Mayor Grigoraitis’s 100-Day Plan

My fellow Melrosians,

On January 8th, 2024, I proudly took the oath of office as your mayor. It was humbling and inspiring to be surrounded by hundreds of Melrosians from all corners of our city, including so many children. I am grateful to serve as your mayor and am excited to get to work.

I’ve said many times that I felt like I won the lottery when my family moved to Melrose; since then, my love for our community has only continued to grow. As a city, our fundamentals are solid, and I believe we are on a journey toward excellence. To get us there, I see my role as two-fold: to be the vigilant steward of our community’s many assets and to make the strategic decisions that will enable us to build on our strengths, embrace growth and change, and make this city a better place for everyone.

That’s what my 100-day plan is all about. It outlines my administration’s key priorities for my first three months in office. The action items that follow lay the foundation for how we will deliver high-quality services to all our residents and how we’ll make certain Melrose is prepared to face future challenges and take advantage of new opportunities. 

This plan is the beginning of our shared work together and has been influenced by the ideas, concerns, visions, and voices of many community members. It reflects themes that you shared from your doorsteps and storefronts while I was on the campaign trail. It’s what I heard as mayor-elect in listening sessions, read in your emails, and discussed in conversations in December and January with more than 40 different constituency groups, including senior citizens, small business owners, arts and nonprofit organizations, high school students, and city personnel. What inspires me about Melrosians is how much you care about our shared city. You care about how decisions get made, why they were made, what the impact will be, and how you can get involved. Accountability, communication, and making local government accessible are priorities for me, and there are several steps outlined in this plan that will help us move toward these goals.

I’d like to highlight the voice of one particular group of constituents. During my transition, I had the privilege of hearing from dozens of students at Melrose High School. I can tell you this: our young people care about the decisions we make locally—not just the decisions that directly impact their buildings, school hours, and curriculum. They are well aware of the value of the city’s green spaces, community events, and downtown business districts in bringing people together, sustaining economic opportunity, and making them feel at home. They care about our climate resiliency and the safety of our streets and sidewalks–and they care deeply about each other and their collective well-being. I am committed to providing opportunities for students to engage in local government because the decisions we make now will impact their lives and lives for generations to come. 

This document is a blueprint for our shared future. It is my commitment to you to deliver results. You can expect to see updates from me and my administration about our progress. I welcome your input and involvement because together we will make our city better for everyone. 

Thank you for putting your trust in me. I am honored to do this work. 

Sincerely, 

Mayor Jen Grigoraitis