On Monday, New London will witness its first transition in leadership since adopting a mayoral-led form of government. After one tumultuous four-year term, Mayor Daryl Justin Finizio will turn over the office to Mayor-elect Michael Passero, the city councilor who defeated him in the Democratic primary.

Too many tax increases, too many controversies, and questionable staffing appointments were Mayor Finizio’s undoing. Yet Mayor Finizio also did things that will make the path for his successor easier than the one he had to blaze after New London abandoned the city manager form of government.

From the start, he set out to establish the office of mayor as a separate branch of government, independent of the council. Mayor Finizio made it clear that he would not serve as an elected version of city manager. This needed to be done.

In his campaign, Mayor-elect Passero repeatedly stressed the importance of communication and cooperation with the council. It is a meritorious sentiment. Mayor Finizio could have done a far better job of it.

But Mayor-elect Passero should not lose sight of the fact he is the mayor and needs to set the agenda for the city. At times, it will not be about building consensus; it will be about making tough decisions, even unpopular ones. His success will be measured by the city's success, not how well he gets along with the council.

The outgoing mayor also deserves credit for addressing forthrightly the difficult fiscal challenge that confronted him when elected as the first mayor under the new system of government. His administration shrank the size of government, pushed through politically poisonous but largely necessary property tax increases, and took a creative approach toward rebuilding the city’s fund balance. The city’s rainy day fund had been depleted to address deficit spending, endangering New London’s credit rating.

Among Mayor-elect Passero’s priorities should be to avoid any fiscal backsliding. It is fitting that the budget he inherits is largely his own. Confronted with a proposed tax increase from Mayor Finizio that this newspaper agreed was excessive, Mayor-elect Passero led a council rebellion that held city spending stable, resulting in a modest tax hike tied to increased education spending.

Now it will be the new mayor’s challenge to manage that budget while continuing to rebuild the fund balance and maintain city services.

Mayor-elect Passero, who takes the oath of office Monday, begins with a wealth of goodwill and ample political capital to expend. His general election victory was overwhelming. He has strong backing in the business community. A Democrat, he will be working with a seven-person council of all Democrats.

New London Public Schools have in place a strong superintendent in Dr. Manuel J. Rivera, a $200-million project to complete the building or renovation of all city schools, and a plan to become the state’s first all-magnet-schools district.

While Mayor Finizio arrived in office as an outsider, having moved to the city only a couple of years before running for election, Mayor-elect Passero is the consummate insider. He has been a New London resident since childhood, a career firefighter for the city, and long active in its civic affairs.

The new mayor has an opportunity to succeed where the man he replaces fell short — driving economic development. Where Mayor Finizio clashed with the city’s redevelopment agency, Mayor-elect Passero is ready to work cooperatively to finally achieve development in the Fort Trumbull section.

Also of paramount importance is developing and aggressively pursuing a plan to fill vacant storefronts in the downtown, encouraging the renovation of buildings, and supporting efforts to bring more residents into the city center.

Mayor-elect Passero has also said maintaining a police presence, enhancing security and attacking blight in New London’s working-class neighborhoods will be a priority.

The challenges are many, but great, too, are the opportunities. We join the community in congratulating the new mayor and wishing him good fortune in leading New London forward.