Mayor-elect energized for tasks ahead

The 12-year city councilwoman laughed as she recalled leaving a luncheon at the Brockton Council on Aging Wednesday and being pulled into a bear hug by a senior citizen who had always wanted to embrace a mayor.

It’s actually mayor-elect, Balzotti said. But close enough.

Balzotti beat two-term Mayor James E. Harrington with 56 percent of the vote Tuesday, after finishing ahead of him in the September primary that produced the runoff election.

“It has been such an unusual journey,’’ she admitted, still exuberant from the win.

Balzotti, Bridgewater State College’s public information officer, was born and raised here and worked her way up politically, in an effort, she said, to give something back.

Since June, she has knocked on thousands of doors in a get-out-the-vote campaign. Along the way, she met hundreds of people who want to get involved, but don’t know how to begin. “I truly believe that if you give people information, work with them, show them what you’re doing, and engage them to help, they will support you,’’ she said.

Looking ahead, Balzotti, 48, is assembling a transition strategy with the promise of help from Harrington. Her focus, she said, is on a better life for all Brocktonians. (Balzotti will be on unpaid leave from Bridgewater State until Dec. 31; her last day with the school hasn’t been determined.)

The top challenge is the budget, which has been cut by millions of dollars over the last several cycles. Balzotti said she will focus on soaring retirement income costs, as just one example, and seek answers surrounding a federal audit that criticized the nonprofit Building a Better Brockton’s handling of millions of dollars in federal grants.

It isn’t known whether that audit, and allegations of conflicts of interest among members of the agency’s board of directors, will endanger a pending $21 million grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Harrington created Building a Better Brockton last year to replace the city’s planning department.

Executive director Don Walsh recently resigned after admitting he didn’t inform officials of the audit or its results. He said he was waiting until he had a response to the audit’s claims.

“I don’t want to rush to judgment,’’ Balzotti said. “But I know I want Building a Better Brockton to have a closer connection to City Hall.’’

Balzotti loves the idea of hiring an urban planner and has been suggesting ideas to fellow council members about how to reinvigorate the downtown area.

Brockton Interfaith Community is a nonpartisan coalition of churches, colleges, and community groups dedicated to helping residents bring about change.

Executive director Janine Carreiro said the group had a good relationship with Harrington and looks forward to working with Balzotti.

Michele Morgan Bolton can be reached at mmbolton1@verizon.net