Pittsfield's Linda Tyer Announces Candidacy For Mayor
 City Clerk Linda Tyer became the first candidate in the race for mayor with her announcement on Tuesday. |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — As City Council president in 2008, Gerald Lee wanted a city clerk he could depend on.
He and then Mayor James Ruberto appointed Ward 3 Councilor Linda Tyer to the position and she's held the position since.
On Tuesday, Lee said he regretted that decision somewhat at the time because she had been one of the better legislators on the council that term.
That appointment, though, has given Tyer seven years to prove that she could be a great administrator, too, Lee said, and is now a great candidate for mayor.
"I really believe that now is the time for young progressives with bright ideas to lead our city into the 21st century," Tyer said after being introduced by Lee at a rally with some 100 friends, family, and elected officials on the steps of City Hall to announce her candidacy.
"I think we have some serious issues with our infrastructure. I think we need to make more of an effort to become energy efficient. I think the relationship between various stakeholders has gotten a little bit divided, everyone is in a silo, and it is my intention to bring everyone together and have a community conversation about how we can become a modern, 21st century city."
Tyer was elected to the City Council in 2003 with the endorsement of WHEN, Women Helping Empower Neighborhoods, a grassroots group that had formed to advocate for a progressive and diverse city government.
The candidate said the businesses, community groups, elected officials and residents are not operating in a cohesive fashion. She says she can build bridges with all of the stakeholders and plans to use the next few months of her campaign talking to those people and building a platform.
"The priority is to build bridges among all of the stakeholders. There is a lot of work to be done and I need to hear from everyone. Over the next few months, I am going to go on a listening tour," Tyer said.
She said she hopes to restore citizen confidence in government and breed more cooperation.
"Right now, there is an absence of leadership," she said.
Tyer was joined by numerous former and current government officials including Lee, former state Rep. Denis Guyer, former Director of Cultural Development Meghan Whilden, current Mayor Daniel Bianchi's former director of administrative services Mary McGinnis, former mayoral candidate Peter Marchetti, former City Councilor Christine Yon, and current City Councilors John Krol, Barry Clairmont and Jonathan Lothrop.
"I know Linda is a great organizer. She is a great city clerk. She is a great manager and she is going to make a great mayor. I have no doubt," campaign manager Tom Sakshaug said.
"She listens to people for starters. And secondly, she is a great manager. She runs her department really well in the city and I can see that scaling up to the entire city very easily."
Tyer says she is confident she will win, not just because of the early support she was shown on Tuesday but also because of her experience and difference in management.
 Many supporters joined her at City Hall on Tuesday. |
"I am a real alternative. You have a real choice now. I have a very different style. I have a very different set of procedures with how I manage people. For Pittsfield, I am offering a real choice and real alternative to the current administration," Tyer said.
"I really came to the conclusion that it is now or never. It is now or never for me. It is now or never for progressives. We really need to get busy and I decided this was going to be the right time to take this leap."
She characterized Bianchi as "well intentioned and hard working" but took shots at his leadership, saying it has divided that city. She is calling for government to "go back to basics" to create a prosperous city.
"We need to build into our day-to-day practices accountability for the things we do in government. In many ways, I feel we need to get back to basics and understand the role of government and not get too outside of that," Tyer said.
"Let's get back to basics and take care of the things that are the responsibility of government and then we can do big vision, big picture."
She said with the seat now being four years (per the new city charter), this is the best chance for the city to have a "progressive candidate who can continue to momentum started under the Ruberto administration."
Tyer said she "started exploring this more seriously beginning in January" and had built a campaign team prior to Tuesday's announcement. She plans to continue her duties in the city clerk's office and run the campaign on nights and weekends.
"I have a commitment and obligation to the city and I intend to fulfill that. I'll be in the office working with my team," Tyer said.
She holds a degree from Bay Path College in Longmeadow and had worked in the Lenox Public Schools for 17 years, including as administrative assistant to the superintendent of schools, until being named city clerk.
Tyer is the first candidate to announce a run for the position. Bianchi narrowly defeated Marchetti in the 2011 after Ruberto opted not to run for another term. He saw no opposition in his re-election campaign of 2013.
Nomination papers for the city election in November will be available on Thursday, April 2.
Tags: #PittsfieldElection, election 2015, mayor,
