Dean J. Mazzarella

Mayor Dean J. Mazzarella was elected Mayor in 1993 and was sworn in on January 3, 1994. Prior to his run for Mayor, Dean Mazzarella was a ten-year veteran of the Leominster Police Department and has been a small business owner in the City for a number of years.

Upon taking office, Mayor Mazzarella immediately recognized the need for an overhaul of the Leominster City government. His early days in office included the immediate creation of a strong financial team and an analysis and subsequent establishment of a comprehensive list of priorities for capital improvements throughout the City. During his tenure, he has worked hard to turn an ever-declining bond rating to a strong A1 rating – perhaps the single most important factor in determining the City’s financial strength.

But Mayor Mazzarella’s philosophy on building a strong community is based on a total quality of life for the people who live and work in Leominster.

The Mazzarella Administration insists on a high level of strong public service and holds dear the philosophy that good people deserve good government. While maintaining staffing at near 1993 levels, local government is more accessible and accountable than ever. Many city services are now on line so residents and business owners can conduct business even when city hall is closed. Street paving and other critical city services are prioritized under a philosophy of “the worst first”, no politics involved. Additionally, it is now mandatory that any repaving project include any necessary underground work to prevent wasteful spending by having to rip up a newly paved road to replace utilities.

Under his leadership, Leominster was one of the first communities in Massachusetts to complete and Open Space and Recreational Plan. The completion of this document stood for more than just meeting a state mandate to access funds to preserve open space. It meant that every resident in the City was included in the decision-making process. Through open meetings, the future of Leominster properties – whether designated as open space, commercial, residential or industrial – was in the hands of its residents. The result was a plan that allowed Leominster to preserve such treasures as Sholan Farms, Leominster’s last remaining and now City-run apple orchard, as well as almost 2,000 acres of open space across the City.

In the past few years, the Mayor has also highlighted the importance of small businesses across the City. A concentrated effort has been made particularly in support of those businesses in the downtown area. Through the hiring of a small business coordinator, the creation of the Leominster Small Business Association and the addition of five downtown events not only helps our local companies, but enhances the overall quality of life for families throughout the region. Each year, we celebrate our community with a summer and winter stroll, ladies night out, festival of trees and a Halloween trick-or-treating event to rival any other.

During his administration, multiple teams of city employees have worked together to attack the crime problem, dirty streets and abandoned buildings. Leominster’s East Side, once crime-ridden and deemed unsafe by many residents, has deservedly become a welcoming gateway to the City. Under the mayor’s direction, increased directed police patrols, the anti-drug taskforce, the distressed properties committee and the extra effort from the department of public works, the neighborhood has once again returned to a place filled with wonderful culture, children’s playgrounds and safe streets. Mayor Mazzarella’s favorite statement is “During times of prosperity danger lurks everywhere, growth masks waste, extravagance and inefficiency. The moment growth slows, the accumulated signs of the past are revealed all the way to the bottom line”.

The son of the late Joseph Mazzarella and Ida (Lanza), Mayor Mazzarella was born and raised in the City of Leominster alongside his two brothers Marco and Frank.