Sarah Compo Pierce will be the next mayor of Watertown. Unofficial results from the Jefferson County Board of Elections show Compo Pierce received almost 70% of the vote, while her opponent, City Councilwoman Lisa Ruggiero received nearly 30%.
"It's incredibly humbling for me to be the first woman in this position. It's a history-making moment for the city and I'm grateful to have the opportunity," Compo Pierce said. "I look forward to giving 110% to the position, which is what the city residents deserve."
Compo Pierce said as mayor, she'll be focusing on fixing what she calls the dysfunction that's become common at city meetings.
"One of the first things that I am looking forward to doing is working with the new council members to restore our meetings to a point of civility and being more productive for the people of Watertown," Compo Pierce said. "We definitely have some significant tasks ahead for the city and significant efforts that we need to work toward."
Compo Pierce said a top priority is improving the city's drinking water quality. Ahead of the election, she said she also wants to increase transparency between city hall and the public and improve infrastructure. She said she also wants to look for opportunities to collaborate with nearby communities.
Compo Pierce said she heard from voters over the past few days who said they want to see the city be more fiscally responsible. She said she intends to work towards that as mayor. Over the past few years, Compo Pierce has been critical of several recent multi-million dollar city projects, including building a third city pool and purchasing a golf club in Thompson Park, and didn't support them.
Compo Pierce has served as a city council member for nearly five years. She's worked in former state Sen. Patty Ritchie's office as chief of staff and as a local TV reporter.
Watertown's city council is non-partisan. Candidates for council and mayor don't have a party affiliation.
Ben Schoen and Robert Kimball have been elected to the two open city council seats. Ruggiero will maintain her seat on the council.