Trans(actions) : Trans(acciones)

Photo by Bill Ward : borrowed from creative commons

Mayors are interesting political and government figures. Depending on the city or locality, they are required to be family councilors, community organizers, activities planners, development boosters or global power brokers. Some are rarely seen or heard outside the town hall while others make household visits to check up on the ill and needy as part of their daily routine. These local government executives are often the closest political representative to the masses. Hence, they are expected to be dedicated to their townsfolk and their necessities. From potholes to tax exemptions, the range of matters they have to attend to is so varied that effectively covering all the bases becomes a futile exercise that often yields few praises and many critiques. I’m not entirely sure why they accept the job. Perhaps the power and political capital that is amassed can be cashed in for higher profile positions down the road. Maybe some have much to gain with all the palm greasing and shady business practices that takes place in city management. Whatever the reasons, not all of them are primarily driven by an innate desire to serve the citizens and make their cities and towns better places to live. The really good ones are those that craft a careful balance between all of the aforementioned motives.

Through my research and professional duties, I have come to know a good number of mayors in different countries. Most of these encounters have been very brief and the content of the conversations range from pleasantries to strategic advice, or hours of questions and answers. When the chance came to meet the Dominican-born mayor-elect and state representative, William Lantigua, I wasn’t sure what to expect. After all, on November 3, 2009, he became a historic figure in Massachusetts: the first-ever Latino to be elected mayor in the City of Lawrence and in the state.

MIT’s Department of Urban Studies and Planning has been working in the City of Lawrence since 1999. With the help of students, faculty, residents, and other civic leaders, an important partnership has been nurtured where the Institute provides some assistance to the local community and aspiring planners who want to cut their teeth in community revitalization are afforded the privilege of working hand-in-hand with local residents. Because partnerships require some nurturing, the mayor-elect was invited to the Institute for a meeting with students, faculty and other partners.

I arrived several minutes before the formal partnership meeting came to an end, and from the tone and rhythm of the conversation I got the sense that both camps were still getting to know each other. Willy came to the meeting with two male advisors—one white and one Latino—perhaps to demonstrate what he claimed in his campaign: that he will represent the interest of all those people in his state, not just the vast number of Latinos—which make up over 70 percent of the population— but also other ethnic groups which populate the aptly-named “Immigrant City“.  Most of what his advisors said seemed like scripted talk. As is expected of aides, they were well versed on the critical problems, offered important budgetary  figures and other consequential data. Willy, on the other hand,  seemed more relaxed and cool. He did not seem interested in holding court, dominating the conversation nor disengaged. Interestingly, I got the sense that he wanted to get a good grasp of what those around him thought. He was listening.

borrowed from lantiguaformayor.com

What struck me most about the conversation was Lantigua’s answer to the question: what is your number one priority when you take office? His advisors had talked about schools and security, but he offered another answer: trash and clean-up. According to the mayor-elect, the City of Lawrence is in dire need of better trash and cleaning services. His response surprised me because I expected some long tirade about luring high-tech industries and investors, or a statement on how the city needed to be rebranded for the postindustrial era. It’s not that he’s not interested in these things, as I came to know later in the conversation, but that there are some matters—basic ones— which needed more attention in the immediate term. Those in the room who knew what was going on in the town, were very happy to hear this.  At that point, I began to get a better sense of Lantigua’s approach: think big, start with the basics.

Keeping a city clean and dealing with trash is no simple task. It requires much coordination amongst different government agencies, cooperation from local residents and lots of follow-up and supervision. But despite the complications, it is also a good problem to tackle, politically speaking. I have never heard of a campaign against a mayor’s decision to improve trash and recycling services. If done right, it ends up being a public service that yields collective benefits and brings different sectors together under a common cause. In this era of environmental friendliness, picking up trash can easily become Lawrence’s “green” crusade.

In recent declarations from the climate talks at Copenhagen, Mayor Michael Bloomberg noted the importance of local-level policymaking and how cities are ground zero for tackling some of the most critical environmental issues of our day:

Well I think it’s cities that are going to lead national governments to do something and I think national governments have to help each other. [...] But it’s the cities where the mayors have to make sure their economies aren’t choked by congestion, it’s the cities where the mayors have to make sure that the public doesn’t have to breathe the pollutants in the air into their lungs

Be it the environment or economic growth, there’s a lot to learn from cities and local governments. Although he has yet to start his tenure, Willy Lantigua seems to be on to something that merits closer scrutiny. If his double shift in government does not distract him and if the usual politicking and “flip-flopping” does not take hold of his administration, come January, Lantigua will be fighting an important environmental injustice: a littered city.