USA: Cape Verdean Moisés Rodrigues takes office as mayor of Brockton and promises to serve everyone to the best of his ability

According to RTC, in his speech, the new mayor thanked the voters of Brockton, a city that is home to a significant Cape Verdean community, for the trust they had placed in him and guaranteed his full commitment to serving the city and its inhabitants in the best possible way.

Rodrigues began by highlighting the role of parents, teachers, small business owners, civil servants, health professionals, police officers, firefighters, students and the elderly, considering them the true "champions" who drive the city's development.

"I am fully aware that I am taking office at a crucial moment in our city's history. We are facing real challenges, such as economic problems, public safety issues, homelessness, difficulties in accessing housing and an ageing infrastructure, especially in our secondary school," he said.

Inclusive governance and municipal services accessible to all

Despite this, he stressed that Brockton is built on a solid foundation of resilience, diversity and potential. "These challenges are not obstacles, but opportunities for bold leadership and collective action. Together, we will not only face them, we will overcome them," he declared.

The mayor also highlighted diversity as one of the greatest strengths of Brockton, one of the most diverse communities in the state of Massachusetts. "We are a mosaic of cultures and experiences, and that should be reflected in the way we govern," he said, advocating for inclusive leadership, with representation and equitable access to municipal services.

The mayor also highlighted diversity as his greatest strength.

Concrete inclusive policies

According to Moisés Rodrigues, diversity must be translated into concrete policies, including the strengthening of linguistic and cultural skills in city services, as well as in economic development, improving the quality of life of residents and the education of children.

In this regard, he announced his intention to reorganize a community education council, created several years ago, to provide real-time advice on education and youth issues. "Our children deserve nothing less than excellence," he stressed.

The new mayor has reinforced his commitment to education.

The new mayor also reinforced his commitment to youth, stating that young people "are not just Brockton's future, but its present", advocating for adequate investment in their training and inclusion.

Public safety and investments in infrastructure

Public security was identified as one of the main priorities of the mandate. Rodrigues argued that all families should feel safe at home, in their neighborhoods, at school and on the commute to work, stressing the importance of investing not only in law enforcement, but also in prevention, community involvement and building trust between authorities and the population.

Public Safety

Public safety is a key priority for the mandate.

Finally, Moisés Rodrigues stressed the need to invest in infrastructure, support small businesses and entrepreneurs, especially from historically disadvantaged communities, and revitalize the city center, preserving the identity of the neighbourhoods.

The Nation