Maiocco to Retire After 30 Years on City Council

Story Updated 4:59PM Tuesday, July 30, 2013

– Allison Goldsberry

Robert Maiocco, Medford’s second-longest serving City Councilor, surprised even those close to him when he decided not to run for a sixteenth term.

His wife, Cheryl, asked about his nomination papers, which were due last week, and she didn’t initially believe him when he said he was retiring after thirty years on the City Council.

Maiocco said he decided in 2011 if he was lucky enough to be re-elected to his fifteenth term he would retire afterwards. He kept this knowledge to himself until very recently.

The long-time city councilor said he is “eternally grateful” for the public support he has received over the years.

“”Thirty years has been a long run,” said Maiocco. “It’s been an honor to serve the people of Medford.”

Councilor Under Two Different Government Systems

Maiocco was first elected to the Medford City Council in 1981. The city government was different then. Under a Plan E government, or a “strong council” system, the City Council hired a city manager and elected a mostly ceremonial mayor from amongst themselves. That all changed in 1987, when the public supported moving to the current Plan A system, or “strong mayor” system, where the Council serves as a legislative body and the executive position of Mayor is elected by the people.

Councilor Maiocco said the ’80’s were a challenging time and when he was re-elected to the Council after the change to Plan A he made the appropriate adjustments.

“I always kept my appropriate roles. I knew what my role was a city councilor” under both systems [of government], said Maiocco.

City Councilor Paul Camuso, a member of the Council since 2003, said Maiocco’s professionalism and understanding of his role as a councilor helped him be successful over his career.

“He’s someone that respected the change of government and changed his role along with it,” said Councilor Camuso.

A Focus on Neighborhood Issues

While learning to navigate the political waters after a significant change in the structure of government was arguably important, something more basic has served as the foundation of Maiocco’s success as a councilor.

“My number one priority has always been protection of the neighborhoods,” said Maiocco. “People deserve clean, safe neighborhoods.”

Councilor Maiocco knew simple quality of life issues were important to residents and that they expected a responsive Council to issues such as sidewalk repair, tree trimming, pothole maintenance, and public safety.

“He was a ‘neighborhood person;’ he believed in protecting the people of the neighborhood,” said State Representative Paul Donato, who served with Maiocco on the City Council at two different times in the 1980’s and ’90’s.

Mayor Michael McGlynn, elected in 1987 and the city’s first mayor under the Plan A form of government, said Councilor Maiocco was a leader on issues important to the community.

“He worked very hard to protect the quality of life in this community,” said Mayor McGlynn.

“He always put the neighborhoods above everything else,” said Stephanie Muccini Burke, who spent sixteen years on the City Council with Maiocco before becoming the city’s budget and personnel director.

Breanna Lungo-Koehn, a City Councilor since 2001, agreed.

“Bob has served the City of Medford for so many years. He has fought for the best interest of the City and was a leader when it came to protecting our neighborhoods,” said Councilor Lungo-Koehn.

The ‘People’s Forum’

Councilor Maiocco has often said over the years that public Council meetings are the only public forum in which people can discuss community issues and air their concerns.

“I think he coined the phrase ‘this is the people’s forum’,” said City Councilor Michael Marks, who has served on the Council for twelve years with Maiocco.

Marks said Council meetings weren’t going to end until they were “done with an issue” and everyone had time to speak.

“I will always remember that about him; that is how government should operate,” said Councilor Marks.

“He would always say ‘this is the people’s forum’; he absolutely believed in that,” said Rep. Donato.

A Leader and Mentor

Councilor Maiocco spent thirteen of his thirty years on the Council as president. The president is responsible for conducting the meetings each week, which is a balancing act between moving the agenda forward and ensuring that every councilor and member of the public gets to express his/her opinion.

“I always tried to be fair in my votes,” said Maiocco. “I always tried to be fair with my colleagues and with the people who came before the Council.”

Councilor Marks said Maiocco did a “tremendous” job as Council president and that he relied on his wisdom and guidance.

