Smith sworn in as mayor

South Portland city councilors, from left, Gerald Jalbert,
Patti Smith and Tom Coward are sworn into office Monday.
Smith was also sworn in as the city’s newest mayor.

SOUTH PORTLAND — South Portland got a new mayor Monday, one who asked citizens to imagine a cleaner, greener city.

Patricia “Patti” Smith, 47, was the unanimous choice of her peers on the City Council, a fact she said was especially humbling given that she’s only lived in South Portland for six years.

“I feel like an acorn among a stand of sturdy, well-rooted oak trees,” Smith said, referring to her fellow councilors. It was, perhaps an apt metaphor given the leading role Smith took this past year to establishing the city’s community garden, located at the Hamlin School, which will enjoy its first growing season next spring.

The South Portland Board of Education also voted on new leadership Monday, choosing Tappan Fitzgerald as chairman and James Gilboy as vice chairman.

Re-elected to her second council term Nov. 8, Smith said her first term was marked by four deaths in her immediate family, including her mother – losses which prompted her to examine her own life.

“Instead of pushing forward to fulfill my personal interests and desires, I experienced an overwhelming feeling that it was time to give back and make a real difference,” said Smith, adding that she hopes to focus on “how work gets done” in the city, rather than on any specific goal.

“The issues will be diverse, dynamic, topical and, at times, unpredictable, but the how of our approach will form the foundation for the work that we do,” she said.

“As mayor, I’ll ask for due diligence, which means doing our homework and respecting all points of view and perspectives,” Smith said. “I am interested in being part of an active council that values inclusion and collaboration, with the intention of doing what’s best for the city of South Portland.”

On the topic of inclusion, Smith recalled her parent’s 50^th wedding anniversary, when her father, Robert, thanked his six children – surprising, because Smith only has two bothers. But then she recalled that her father had counted not only her two sisters-in-law, but also her own life partner of 18 years, Susan Chase.

“My father’s desire to include others and to make everyone feel welcome is a trait I aspire to every single day of my life,” said Smith, comparing her father’s compassion to that of South Portland, a “warm and welcoming,” “magical place” that opened its arms to Smith and her partner.

The new mayor introduced Chase as someone “whom I hope to legally marry some day in the state of Maine,” and thanked her for providing the support necessary to accept the responsibility offered by her peers. Beyond that, however, Smith did not sound like someone who might use the mayor’s seat as a bully pulpit from which to participate in the gay-marriage vote posed to appear on next fall’s ballot.

Instead, Smith kept her focus on South Portland, tallying off a list of recent and upcoming firsts, including establishment this year of farmers markets for both the summer and winter seasons, creation of the Mill Creek Master Plan, ongoing conservation efforts on Long Creek, and the growth the city’s Buy Local movement to 160 area businesses. Smith also touted a new circuit-breaker plan to help seniors with property taxes, as well as a comprehensive plan near completion and a $41.5 million high school renovation project about to get under way, not to mention the Veterans’ Memorial Bridge project, which will give South Portland a “brand new gateway,” she said.

Smith also praised the city’s microloan program for its entrepreneurial efforts and its AAA bond rating, said to be the highest for any municipality in Maine.

True to her word, Smith did not stump for any particular project. Instead, she asked her fellow councilors and a crowd of about 70 gathered in council chambers to entertain her vision for a different kind of South Portland.

“Imagine leading the way toward reducing our dependency on oil by committing to a city fleet of hybrid vehicles in the next five years,” she said. “Imagine promoting a city-wide composting program in a place where residents and businesses recycle weekly. Imagine community and private gardens working together to provide a combined harvest that exceeds the growing needs of our local food pantry.

“Imagine our community members thanking a veteran on any day, not just Veterans Day,” said Smith. “Imagine engaged residents and businesses working together to create rain gardens and committing to using natural, organic methods of yardscaping so that our water is free of pesticides and harmful chemicals.

“Imagine a city that boasts bicycle racks throughout the city,” Smith continued. “Imagine our grocery stores no longer providing paper or plastic. Imagine residents and visitors who prefer cycling, walking, or using public transportation instead of cars.

“These are not extreme ideas,” Smith said. “They are happening across the U.S., where towns and cities with courage and foresight are taking action.

“I ask that we imagine and take action,” she said, adding that her primary goal as mayor will be “to listen with an open heart and a desire to understand.”