LYNN — Mayor Jared Nicholson and City Council President Jay Walsh have only been in their new positions for two months, but are working together as if they have been partners for years.
The two called upon the City Council to end Lynn’s residency requirement for city hires; proposed and passed a resolution to establish the Lynn Development Team to help streamline the review and discussion process for interested developers, and have launched a website centered around the city’s use of funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) — all in less than two months.
Both Nicholson and Walsh attribute their accomplishments to healthy communication and the ability to share similar goals for the city’s growth.
“Jay and I share a lot of values to this day — one of them being the residency requirement,” Nicholson said. “It was one of the issues we highlighted during the transition period from one administration to the other.”
Walsh said he and Nicholson agreed that ending the residency requirement would prevent divisiveness among city employees. The two of them agreed that Lynn residents would still be prioritized, but the requirement should not be able to make the hiring process more difficult, he said.
“It’s important to cast out a large net,” Walsh said, describing the hiring process. “If you fish in the same pond all the time, you are going to come up short.”
The two are taking things one step at a time for future goals. They said they plan to hold dialogue and meetings with other council members on topics such as the city’s budget, housing-production plan and building a long-awaited senior center.
One policy item Nicholson and Walsh are excited about is upgrading Lynn’s public-transit system. The two have been communicating with members of Lynn’s State House delegation on projects such as electrifying the Commuter Rail.
“It’s time for the North Shore’s turn to have an investment in transit,” Walsh said. “Whether that means electrifying our Commuter Rail corridor, bringing the ferry to Lynn or — dare I say it — investing in the Blue Line.”
Nicholson agreed. “We are going to be collaborating with Senator Crighton and Representatives Capano and Cahill and we have our commitment from the MBTA,” Nicholson said.
The collaboration between the mayor and council president marks a shift in Lynn politics. In prior administrations, the relationship between the two offices was considered to be, at times, rocky.
Walsh said he thinks the reason past mayors butted heads with the council president was due to a lack of communication between the two and the rest of the councilors.
Walsh said Nicholson not only communicates with the city council and shows up to its meetings, but he allows the council to provide input on issues that are important to it, and said this is one of his strengths as mayor.
“We want to get everyone involved in the council,” Walsh said. “He calls councilors five-six times a day and we try to keep everyone informed on everything happening in Lynn. It is an improvement.”
Nicholson said Walsh has been able to guide the council effectively and productively, and has served as the liaison for him and the 10 other council members.
“It’s because of Councilor Walsh’s relationship that I can work with the rest of the council,” Nicholson said. “It’s thanks to him we keep everyone on the same page.”
Nicholson and Walsh first met in 2015 at the Industrial Division of Communication Workers of America (IUE-CWA) 201 union hall on Exchange Street.
Walsh, who was vice president of the union, said he did not know what to think of Nicholson at first, when he was campaigning for the School Committee that day.
“We met each other on the steps of the hall,” Walsh said. “I saw him and I thought, who is this guy?”
In November 2015, the two won their first elections. Nicholson was elected as a member of the school committee and Walsh was elected as Ward 7 councilor.
“I think it’s cool that both Jay and I were elected at the same time in 2015,” Nicholson said. “We were the new faces of the Lynn government.”
As mayor and council president, both Nicholson and Walsh have plenty to do as city leaders. The two said they may disagree on some things eventually, but both agree that it is part of the job.
“It’s important to have this open line of communication with myself and Councilor President Walsh,” Nicholson said.
“Absolutely,” Walsh responded. “We are both open-minded and want the best for Lynn.”
Adam Bass can be reached at [email protected].