“He will be sorely missed as a leader and active member of the Council; his voice on the Council will be missed,” said Marks.

Marks said he looked up to Maiocco as a mentor when he was first elected to the Council, a sentiment echoed both by Councilors Lungo-Koehn and Rick Caraviello.

“I have looked up to Bob for years even when we voted differently on certain issues,” said Councilor Lungo-Koehn.

“In my short time on the Council, Bob has helped me work through the learning curve that a new City Councilor faces,” said Councilor Rick Caraviello, who was elected to the Council in 2011. “I have called on Bob on many occasions for advice and his thirty years of knowledge and he has always been of help to me. Anytime I have called on Bob he would always offer me both sides of the issue at hand. After every conversation he would always end with ‘vote how you think is correct’, which is the answer that a true leader should give.”

City Councilor Fred Dello Russo, Jr., said he has known Maiocco for most of his life and remembers him serving with his father on the City Council in the ’80’s. Dello Russo said that while his father has always been his biggest role model others have also “modeled for me what public service is about.”

“Bob Maiocco stands out among them. He has been great to work with since the day of my election,” said Councilor Dello Russo, who was first elected to the City Council in 2005 and has served as Vice President alongside Maiocco for a couple of terms. “Naturally we haven’t agreed on all issues but Bob has been a great mentor and has offered lots of good advice. We have become good friends over these years.”

Thirty Years of Service

Councilor Maiocco says he “feels comfortable” leaving now and that the city’s finances are in “much better shape” since the recession began in 2007.

He said he might have “withdrawal” on Tuesday nights and will miss the camaraderie of his Council colleagues and his interactions with the public.

He credits his wife for being his partner throughout his Council career and noted that out of thirty-two years of marriage he has been a City Councilor for thirty of them.

“Without her it wouldn’t have been possible,” said Maiocco.

Councilor Maiocco was also honest about serving in a public role for so long.

“When you’re in the public arena you need to be prepared for the compliments and criticism,” said Maiocco.

Councilor Lungo-Koehn concurred.

“Being a public official is not easy. The job comes with stress and requires hard work,” said Lungo-Koehn. “Bob has led this City graciously and he will be sorely missed by the citizens and those who are elected in November.”

“He has served on the council during some very difficult years, showing how important continuity and change can balance towards progress,” said Councilor Dello Russo. “In an age where elected officials face unbounded scrutiny and criticism, Bob has held his head high and has always served the best interests of the tax payer with enthusiasm and integrity.”

Councilor Robert Penta, Medford’s longest serving city councilor who was first elected in 1979, had this to say about serving on the Council:

“It’s easier to get elected; it’s harder to stay elected once you’re there because of the issues,” said Penta.

Penta, who has served with Maiocco on the Council for his entire career, said the hardest part about the job is the disagreement among the councilors. However, Penta said if councilors always agreed “nothing would ever get accomplished.”

“No two people are the same; the votes might be the same but your persona is not the same,” said Councilor Penta.

Penta said he will miss Maiocco.

“I enjoyed serving with him and will miss not serving with him…thirty years is a long time,” said Penta.

In those three decades Penta and Maiocco also got to know each other outside of the Council Chambers. Penta called Maiocco both a colleague and friend.

“Besides being a colleague and friend he was there at a time when I was having a tough family situation,” said Penta.

Mayor McGlynn praised Maiocco for his years of service and called his retirement a “great loss for the community.”

“Bob Maiocco is a professional who earned a reputation for always acting very responsibly when it came to Medford’s taxpayers’ dollars,” said Mayor McGlynn.

Councilor Caraviello said Councilor Maiocco will definitely be missed by the citizens of Medford.

“Bob’s leadership on the Council and throughout Medford is going to be missed,” said Caraviello. “I know he will not be silent in retirement on issues affecting the residents of Medford. I wish Bob the best in retirement and hope he can find something to do on Tuesday nights.”