“THE PEOPLE’S MAYOR”
Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, a native son of the City of Springfield, has earned a reputation for his commitment to economic development and community-based programs to address quality-of-life issues, education and public safety.
A former four-term City Councilor who served as City Council President and as a member of the Springfield Finance Control Board, Sarno was elected to his first term as Mayor on November 6, 2007.
Now in his third term, the first four-year mayoral term in the City’s history, Sarno continues to focus on quality-oflife issues and maintains a full-time constituent services officer who is responsible for logging and directly responding to citizen complaints. The constituent services officer, who is located in the Mayor's Office, heads up the innovative Springfield Flex Squad, so named because of the organization's strength and flexibility in responding to issues. The constituent services officer forms small working groups comprised of the appropriate city departments to directly address citizen concerns on an individual and case-specific manner.
Public safety, Mayor Sarno has stated, remains a key priority of his Administration. In a unique partnership between the Springfield Police Department and the Mayor’s Office, a squad of officers are assigned to address issues related to Quality of Life ordinances. The Squad has activated a telephone hotline for such matters and has been well received by members of the business community and homeowners alike. The Mayor has also assembled a team consisting of representatives from the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department, Springfield Police Department, Mayoral Staff, and neighborhood residents to walk through targeted neighborhoods. These walks not only promote the Mayor’s accessibility but, moreover, they allow City officials to see and hear directly from neighbors about the blight, security and other issues that impact their quality of life. These walks have proven to be very successful.
As Mayor, Sarno works daily to improve the future of Springfield's youth by addressing issues of youth and gang violence directly and doing everything that can be done to create a permanent culture of educational excellence for each Springfield Public School student. Sarno has asserted that a residential zip code should not dictate a student’s future. As Chairperson of the Springfield School Committee he participates in the advancement of a number of school related initiatives and continues to join in the celebration of positive results.
On the heels of the City of Springfield’s 375th Birthday Celebration, the City endured a number of unprecedented natural disasters in 2011 including an EF-3 Tornado that carved a 6.2 mile long path of destruction through the City. At a time of crisis, the true character of a city shines through and Mayor Sarno has remained so proud of the resiliency demonstrated by citizens and the many kind acts of neighbors helping neighbors. The City’s response to this devastation has remained Sarno’s top priority and he remains ever committed to doing whatever it takes to recover as quickly as possible and to do so in a manner that makes Springfield a stronger City.
Sarno is a graduate of the High School of Commerce, where he excelled as an athlete and scholar. He was elected class president as a freshman and junior and named to All Western Massachusetts in soccer and All City League in baseball. He attended American International College as a political science major and holds a bachelor's degree in psychology from Westfield State College, where he was inducted into the National Honors Society.
Sarno served as a mayoral aide under Mayor Mary Hurley from 1989 to 1991 and worked with District Attorney William Bennett from 1996 to 2002. He served as executive director of the South End Community Center from 2002 until his election as Mayor.
Sarno is the recipient of the Italian Cultural Center of Western Massachusetts 2007 Serviam Award. He received the Man of the Year award in 2005 from Springfield Unico and holds numerous other athletic, scholarship and community service distinctions.
Mayor Sarno is the son of World War II survivors Alfonso and Clara Sarno, who immigrated to America and settled in Springfield, where they established Clara's Alterations and Al's Barber Shop. Sarno, who was born in Springfield on May 4, 1963, attributes his respect for all people and personal motto of treating everyone equally and with dignity to his upbringing.
Sarno is married to Carla Sarno. The two are the parents of two daughters Cassandra and Chiara.
