After nearly eight years in office, Revere Mayor Brian M. Arrigo announced Tuesday that he will not seek reelection and will instead spend more time with his family and will “continue to pursue public service outside of elected office in some capacity.”
“After months of consideration with loved ones, I have decided to make 2023 my last year as mayor of this great city of Revere,” Arrigo said in a letter to Revere residents. “This is a bittersweet decision, as I am sad to be leaving a position that has been so rewarding, but now it is time to support the next generation with the energy and ideas to lead our great city. Supported by my incredible family, friends, and staff, the last eight years I’ve served as your mayor has been the honor of my life.”
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Arrigo became a city councilor in 2012. He won the mayoral seat in 2015 when he defeated incumbent Mayor Dan Rizzo by 108 votes. Arrigo won reelection to a second four-year term in 2019.
“I deeply love our growing, close-knit North Shore coastal community,” Arrigo’s letter said. “Revere is and always will be home to me.”
Arrigo reminisced about becoming a city councilor, surrounding himself with bright minds and taking steps to move the city forward.
“Together, that work allowed us to take those ideas to the Mayor’s Office in 2016 -- eager to implement our plans but learning quickly there are no instructions for how to run a city,” Arrigo wrote. “I have been proud to lead the fastest growing city in the Commonwealth, despite the challenges we have overcome.
“In unifying a divided city, focusing on bridging the gap between historically overlooked neighborhoods and City Hall, bringing government closer to people with 311 and promoting more transparency into how our city operates and serves its people -- slowly we built our team, we built trust, and our city thrived.”
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Arrigo thanked residents for putting their trust in him.
“Trust is the key ingredient necessary to accomplish big things -- in our personal lives, in business, or in government,” Arrigo wrote. “The integrity of the office is paramount and I am proud to know we have built a system of transparency, a culture of consistent communication, and the trust among each other to lead this city forward.”
Arrigo is at least the second Massachusetts mayor to announce plans to leave office.
Haverhill’s mayor since 2004, James Fiorentini, announced in mid-February that he will not seek reelection.
Tonya Alanez can be reached at tonya.alanez@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @talanez.