An emotional Marty Walsh closed his tenure as mayor of Boston on Monday evening with a press conference at Faneuil Hall, where he outlined his legacy before 59 socially distanced attendees and reflected on the historic transition to his successor, City Council President Kim Janey, who will become the first woman and person of color to lead Boston when Walsh’s resignation takes effect at 9 p.m.
“I was texting with council president Janey last night, and I texted, 'Think about this for a minute — a little girl from Roxbury is about to be mayor of Boston,'" Walsh said. "And her response was, 'Think about this for a minute — a little boy from Dorchester is about to become the United States labor secretary."
Walsh’s voice broke as he recalled winning election as mayor in 2013, when he was a member of the Massachusetts Legislature.
"For a kid who grew up on Taft Street in Dorchester, from a family whose parents came to this country, emigrated to this country, being elected mayor of Boston was a dream for me," Walsh said, pausing to compose himself. "Quite honestly, being elected state representative was a dream for me."
About a month ago, Walsh said, his mother, Mary, got an unexpected phone call from the man who drove her to the airport in Ireland when she was 17 years old.
"She didn’t know this person was still alive," Walsh said. "He lived in Minnesota. He called my mother to tell her … 'Mary, I never expected the day I dropped you off at Shannon Airport that someday your son would be the secretary of labor.' It’s pretty incredible."
As Walsh discussed his achievement in office, he said that despite the toll COVID has taken on Boston, the fight against the pandemic brought the city’s finer qualities to the fore.
“In some ways, it was a blessing,” Walsh said. “I’ve talked about how it brought [the] best out in our city — our belief in science, our compassion for the most vulnerable, our ability to work together."
“It’s also been proven beyond a doubt that everything I believe in about government, public service and democracy has surely shown its true colors,” he continued. “When faced with a crisis of historic proportions, we stepped up. We were there for the people that we serve.”
Walsh touted other accomplishments, saying Boston has created nearly 140,000 new jobs during his seven years in office and leads the nation in the construction of affordable housing.
Major crime and arrest rates have dropped every year, he added, while the graduation rate in Boston Public Schools has reached a record high.
Walsh also cited his administration’s efforts on recovery, housing for the formerly homeless and racial justice — though he added a caveat to that last point.
“We changed Boston’s reputation,” Walsh said. “We still have work to do.”
While Walsh embraced police reform during his last year in office, he leaves with the Boston Police Department in a state of disarray. His hand-picked, brand-new police commissioner, Dennis White, was suspended after old allegations of domestic violence surfaced, and an outside investigation into those allegations is still underway.
“That’s unfortunate,” Walsh said when asked about White’s uncertain fate. “I was hoping to get that done before I left."
I could have said to the legal team, ‘Wrap it up and get it done,’" Walsh added. "But the investigation wouldn’t have been thorough.”
At the outset of his press conference, Walsh assured residents that he, Janey and their respective teams have been in constant communication, and that Boston city government will continue to function smoothly in the weeks to come.
He closed by suggesting that Janey's arrival as acting mayor could further change the way Boston is perceived by the wider world.
“We’re an international city; I’ve said it before,” Walsh said. “We’re [an] extremely diverse city, from different backgrounds and different nationalities and skin colors. I think it’s a good thing for our city. I think it’s a great thing for our city.”
In a statement, Janey congratulated Walsh, saying he’ll “serve the working people of our country with passion [and] … bring our city with him.
“Now,” she added, “we look ahead to a new day — a new chapter — in Boston’s history.”
