Two years ago Peter Gill swept into the town’s highest elected office by defeating incumbent Council President Jeffrey Turco in one of the most exciting town elections in our history. It was somewhat of an upset as Turco, an attorney and a high-energy leader, had the town moving in a positive direction with some innovative ideas and a new approach to town government and its role. But Peter put together a great campaign, got his message out to the people, and ultimately celebrated an emotional and hard-fought victory with his supporters on Election Night at the Lodge of Elks Hall.
Peter has certainly proven to be a fine leader of our town and it’s clear that when you see him at events he enjoys his role as Town Council President and the tremendous respect and prestige that the office holds. Peter offers a different style than his predecessors in the office, Jeffrey Turco and Thomas Reilly, but it’s a style that has been working very well as he guides the Town Council through its meetings and town business.
Peter and a cohesive Town Council have continued the progress that has been made under the administration of Town Manager James McKenna. There are some important issues ahead, perhaps the biggest being the proposal to build a brand new middle school/high school complex on the site of the current high school. We also will know in early 2014 whether a $1 billion casino/resort will be constructed on the site of Suffolk Downs next door in East Boston.
In his announcement that appears on page 1, Peter said he was humbled by the trust that the townspeople placed in him with his election in November, 2011. Peter wants to continue to serve the town in this important position of council president and whether he will have a challenger — as he himself was two years to then-incumbent Jeffrey Turco — remains to be seen. But election season is upon us. We have a primary vote for the U.S. Senate seat coming up on April 30 and the final on June 25 — and then the attention of the Winthrop voters will be on our town elections in the fall.