Duluth Mayor Emily Larson Talks First Month On Job

'The Month -- It's Flown By Every Day'

Newly elected Duluth Mayor Emily Larson is about to close out her first month on the job, and her first one-on-on TV interview since taking office was with FOX 21’s Dan Hanger.

Larson said she is feeling better than ever since taking office, and she actually relieved in a way to focus on one job – a big job – a mayor of Duluth.

“The month — it’s flown by every day,” Larson told Hanger.

And speaking of flying by, so have the main doors into the Mayor’s Office at City Hall. No longer are they always closed with those foggy covered windows.

“That’s the first thing I did.”

Larson believes the new open-door policy is setting the tone for her mission of transparency and inclusion.

“This is your office, too. And this is where you can access me and our staff and anything we are about,” Larson explained.

“It has been meaningful for people who notice it,” Larson said when referring to the wide open entry to her office.

Larson says she’s settling in pretty nicely with the focus of one busy job at hand.

“I wouldn’t say I spring out of bed. Because it’s not quite who I am, you know, but I’m excited!

Larson knows she can’t keep the city’s positive momentum moving forward alone, but she says her staff is the answer to that problem.

“My job is to bring out — and help bring out — their best work and to insure that I have their back on tough decisions and to insure they’ve factored in several things that are important to me or important to the community as we are making those decisions,” Larson said.

Two big decisions left to make include Duluth police and fire chiefs, which will made with the help of extensive public input on the city’s website starting Feb. 1, when the nationwide application process begins.

“You also need someone who knows how to managed serious budgets – 15 to 20 million dollar budgets –150 employees.

But on top of that, Larson is equally looking for chiefs who can be side by side with her as she looks to repair and intertwine communities so everyone from all backgrounds and incomes feels they are part of the next four years of Duluth.

“Overall, I can tell you the indicators of income. I can tell you the indicators of median sales prices of our tax base. All of things that say we are in the right direction — meaning we are moving forward. They are there. So now the challenge is to ensure every family across Duluth gets access to that,” Larson said.

Larson says she will be holding so-called “mayor nights” in the near future in her conference room and even out on location in all neighborhoods.

And as for her family, Larson says her husband, Doug, and her sons – 15-year-old Gabe and 12-year-old Eli – are actually relieved her campaigning is over so she can focus on one job and them.