After three terms at the helm, Mayor Art Ward announced Tuesday that he plans to call it quits come November.
“Serving
three terms as the Mayor of the City of Bristol, my birthplace and hometown,
has been an honor, a privilege and a most humbling experience,” the mayor said.
Ward
came to office just as the recession began hammering the economy, leading him
to preside during a time of shrinking resources.
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| Mayor Art Ward and his assistant, Mary Suchopar |
Even
so, Ward nearly lost his last reelection bid in 2011 to Republican challenger
Mary Alford and split so badly with his own Democratic Party’s leadership that
he almost certainly could not have won its nomination for the city’s top job
this year.
It
hasn’t been clear, though, whether Ward would force a primary, run as an
independent or take some other step to retain the office he’s held since 2007.
There
is only one announced candidate for mayor so far, Republican city Councilor Ken
Cockayne. But Ward’s decision is likely to unleash others soon.
 | ||||||
| Mayor Art Ward heads into meeting. |
“My longevity
as an appointed and elected official has proved most gratifying and will always
remain an integral part of my life,” the mayor said.
“My hope is that I have contributed as much to the people of the City of Bristol as I have been blessed to have received as a result of this wonderful experience.”
“My hope is that I have contributed as much to the people of the City of Bristol as I have been blessed to have received as a result of this wonderful experience.”
Ward said
there have been considerable achievements during “the economic turmoil of the
past five years,” including the opening of two new schools, consolidation of
city departments and more regional cooperation.
Gary
Lawton, an independent who twice challenged Ward for the position, said that
given the mayor’s lack of support on the town committee “he is wise not to see
another term.”
For
more information, please see Wednesday’s Bristol Press.
Here's the press release:
Mayor
Arthur J. Ward Will Not Seek a Fourth Term
Bristol,
CT, January 22, 2013 – In a prepared statement, Mayor Ward
announced that he will not be seeking a fourth term as Mayor. “Serving three
terms as the Mayor of the City of Bristol,
my birthplace and hometown, has been an honor, a privilege and a most humbling
experience, said Ward.”
“Serving in local government for almost 30 years has given
me the opportunity to learn, to experience and to contribute to the future of
our great community.”
Ward served eight years on the Zoning Board of Appeals,
fourteen years as an elected member of the Bristol City Council representing
the first district, and three terms as Mayor.
The Mayor stated, “Community service can often times prove
challenging and formidable, but the mission always remains constant - striving
for the betterment of the community by insuring that the public safety,
security, education and health needs of the people meet the utmost expectations
of performance.
One person is hardly capable of achieving these goals alone,
as evidenced by the financial impact of the economic turmoil of the past five
years.
Bristol has withstood the economic challenges of this
recession through the elimination of nearly fifty positions utilizing the process of attrition, maintaining the
practice of fiscal austerity through cooperative budgetary measures between the
educational and city components of city government, the consolidation of
multiple departments and positions, the presence of commitment of elected and
appointed officials, City department heads, staff, employees and most
importantly, the backbone of the community – the volunteers and the citizens of Bristol, all of whom have
dedicated themselves for the betterment of the city by collaboratively
providing the foundation for the future of our community. .
Bristol
has continued on the path of progress for tomorrow – with the stabilization of
our excellent bond rating, solid city pension funds, construction and
presentation of two new K-8 schools, multiple
regionalization practices, including regional and local resolutions
which address longstanding
environmental and flooding concerns along the Pequabuck and
Coppermine waterways, combining with neighboring communities in heavy equipment
purchases and addressing lower costs associated in the providing of mutual
community services, new energy and environmental efficiency provisions, long
term commitments such as the new trash-to-energy contract, the proposed new
recycling facility and new revenue enhancements such as the “pay as you throw”
solid waste program.”
Ward continued: “Economically, Bristol remains strong as a result of the
solid commitment of our business community, the ongoing revitalization efforts
of our downtown areas - past, present and future and the dedicated residents of
all ages possessing the enthusiastic, positive dedicated energy and involvement
for the future of Bristol.
Resolution of these many concerns required negotiation,
compromise and hard work by all, ultimately reaching the height of
accomplishment for everyone – a better Bristol
for us, our families and our future generations.
After much deliberation, I have come to the conclusion that
the time has arrived for me to take a respite from city government;
accordingly, I am respectfully announcing that I will not be a candidate for
reelection to the office of Mayor of the City of Bristol for a fourth term in
the upcoming November election.”
Ward concluded: “To my wife Patricia, our families, our
friends, our supporters and campaign staffs – this dream would never have
become a reality without you. Thank you for all of your love, guidance and
support throughout these years
I would be remiss if I didn’t express my extreme gratitude
for the abundance of support and the dedication of my administrative assistant,
Mary Suchopar for her confidence, allegiance and “go the extra mile” spirit
over these past five years.
I have relished the
opportunity to serve with you and to serve for you, I will forever cherish all
of the fond memories and assure you that I will continue to exercise the due
diligence deserved of both the Office of the Mayor and the people of Bristol throughout the
rest of this term of office.
My longevity as an appointed and elected official has proved
most gratifying and will always remain an integral part of my life. My hope is
that I have contributed as much to the people of the City of Bristol as I have been blessed to have
received as a result of this wonderful experience.
As we move forward as a community, I am confident that the
people of Bristol
will continue the process of responsibly exercising their right to vote and
electing a most worthy candidate in the November election.
God Bless the City of Bristol,
the State of Connecticut
and the United States of
America.”
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