In
my election eve auto-call, I said that every election is important –
and I meant it. Through good economic times and bad, in crisis or in
calm, every voter has a major impact on the quality of the life, the
health, the opportunity and the future of the entire community and
everyone in it.

While my phone call to Somerville voters was
political – I was running unopposed but I still wanted to ask for your
vote – it was also intended to get everyone to the polls. Voting is the
most fundamental expression of citizenship in a democracy. I don't
agree with the old saying, "If you don't vote, you can't complain"
(everyone complains anyway, and most office-holders still listen), but
it's undeniable that voters get the final word on the direction of
public policy..

So what conclusions can we draw from this
election? Well, turnout of just over 18 percent of registered voters is
pretty low, and reflects the continuing long-term decline in voter
participation in non-presidential elections in Somerville. There's
really no excuse for this: our local government is about as open and
accessible as it gets, yet fewer people are choosing to run and fewer
people are choosing to vote. It shouldn't be that way. Our city's
population is getting better educated and more affluent. We're seeing
gratifying numbers of residents participate in ResiStat and volunteer
for community events and projects of all kinds. Yet none of that has
translated into direct participation in our most basic act of
self-government.

I have also heard it said that there may be
another factor at work here: in hard economic times, when difficult
choices have to be made at every level of government, fewer people want
the job of elected official. That troubles me, because at no time are
the stakes higher and the need for leadership greater than when we face
an economic or social crisis.

But that brings me to the
positive side of interpreting these election results. Our Board of
Aldermen and School Committee have both had to make some hard decisions
over the past two years, and they have shown real courage and resolve.
The fact that many aldermen and school committee members were unopposed
– and that, with one notable exception, those who faced opposition
handily defeated their opponents – suggests to me that Somerville is
generally satisfied with the quality of leadership it is receiving from
its elected officials.

In the one close race this year – for the
Ward 4 School Committee seat – there were two strong candidates. Both
worked hard, with the challenger, Christine Rafal, winning a narrow but
convincing victory over my friend, incumbent Jamie Norton. Both
candidates can be proud of the level of interest they generated, and
there can be no doubt that Christine is a well-qualified and energetic
candidate. The day after the election, Jamie wrote on Facebook that he
was "sure Christine Rafal will do an excellent job representing Ward 4
on the School Committee." I echo his sentiments.

As for my own
re-election, I am humbled and honored that – despite the fact that I
was unopposed – fully 80 percent of those who cast a ballot last
Tuesday took the time to vote for me. The last time I ran unopposed, in
2005, only 70 percent of the participating voters formally affirmed
their support for me. It's nice to know that, even when they disagree
with me about specific issues, Somerville's voters still have my back.
Believe me, I don't take that support for granted, and will continue to
do my very best to honor the trust placed in me as mayor.

I look
forward to working closely with the Board of Aldermen and the School
Committee as we face two more challenging and busy years. With the
continuing pressures on local budgets, it won't be easy to maintain the
progress we've made in improving our schools, expanding city services,
and promoting long-term transit and economic development projects like
Assembly Square, but we have to try – and I am grateful to be able to
work with such a strong, seasoned and courageous group of elected
officials.

I also want to offer a word of appreciation to the
unsuccessful candidates who showed their commitment to our city by
standing for office. While they may not have been voted into office,
their willingness to serve and their concern for their fellow residents
make all of them winners.

Last Wednesday night at the annual
Chamber of Commerce dinner (a big success, by the way), keynote speaker
Darnell Williams, President of the Urban League of Eastern
Massachusetts, quoted Theodore Roosevelt's famous observation that "It
is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong
man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.
The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena . . . who
does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the
great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best
knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst,
if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place
shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory
nor defeat."