborough High’s band, choir, dessert theatre and musicals), and support our artist community here in MetroWest. Marlborough has so many gems whether it is our historical sites, parks or small businesses so I make it a priority to visit these assets and celebrate our wonderful community.

Related Marlborough mayoral preliminary profiles:

• Marlborogh 2023 Mayoral Profile: Christian Dumais
• Marlborough 2023 Mayoral Profile: Patrick Hogan
• Marlborough 2023 Mayoral Profile: Michael Baker