Thomas C. Hoye, Jr. was sworn in Monday as the new Mayor of Taunton.
?It?s truly an honor to stand before you today as your new Mayor,? Hoye said during his inaugural address. ?To say that I?m excited is an understatement.?
Hoye was sworn in during an inauguration ceremony held at the Friedman Middle School on Monday morning. The auditorium was packed with citizens of Taunton, former city leaders, state legislators who represent the area, law enforcement and fire department members, along with family and friends of newly-inaugurated officials.
Hoye described his vision for the term ahead, explaining that he wishes to bring about a revived sense of cooperation to improve the effectiveness of local government.
?As I begin my tenure as Mayor, I hope to usher in a renewed spirit of cooperation, commonality and community within city government,? Hoye said. ?There is a reason why all of our elected officials are on stage together here today. It is beyond symbolic and points to the fact that each and every person on this stage is equally important and plays a vital role in our city. Our boards must work together for the overall good of our community.?
Hoye becomes the 49th mayor in Taunton?s history, succeeding Charles E. Crowley, who served from March 12, 2007, until Monday. Hoye was elected on Nov. 8, winning 63 percent of the vote, topping former longtime Taunton schools superintendent Gerald Croteau.
Before becoming mayor, Hoye worked as a physical education and health teacher, and has co-owned an ice cream parlor on Winthrop Street.
Since the election, Hoye has formed a transition team and named Jason Buffington as his pick for city solicitor and Daniel de Abreu as assistant city solicitor. Hoye also selected his campaign manager, Alyssa Gracia, as assistant to the mayor.
In addition to Hoye, the nine-member City Council and the eight-member School Committee were sworn in, along with the Taunton Municipal Lighting Plant Commission, the city Planning Board and the Zoning Board. Buffington was elected to the council but resigned his spot to become City Solicitor, allowing City Councilor Daniel Barbour to retain his seat after receiving the 10th most votes during the November election.
During his inaugural address, Hoye thanked his family, along with everyone participating in the ceremony for being there and helping him along the way. Hoye was sworn in by Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray on a bible owned by historic Revolutionary War figure Rev. Caleb Barnum of Taunton.
During his address, Hoye said that ?a synergistic relationship? between the boards of city government starts immediately.
?No longer can elected bodies operate in an atmosphere of isolation, but must work with collaboration and most importantly cooperation,? Hoye said. ?Political affiliations must be put aside for the greater good of our community. Partisan politics no longer has a place within our borders and will not be tolerated. I know with the talent and dedication here today we will achieve this modest goal immediately.?
Hoye described Taunton as a ?tremendous,? historic city and said that he hopes ?that our community will strive to achieve the status that it once enjoyed? when industry was in full bloom.
Hoye said ?we are not going to solve all of our problems overnight? and said he would not be making any promises he couldn?t keep. But he highlighted the need further development and expansion of the city?s industrial parks, saying that a planned Phase IV and Phase V of redevelopment at the Myles Standish Industrial park will drive this process.
Hoye said there is no reason that the downtown area of Taunton cannot become the economic base for the city as it used to be. He said past promises of rejuvenation of the historic downtown area have not ?been one filled with success,? but said there is now a foundation in place and thanked the Business Improvement District, a coalition of downtown businesses, for leading the way.
?We must replace businesses that have left and rebuild our historic downtown and we do that one step at a time,? Hoye said.
Hoye said downtown cannot be revitalized without a refurbished downtown City Hall, which has been substituted with a temporary location at the old Maxim School on Oak Street. The downtown City Hall was damaged in a fire in the summer of 2010.
?A discussion on downtown cannot start without City Hall entering the equation,? Hoye said. ?City Hall is the heart of downtown and must be restored. It will be a top priority of my administration.?
Hoye also talked about reforming the city?s permitting process, to make it easier and faster for budding small businesses.
?Taunton needs to become a place where it is easy to do business and the concerns of our business leaders are not only heard but addressed,? Hoye said. ?I have been encouraged by the discussions between our transition team and department heads involving permitting reform. I am confident that positive change in this area is well on its way to becoming reality.?
Hoye also said ?improved infrastructure will make our city more attractive to businesses reliant on our resources.? Specifically, Hoye said he is working for sewer expansion in the Westville section of Taunton.
?Sewer expansion in our Westville section will lead to much needed economic opportunity in that area, opportunity not seen since the Taunton Dog Track closed its doors over 35 years ago,? Hoye said.
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