Honeymoon Kiss: Burlington’s mayor quietly gets to work

By Shay Totten | Vermont Guardian
photo by Jessica K. Kell

Posted May 26, 2006

After every election, politicians often experience a honeymoon — a period when their rivals and the media let them settle in.

During his honeymoon, Burlington Mayor Bob Kiss has been meeting city employees, touring facilities, caucusing with citizen and business leaders, throwing out the first pitch to open the Little League season, scooping ice cream at Ben & Jerry’s on free cone day, and speaking at the Burlington Business Association’s annual meeting.

This soft-spoken former three-term legislator is receiving kudos from many Burlington residents who didn’t support him for mayor, or just didn’t get to meet him.

“I was sworn in on a Monday night, and we had our first city department heads meeting on Tuesday,” Kiss said.

He admits that he’s got a lot more to learn about the mayoral balancing act as both an administrator and a kind of cheerleader and welcoming party.

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