He had been an unsuccessful candidate against Mayor Norcross. Like his predecessor, he recommended strict economy. He was the first Mayor who had always belonged to the Democratic Party.

Mayor Shurtleff's administration was greatly occupied with street extension and improvement made necessary in large part by the growth of South Boston and new developments in East Boston, and leading, among other things, to the building of new bridges and the establishment of ferries between East Boston and Boston proper.

In 1870, Dorchester was united to Boston and added more than 10,000 to the population of the latter city.

Mayor Shurtleff did not altogether succeed in trimming expenditures, for in the first year of his administration they rose to more than $9,000,000, while the tax rate was reduced to $12.20. This resulted in an increase in the net debt of $1,486,000. In 1869, the expenditure reached over $12,000,000, with a tax rate of $13.70, and an increase in the debt of more than $2,000,000.

In his last inaugural, Mayor Shurtleff once more recommended economy and complained of the 'costly and uncalled-for luxuriousness' which had marked the city affairs in the preceding years. The debt increased to $2,430,000 in spite of a tax rate of $15.30."

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