Mayor-elect Wu, Acting Mayor Janey meet to discuss transition in Boston

BOSTON — The transition of power is officially underway in Boston. Mayor Kim Janey and Mayor-elect Michelle Wu sat down to work out a transition in just two weeks. The mayor and mayor-elect spent about an hour together doing what they called a deeper dive on the transition.

Wu said her first priority is dealing with the ongoing issue down at Mass. and Cass.

“Everything from battling the global pandemic to making sure our city can run despite the challenges,” Mayor Janey said when asked what Wu’s first major headache would be.

“The mandate from yesterday’s results is to take on the big challenges facing our city and do so in a way that brings everyone into the conversation,” Mayor-elect Wu said.

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We also asked Wu about indoor masking as other cities and towns lift their mandates. The mayor-elect said more vaccinations for young people will be a factor.

“Which will then, in turn, effect policies like masking and everything else,” Wu said.

Mayor-elect Wu began the day back to work at the weekly City Council meeting where her fellow counselors – including her opponent for mayor, Annissa Essaibi George – congratulated her with a full round of applause.

Most of the counselors shared comments with both candidates. Wu also thanked her opponent.

“I want to thank you for the love of Boston that radiates out of everything you do,” Wu said.

Now the real work begins, and the mayor-elect said she is leaning in to make it all happen.

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“To ensure we are rebuilding this infrastructure [and] the issues that were here long before COVID-19,” Wu said.

The Mayor-elect said she did hear from former mayor and now U.S. Labor Secretary Marty Walsh. He congratulated her on the phone and offered any help with the transition as well.

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