address. (Photo by Josh Resnek)
By Josh Resnek
The mayor will not be delivering a state of the city address this year, preferring to use social media and the Internet to get his various messages across in the next few weeks. The mayor sought to answer the many questions that had been raised and to allay the fears of others that the cancellation of the address scheduled for the 25th might be the precursor to bad news.
Was the mayor waiting for the casino licensing decision? Were there other factors in him putting off the kind of event he tends to enjoy, and to look forward to?
Is he as tired and weary of giving the same speeches on stage as he is appearing before the city council?
He tried answering all of these questions, raised in part by Councilor Mike Marchese.
The mayor explained to the council that such an address during a municipal election year is not necessary given his four year term.
He implied such a speech at the midterm is overkill rather than meaningful.
The mayor described the new world facing him and all of us.
“I am going to take advantage of the Internet and social media. No one has ever done it before. I’m trying to think out of the box,” he told the council.
Councilor John Hanlon said he was upset with the mayor’s refusal to do a state of the city address.
“It is about tradition,” said Hanlon. “I am disappointed. It is a speech that is supposed to bedone right here in front of us,” he added.
“I get it. I understand. I love tradition,” the mayoranswered Hanlon.
The mayor explained that with the Internet and social media and new software, tradition is thrown out of the window.
He said using social media and the Internet he didn’thave to spend time in his office.
Using the Internet and social media allows the mayor to be in contact with his department heads when he’s at his mansion by his pool in the summer or during one of his many trips to Aruba – where Skype meetings could be held between him and hisstaff without being inside the United States, let alonebeing in the city of Everett.
He said he will be answering 22 topics, each topic being spoken upon on tape and then made available on the Internet and on Everett cable.
“I will explain everything,” he said.
He just won’t be explaining it in a state of the city address at city hall.