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This week some new faces took their spots on suburban boards with some longevity and political DNA mixed in with the different roles. In Collierville, Maureen Fraser became the town’s new mayor, replacing long-time leader Stan Joyner. Meanwhile, in Germantown, the surname of Salvagggio returned to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen with the swearing-in of Tony Salvaggio to the Position 5 alderman’s seat. Tony Salvaggio is the son of former Germantown Mayor Charles Salvaggio. The new alderman watched his father oversee Germantown during a growth spurt, and the son has stepped into the political arena. Whether it was the Salvaggio name on the ballot or the reputation the son had established from his time on the city’s Planning Commission, no one decided to challenge Tony Salvaggio in his first run for elected office. To the east in Collierville, Fraser was sworn in along with new alderman Nick Robbins, who had to go to a runoff before his election. As reporter Abigail Warren outlined in a profile earlier this week, Fraser is a transplant to this area from Indiana, brought to Collierville almost 30 years ago when her husband was transferred down this way. From that move to PTA membership and leadership, a real estate career and elected office, Fraser made Collierville her home. Eventually, that transformed into a run for alderman, a spot she held for six terms as Joyner continued as the top elected official. Her position on the board included a good many years as vice mayor. Now, she holds the town’s top title. And her roots in Collierville are well-established. “I love the community of our friends, and I just love the town,” she told Warren. “Where else could you go? Why would I want to leave Collierville?” For Salvaggio, he has really never left Germantown. There wasn’t the moving from place to place like Fraser. He lived in Poplar Estates and then on the east side of the suburb. His dad not only was mayor but had his door business in Germantown. It’s always somewhat of an unfair comparison to link father and son’s philosophy. I have little doubt that Tony Salvaggio has set his own course politically and should be considered as a separate person with a side dish of the experience from watching his father as mayor. Still, would Tony Salvaggio want to become mayor, like Charles Salvaggio? That brings up another issue that is percolating in the suburb; whether Germantown’s mayor’s office should change from part time to full time. The question, brought forward by former alderman Jon McCreery, still has some issues to resolve before it reaches a referendum for voters, including getting the blessing from the state Legislature. As for Tony Salvaggio, he said at this point, he’s not thinking about the next office as he begins his first days as an alderman. “Being mayor is not on my radar as of now,” he said. And, he’s not much in favor of anyone being the Germantown mayor on a full-time basis. “I personally, at this stage, do not believe Germantown needs a full-time mayor because it limits the pool of highly qualified people in our city to run,” he said. — Suburbs editor, Clay Bailey
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Maureen Fraser has lived in many places across the country. But when she finally landed in Collierville, she spent years investing in the suburb. Now, as the new mayor, she’s ready to help it flourish.
By Abigail Warren
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