Tom Ambrosino, the City Manager, expressed his desire to secure a new contract that would allow him to remain in Chelsea and complete the initiatives he has undertaken since arriving more than three years ago.
His statement arrived just before the City Council’s evaluation committee was set to begin assessing his performance on Aug. 27. The Council is obligated to inform him by January whether they intend to retain him, as his current four-year contract expires in July 2019.
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Ambrosino took office under a four-year agreement signed on July 20, 2015. Among his initial priorities was the revitalization of the downtown business district, a project that his predecessor Jay Ash had identified as a key area for future development before his departure.
According to Ambrosino, “I do hope they ask me to come back,” he said. “I have a great interest in continuing my work here. I love this city and love being City Manager here…The people here are wonderful. The challenges are interesting and it’s a vibrant and dynamic city with an exciting future ahead of it. I can’t think of a better place to be City Manager or CEO.” Though substantial planning and foundational work has already been completed, he emphasized his commitment to seeing the initiative through to completion.
“I feel like I’ve just started here, particularly with the downtown and our waterfront,” he said. “There’s a lot I’d like to see through to completion. When I was mayor in Revere, most of what I did there didn’t come to be until my last term in office and my last year there. It takes a long time to put your mark on a city.”
The City Manager has noted the productive partnerships that have emerged with various community partners and organizations, including MGH, North Suffolk, Roca, the Collaborative, and GreenRoots.
“I really feel that’s unique here and the City is lucky to have organizations like it does,” he said. “These are really tremendous community-based groups.”
The evaluation process, which was supposed to commence in April, has experienced delays. The Council designated a five-member committee consisting of President Damali Vidot, Councillors Judith Garcia, Bob Bishop, Leo Robinson, and Calvin Brown. These members will assess Ambrosino across at least 11 performance criteria from the past year, with their work beginning Aug. 27.
“It’s been tricky with our summer recess, but I’m confident we’ll have it wrapped up by October,” said Vidot.
Vidot has indicated that Ambrosino’s residency status will be an important consideration in both the evaluation and any future contract negotiations. While she believes the City Manager should reside in Chelsea, she acknowledged that the previous Council did not enforce such a requirement, making it inappropriate to impose now. Ambrosino has explained that personal circumstances predating his employment prevent him from relocating to Chelsea.
“However, that shouldn’t be the norm moving forward,” she said.