MARLBOROUGH – Marlborough City Council President Michael Ossing presented departing City Councilor Robert Tunnera with an award recognizing his 11 years on the Council at this year’s last legislative session on Dec. 20.
Ossing recognized Tunnera’s service as a city councilor for Marlborough’s fourth ward, as the chair of the Council’s Legislative and Legal Affairs Committee and as the longtime chair of the Personnel Committee.
“Members of the City Council join the citizens of Marlborough in wishing Councilor Tunnera success in all future endeavors and gratefully acknowledge his admirable service to the city of Marlborough as the city councilor of Ward 4, and especially for his dedication to the residents of Ward 4 and moreover for all the citizens of this great city,” Ossing said.
Tunnera thanked Ossing, fellow councilors and City Clerk Steve Kerrigan, saying that he was proud to work with them over the last 11 years.
Tunnera also thanked Mayor Arthur Vigeant, who he said was always available and accessible when he needed to talk to him. With a laugh, he thanked City Council Secretary Karen Boule for keeping him out of trouble.
“I first want to thank my family, mom and dad were always out there with the signs,” Tunnera said. “My new wife, she was holding signs the first year when I got elected, so she was out there, what a trooper.”
“It was like ninety degrees out and she was out there holding the sign, it was crazy,” he continued. “But we got through it.”
Tunnera also thanked former city councilors like Joe Delano and Trish Pope, who he said helped remind him when to stand when he was new to the job.
“Thank you all, it’s been a pleasure and I can’t say enough,” Tunnera said.
Ossing then gave Tunnera his gavel so he could preside over the Council and, in his final act before leaving the City Council, adjourn the Dec. 20 session.
Ossing said that the City Council’s inauguration will be open to the public on Jan. 3 at 10 a.m. at Whitcomb Middle School off Union Street. Teona Brown, who defeated Tunnera in this year’s Ward Four City Councilor election, will be inaugurated at that time.
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