Lynn Mayor Judith Flanagan Kennedy set the standard of excellence for which all mayoral inaugural addresses will be judged.
The mayor’s speech was brilliant and original and stood out as a personal call for a strong working relationship with the newly elected Lynn City Council so the city can continue to move forward as it has done the past four years.
Attendees at the inaugural exercises – and much praise to those who planned such a dignified and impressive program that showed off the very best of Lynn – were no doubt expecting the mayor to chart the course for the next four years in a prepared speech.
But the Mayor went in another direction, one-by-one lauding the admirable qualities and distinctive personalities of her colleagues in city government. How refreshing her remarks were and how proud the families of City Council and School Committee members were as the mayor of our city spoke so personably about the contributions of each of the city councilors and the School Committee members to our city’s government and our community.
Lynn saw many positive changes during the first Judith Flanagan Kennedy mayoral administration. The mayor understands that in order for the city to continue its progress, there has to be a strong and productive partnership with the new City Council led by President Daniel Cahill.
The inaugural address could have been all about the mayor’s outstanding record over the past four years and personal pledges for the future. But the mayor chose to speak about her partners in city government – the City Council and the School Committee – and the message was clear: To make Lynn the greatest city it can, it’s going to take a team effort with Mayor Kennedy leading the way.
And special congratulations to Dianna Chakoutis, the only newcomer elected to the council, although former Ward 5 Councilor Brendan Crighton was elected to a new position as a councilor-at-large.