End Of Political Era In Marlborough As Mayor Vigeant Prepares To Retire

MARLBOROUGH, MA — Mayor Arthur Vigeant Monday announced plans to retire from public service at the end of the year, concluding his sixth term and his 30th year as a local elected official.

Up until Monday, Vigeant had been quiet about his electoral plans this year. Ward 3 Councilor Christian Dumais last month kicked off his bid to become the next mayor — and is now the only declared candidate running.

Vigeant won his first city council election in 1993 and later ascended to become city council president. He was elected to his first term as mayor in 2011.

"I love the city of Marlborough," Vigeant said in a news release Monday. "Serving as mayor of my hometown is the honor of my lifetime. While it will be tough to move on after being involved for so many years, I’m ready to start a new chapter in my life with my family and close friends. The goal of anyone serving in public office should be to leaving things in better shape than when you started. I have done that and am proud of everything that my administration has been able to accomplish over the last 11 years. With the partnership of the city council, our city has been able to achieve and maintain an impeccable financial foundation, the strongest in the city’s history. Working together, we have made significant investments in our facilities, infrastructure, and municipal services while ensuring that Marlborough remains an affordable community for all families."

Along with his retirement announcement, Vigeant ticked off items he's proud of from his time as mayor, including achieving the city's first AAA credit rating, instituting a program for seniors allowing them to work at City Hall in exchange for a tax cut, an expansion of Callahan State Park and maintaining a low tax rate compared to other MetroWest communities.

Vigeant also noted larger economic development activity in the city, like a new apartment development slated for the French Hill neighborhood, and attracting new businesses to town — including the move of the BJ's Wholesale corporate offices from nearby Westborough.

The longtime mayor's efforts in office have also been criticized. He faced retired Marlborough police officer David Garceau in the past two city elections in 2019 and 2021. During his last run, Garceau said he would impose mayoral term limits, and criticized new multifamily apartment developments proposed in the city.

Dumais has highlighted the city's longtime quest to build a new west side fire station as a main reason for his run due to lack of communication about the project. It's also an initiative that has caused tension between councilors and Vigeant.

Dumais said he called Vigeant Monday to thank the mayor for his service. He also said he pledged to continue Vigeant's commitment to fiscal responsibility.

"As your next Mayor, my goal is to continue to build on that fiscal responsibility while bringing a new generation of leadership to City Hall. I look forward to working with the Mayor over the next several months on passing a responsible budget for July, and completing City projects that are much needed. I wish him and his wife Susan well in all of their future endeavors as they move onto this new chapter in their lives," his statement said.

Vigeant said he still has work to do in the coming months, including completing the fiscal 2024 budget, and being on hand for the opening of the new main library building.

"There is still plenty of work to do, and I hope with the support of my administration and the city council, we can finish the projects slated for this calendar year," he said.