2008 Heritage Hero

Arthur was featured in last week's Main Street Journal, a local newspaper in Marlborough. He joined Heritage Festival Committee member Elizabeth Gowaski and Chamber of Commerce President Susanne Morreale Leeber at a press conference to bid farewell to the retiring Labor Day Parade Director George Whapham, who was named the 2008 Heritage Hero.

Mayor orders precautionary spending freeze

Mayor orders precautionary spending freeze
By Paul Crocetti/Daily News staff
Tue Sep 30, 2008, 06:38 AM EDT


MARLBOROUGH -
Mayor Nancy Stevens has ordered a spending freeze on all noncontractual items - a precaution during unstable economic times for the state and the country.

The city is in good financial shape, but the picture at the state and federal levels remains unclear, Stevens said.

"I think it's the fiscally responsible thing to do," she said. "I think it's the right thing."

With state revenue projected to be down, Gov. Deval Patrick may make cuts in the future. In addition, the impact of the nationwide economic difficulties on the local level is unknown, Stevens said.

"It is purely a precautionary measure. We are in great shape," Stevens said of the city.

The freeze, instituted last week, was the correct move, City Council President Arthur Vigeant said.

"I think it's prudent to see what's going to happen," he said. "Locally, we're fine. If we do get some cuts from local aid, that changes things."

Stevens said she now has to approve any items that are not contractually obligated, such as repairs, maintenance work and other purchases.

Items such as necessary repairs will get done, but additional supply orders can be put off, Vigeant said.

"We're not taking anything away," he said. "There is just one extra step to the process."

Stevens said she typically institutes a spending freeze in January for about two or three weeks. At that time, departments look at how they stand halfway through the fiscal year.

Stevens did not put an end date on this freeze.

Vigeant said he expects some cuts and the city must prepare for them.

The Legislature may give Patrick the authority to make "9C" cuts. The term "9C" or Massachusetts General Laws - Chapter 29 - refers to steps the executive branch can take to ensure a balanced budget when projected revenues fall short of projections.

Vigeant said he expects that to happen after the election.

"I'm just hoping they're cuts we can sustain," Vigeant said. The city might be able to absorb smaller cuts into the budget, but it would be difficult to deal with decreases in such items as education funding, he said.

"We're just being very cautious going forward," Vigeant said.

Stevens said her work with other city offices is a collaborative process and believes the department heads trust her opinion. Stevens may call a department head meeting in the next week.

"I would not institute this if I didn't believe it was necessary," Stevens said. "I want to continue to be in the position we're in, which is a financially stable position."


(Paul Crocetti can be reached at 508-490-7453 or pcrocett@cnc.com.)

Mr. Main Street

Mr. Main Street
Arthur Vigeant, 50, president, Marlborough City Council

(BILL POLO/GLOBE STAFF)
August 16, 2007

Mayor Nancy Stevens may be the official face of Marlborough, but the image that the city has presented to the public lately has increasingly come to resemble its powerful City Council president, Arthur Vigeant.

Blunt-spoken, conservative, and pro-business, Vigeant has pushed a variety of measures that, for better or for worse, have put Marlborough at the center of public debate over issues of immigration, education, and even civic civility. And the city has followed his lead. Vigeant recently pressed for the US Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement to open a branch office in the city to discourage illegal immigrants from settling there. Not long after, the city's School Committee passed a measure, criticized by immigration advocates, requiring parents to show three proofs of residency before their children would be allowed into the Marlborough schools.

Former mayor Mike Hogan said Vigeant's influence stems from his stature as the city's longest-serving public official and as a consistent vote-getter come election time. Hogan also said that Vigeant's deep family roots and his local business ventures give him a home-field advantage.

"He's constantly seeing people in the post office and at local restaurants," said Hogan, who is now president and chief executive of the giant A.D. Makepeace cranberry company. "When you're always there, you have a different seat at the table."

© Copyright 2007 Globe Newspaper Company.

Southborough Summer Nights Festival

At the Southborough Summer Nights Festival on August 25th, Arthur walked around and met with attendees to introduce himself and hand out literature.

Vigeant's war chest dwarfs 4th Middlesex opponents'

By Matt Lynch/Daily News staff
The MetroWest Daily News
Posted Sep 09, 2008 @ 10:20 PM


MARLBOROUGH —While two Democratic candidates for the 4th Middlesex state rep seat steel themselves for the Sept. 16 primary, Republican candidate Arthur Vigeant is sitting pretty with a campaign war chest more than four times bigger than either of his potential opponents.

From Jan. 1 to Aug. 29, Vigeant raised nearly $31,000, compared to about $7,000 for Democrat Danielle Gregoire and $2,600 for Democrat Matt Giancola, according to filings made Monday with the state Office of Campaign and Political Finance.

Gregoire said she has raised additional cash since the deadline for a total of about $15,000 to date, still less than half of Vigeant's total.

"I think people are hesitant because of the Democratic primary," said Gregoire, who said she would hope to raise between $20,000 and $30,000 to run against Vigeant in the general election should she win her party's nomination."

Coming out of the primary, I think we'll see an increase in donations," she said.

Giancola, who graduated from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst this year and is seeking his first public office, said he focused more of his time on meeting with voters than on fundraising.

"I think we raised enough for the primary to get us through," he said. "I didn't want to focus my time on fundraising. The most important aspect for me is getting out and talking to voters."

Officials from Ken's Foods, which is based in Marlborough, and construction companies Fafard and Gutierrez, which have projects in the city, have given Vigeant the maximum of $500, according to his filing with the state.

"I don't have the special interests' or lobbyists' money coming into me," said Giancola. "I'm not looking for the big checks of $500. I think that's corrosive to politics."

Vigeant said he had no qualms accepting the donations from Arthur and Gloria Gutierrez, of Gutierrez Construction. In the past year, firm has run afoul of residents and councilors alike for its work on the western part of the city.

"I think they've made general contributions to many candidates," said Vigeant, adding he needs the cash to combat free mailings sent out by unions on behalf of Democratic candidates.

Mayor Nancy Stevens, who accepted donations from Gutierrez officials during her re-election bid last November, at one point halted construction after residents and Ward 3 Councilor Scott Schafer complained of the company's failure to follow soil-removal guidelines.

Gregoire said she is battling Vigeant's financial edge by aggressively going door-to-door and organizing neighborhood meetings.

"I'm trying to meet as many people as I can," said Gregoire, 29, who served as a legislative aide to former state Rep. Stephen LeDuc before LeDuc resigned to become an assistant clerk magistrate at Marlborough District Court.

"That's where our money is going," she said. "It's all about door knocking and voter outreach. I have to meet people because people already know Arthur."

(Matt Lynch can be reached at 508-490-7453 or mlynch@cnc.com.)

Southborough Senior Luncheon

On Wednesday, September 3rd Arthur attended the Southborough Senior Luncheon held at the Southborough Senior Center to meet and greet attendees and give a brief introduction about his candidacy.