Joseph A. Curtatone was first inaugurated in 2004, becoming at age 37 the second-youngest Mayor in Somerville’s history. Now in his eighth term, he is the City’s longest-serving chief executive. Curtatone had previously served for eight years as Alderman-at-Large. As Mayor, he has implemented a wide range of reforms and new programs that have earned both him and the City widespread recognition. Somerville consistently tops lists of the “Most Walkable” and “Most Bikeable” cities in the United States.

Mayor Curtatone is spearheading the city’s effort to bring the MBTA’s Green Line Extension through Somerville, which when completed will have 85 percent of the city’s residents within walking distance of mass transit. In addition, Mayor Curtatone led a successful effort to end years of delay in the development of Assembly Square as a transit-oriented, mixed use, Smart Growth project on the banks of the Mystic River. He also created Neighborhood Impact Teams that combine fire, health and building inspectors—along with representatives of the Council on Aging and the city’s environmental office—in a coordinated effort to monitor and improve the health, safety and appearance of Somerville’s businesses and residential neighborhoods.