Ward 5 City Councillor Barbara Murphy will not seek re-election this fall

   Ward 5 City Councillor Barbara Murphy announced she will not seek re-election this fall, after seven terms, at Tuesday night’s Council meeting. Councillor Murphy provided the following statement to The Malden Advocate.

   Dear Ward 5 residents,
After seven terms as the Ward 5 City Councillor, it is with bittersweet emotion that I announce I will not seek re-election. This difficult decision is the result of many conversations between my family, my friends and myself. During this time of reflection, we took a look back from my first election in 2009 over the path that brings us to today and this announcement.
What originally drove me to serve in the public arena was inspiration derived from outgoing Ward 5 Councillor John Furlong. Councillor Furlong was a passionate advocate that believed the greatest impacts on a community were made by those who lived, worked, and raised their families in that very community. This call to action led me to realize we all have something to offer for the betterment of our hometown. Despite being an unknown in the political arena at the time, I was inspired to grab the torch John was passing on and to run with it.
My goals and values remain today as they were back then. My fundamental role as a City Councillor is to address quality of life issues within our neighborhood, to nurture a sense of small-town community no matter how big our population becomes, to serve the taxpayer with a fiduciary responsibility to keep the city financially stable and to set a tone that moves the city forward. For seven terms, I have lived these values. From keeping July 4th and Pine Bank Santa traditions alive, fighting to reopen Pleasant St and revitalize our downtown, the building of our new city hall and Forestdale Park Senior Living, establishing the Malden Community Gardens, paving miles of streets, replacing hundreds of water services and lead line and planting hundreds of trees to overseeing 13 balanced budgets, I am proud of the accomplishments and experiences I have had in representing Ward 5 and our city. While I am not seeking re-election I am certainly not leaving. I will continue to be an active member of this great city even as I step into the next chapter of my life.
As the next chapter of my life begins, so begins the next chapter of Ward 5. The community that helped me to realize my vision of a neighborhood steeped in hometown pride, the community that has passionately advocated for those values they hold dear, the community that has countless talents to offer for the betterment of Malden, is now faced with picking up the torch and carrying it into the next chapter of our history.
To this next generation I would offer some inspiration in the form of realizations I’ve learned along the way: Serving as a Ward Councillor is an experience unlike anything you can imagine. You will feel, pride for the problems you help solve, gratitude for and gratitude from the constituents you assist along the way, personal fulfillment with every promise you keep to a resident, and the satisfaction of knowing you’ve utilized your talents in giving back to this great city. You will make amazing and lasting friendships.  You will, quite simply, realize that getting involved is up there with some of the best decisions you have ever made.
To my devoted husband, Jeff, our sons, Jeff and Patrick and their families, my School Committee counterpart Adam Weldai, and all our amazing volunteers, ”THANK YOU”.

I could not have done this job without your unwavering support and commitment.    To the residents of Ward 5 I will be forever grateful to you for placing your trust in me and giving me the opportunity to serve you these past 14 years. And please don’t be afraid to pick up that torch and carry it forward. You won’t regret it.