Tyer Looks Back on Two Terms, Looks Ahead to New Leadership / Pittsfield.com

Linda Tyer celebrating her win for mayor in 2015 with John Krol and Peter Marchetti, who are vying to replace her this year.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — After nearly eight years in the corner office and 20 years in public service, Mayor Linda Tyer will be handing over the reins to new leadership in 2024.

Tyer announced the news on Friday morning, feeling a mixture of nervousness, relief, sadness, and excitement for the next chapter of her life.

A few factors influenced her choice to not seek re-election. The two-term mayor would like to spend more time with her husband, Barry Clairmont, and her parents who are in their eighties. She also feels that it is simply the right time.

"For me professionally, when I think about the various positions that I've held and the things I've experienced, the things I've accomplished, it's been an amazing experience," Tyer said a few hours after the announcement.

"But also knowing that it's good for our community to have a rigorous election where all the issues are debated and ideas are formulated and people have a chance to examine the accomplishments of the candidates. It's good to have that. It's also good to have new leadership."

Tyer first took office in 2016 after ousting former Mayor Daniel Bianchi and again in 2020 after winning the election against former City Councilor Melissa Mazzeo. She became the first mayor to serve in the new four-year term.

She had represented Ward 3 on the City Council for five years after being swept into office in 2003, one of three successful candidates endorsed by the Women Helping Empower Neighborhoods (WHEN) political action committee. She was appointed as city clerk by then Mayor James Ruberto in 2008, a post she held until challenging Bianchi for mayor.

She does not have specific plans for her career after leaving, office but says she is open to any interesting opportunities that come her way.

When looking back on the last seven years, navigating Pittsfield through the COVID-19 pandemic stands out amongst the highlights of Tyer's tenure.

"The thing that stands out most to me was the two years that we were battling COVID and being part of the COVID-19 task force," she said.

"Being in a leadership position, having the ability to bring this group of highly trained professionals together, in the beginning daily, and just being part of that experience."

That memory will stay with the mayor and reflects her leadership style, she said, because it involved bringing the best people together to solve a problem or create an initiative.

"Even though it was a difficult time and there was some real heartbreak during that period of time, there were no egos at that table," Tyer said.

"Everybody did their part plus something and to be part of that was really rewarding and knowing that even when we had to make difficult decisions, it was always in the best interest of our community."

She recounted the spring of 2020 when the first confirmed case of the virus from community spread in Massachusetts was in Berkshire County. Her stomach flipped and she went into crisis management mode.

"My immediate reaction was, 'I need to talk to the professionals at the hospital. I need to understand what's happening,'" Tyer said.

"I was so honored that Governor Baker came and talked with us about how the state could help provide assistance and my immediate reaction was, 'I need a team of experts to help us make the best decisions possible for our community.'"

Those decisions were not always popular. In December 2020, restaurant owners protested an indoor dining ban after a dramatic spike the prior month and Tyer offered a compromise that allowed indoor dining with new guidance.

"Part of the gig is being subjected to criticism and especially during COVID I understood everybody was scared and everybody was trying, especially the business community, they were trying to stay afloat, which is why we put nearly a million dollars into those small businesses to help them," she explained, pointing to a small business recovery program that was launched in 2020.

"I understood why they were having the reaction they were having and it makes perfect sense to me and we had to do what we thought was best to keep people safe,"

"That was during a time when we didn't have the vaccines yet, we weren't sure about the best type of medical care that could be provided so we had to do everything in our power to prevent the transmission of this virus, especially to vulnerable people. So I understood, the angst that people experienced but I also knew we had one job to do and that was to keep everybody safe."

Not having to be immersed in an election means that Tyer can put all focus on her last year in office. Housing initiatives that were launched by American Rescue Plan Act funds, Site 9's construction, Wahconah Park's restoration, and the Pittsfield Public School's strategic plan are areas of importance.

Realistically it is possible for projects such as Wahconah Park and the rehabilitation of the Springside House to not be supported by a future mayor but Tyer hopes that some of her initiatives hold value with the next administration.

This also includes the Red Carpet Team that was developed to help business growth and job creation and the At Home in Pittsfield exterior renovation loan program.

City Council President Peter Marchetti and former councilor John Krol have indicated that they will be running in this year's mayoral race.

When asked what she would like to see candidates talk about during the election, she said housing will be an essential conversation because it is a challenge for the city and for the entire state.

"I think the future of our public schools, especially in light of declining enrollment and the changing needs of students over time, that should be a topic for discussion. I think that there should be a discussion about, what does it mean when we think about the future of our city? Are we imagining a future or are we standing still? And I think those are going to be some of the topics," Tyer added.

"I think of law enforcement is going to be a topic that should be covered. Even though I believe strongly that the mental health crisis cannot be solely solved by government, I think we do have a role to play, which is why I care so much about the co-responder program and the new social worker that we have in the Department of Public Health. And of course, always, always, every mayor I would hope has their eye on the economy and how do we continue to strengthen our economy here in Pittsfield and create jobs."

When looking forward to the next five years — and beyond— the mayor would like to see a diverse economy in Pittsfield, increased conversation about the public schools, and continued progress in the city's outdoor recreation offerings.

"One of the things that I think we all hopefully have learned from our history with General Electric is that it is not in our best interest to put all of our economic hopes and dreams into one massive organization," she explained.

"I've felt from the beginning of my time as mayor that I wanted to make sure we had a diverse economy and that's why you see such a diversity in some of the things that we've supported. So I think that that's got to continue to happen if we're going to be able to sustain any downturn in any one sector of the economy."

In December, Police Chief Michael Wynn announced that he will be retiring in July after almost 30 years with the city. Since the death of Miguel Estrella by police almost one year ago, there has been widespread community conversation about mental health resources and police accountability.

An internal investigation by police and an investigation by the DA's office cleared the shooting officer of unlawful conduct.

Tyer said the city has an extraordinary police department with highly trained professionals but highlighted the importance of growth in the city's co-responder program to bring mental health professionals on related calls.

"I'm hoping that the next chief values that. That's going to be a really important element of community engagement because we know that there is a mental health crisis and the system of care is completely broken," she said.

"So we have to, whether it's in our police department or our public health department or in our schools, we have to have some safety nets and so with regard to the police department, I'm hoping that that continues to be an element."

Tyer will not be involved in the choosing of a new police chief and there are currently a couple of technical issues that the city is working through in relation to the process.

First, the Civil Service Commission has put a pause on exams for public safety because of a recent legal ruling. Also, the city code has a residency requirement and there is a section that does not allow appointments to take place in the last three months of an election year.

She would like to look into the residency requirement with the thought that there may be qualified individuals who live right outside of city bounds.

The most important reason why Tyer is not going to undertake a chief search is that it is an election year and no matter how well the process is conducted, she said, it will be controversial.

"I feel really strongly that the next chief should come into the position with as much community support and confidence as possible, not under a cloud of controversy," she said.

"I want the next chief to hit the ground running with confidence and feeling like he's taking a leadership position in the police department. It's too important to me. Even though I would like to be part of the process of selecting the future chief, I also know what is going to happen if I try to undertake that process and it matters more to me that the next chief is welcomed into the community in the most confident way possible."

To fill the gap between Wynn and the next department leader, an interim chief will be selected.

The preliminary election is on September 19, 2023, and the general election is on November 7, 2023. Nomination papers become available on Monday, April 3, 2023.