Mayor's Office

Mission Statement

The mission of the Mayor’s Office is to enhance the effectiveness of the City of Leominster by acting as a liaison between all of the City of Leominster’s Departments, Boards & Commissions, businesses, residents, and the external authorities as needed, by filling all vacancies to the City’s 22 appointed Boards and Commissions and by providing administrative oversight and management for the City’s School Committee as their Chairperson.

Selected Activity Highlights

  • Sholan Farm
  • Inside Leominster
  • Massachusetts Municipal Association
  • Office On Neighborhoods
  • Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony

About

Mayor Dean J. Mazzarella was elected Mayor in 1993 and was sworn in on January 3, 1994. Prior to his run for Mayor, Dean Mazzarella was a ten-year veteran of the Leominster Police Department and has been a small business owner in the City for a number of years.

Upon taking office, Mayor Mazzarella immediately recognized the need for an overhaul of the Leominster City government. His early days in office included the immediate creation of a strong financial team and analysis and the subsequent establishment of a comprehensive list of priorities for capital improvements throughout the City. During his tenure, he has worked hard to turn an ever-declining bond rating into a strong A1 rating – perhaps the single most important factor in determining the City’s financial strength.

But Mayor Mazzarella’s philosophy on building a strong community is based on the total quality of life for the people who live and work in Leominster.

The Mazzarella Administration insists on a high level of strong public service and holds dear the philosophy that good people deserve good government. While maintaining staffing at near 1993 levels, local government is more accessible and accountable than ever. Many city services are now online so residents and business owners can conduct business even when city hall is closed. Street paving and other critical city services are prioritized under a philosophy of “the worst first”, with no politics involved. Additionally, it is now mandatory that any repaving project include any necessary underground work to prevent wasteful spending by having to rip up a newly paved road to replace utilities.

Under his leadership, Leominster was one of the first communities in Massachusetts to complete an Open Space and Recreational Plan. The completion of this document stood for more than just meeting a state mandate to access funds to preserve open space. It meant that every resident in the City was included in the decision-making process. Through open meetings, the future of Leominster properties – whether designated as open space, commercial, residential, or industrial – was in the hands of its residents. The result was a plan that allowed Leominster to preserve such treasures as Sholan Farms, Leominster’s last remaining and now City-run apple orchard, as well as almost 2,000 acres of open space across the City.

In the past few years, the Mayor has also highlighted the importance of small businesses across the City. A concentrated effort has been made particularly in support of those businesses in the downtown area. The hiring of a small business coordinator, the creation of the Leominster Small Business Association, and the addition of five downtown events not only help our local companies but enhances the overall quality of life for families throughout the region. Each year, we celebrate our community with a summer and winter stroll, ladies' night out, the festival of trees, and a Halloween trick-or-treating event to rival any other.

As Chair of the Leominster School Committee, the Mayor has demonstrated his commitment to the importance of a strong school system. Since taking office, the mayor has worked to build two new schools, upgrade existing schools, and worked with school officials to create a by-school and system-wide curriculum and capital improvement priority plan to ensure our children have access to the best education possible.

During his administration, multiple teams of city employees have worked together to attack the crime problem, dirty streets and abandoned buildings. Leominster’s East Side, once crime-ridden and deemed unsafe by many residents, has deservedly become a welcoming gateway to the City. Under the mayor’s direction, increased directed police patrols, the anti-drug taskforce, the distressed properties committee and the extra effort from the department of public works, the neighborhood has once again returned to a place filled with wonderful culture, children’s playgrounds and safe streets.

The City is now looking forward to bringing in new businesses. Young families, older workers involved in traditional manufacturing, and new graduates of Leominster’s Center for Technical Education make up a workforce with a strong skill set destined for success in building our economy. The City is capitalizing on this strong base with the development of two new industrial parks coming on line over the next couple of years. Under the Mazzarella Administration, the City stands ready to expand our growth opportunities.

Mayor Mazzarella’s favorite statement is “During times of prosperity danger lurks everywhere, growth masks waste, extravagance, and inefficiency. The moment growth slows, the accumulated signs of the past are revealed all the way to the bottom line”.

The son of the late Joseph Mazzarella and Ida (Lanza), Mayor Mazzarella was born and raised in the City of Leominster alongside his two brothers Marco and Frank. Dean has two grown children, Stephanie and Dean who also reside in Leominster.