Question 1: Why are you running for Mayor and what particular skills can you bring to the position?
I am running for re-election because I hope to continue the work that has made Salem a more welcoming, sustainable, and vibrant community in which to live, work, or visit. I believe local government provides important services that residents rely on every day and having strong, capable leadership is key to ensuring a high quality of life within our city. During my time as Mayor, I have prioritized an inclusive and professional approach to governing, brought people together constructively, advanced critical housing, transportation, park, and climate projects, and implemented creative solutions to our city’s problems. As a prior Deputy City Manager, municipal attorney, and planner, I believe I have brought a professional, transparent, and honest approach to governing our community. Salem needs qualified, competent leadership as we approach our 400th anniversary and work to overcome the impacts of this pandemic. That’s why I’m running for re-election: we still have work to do, and our community needs an experienced, capable Mayor to lead our city forward – now more than ever. Together, we’ll put anticipated federal funding to good use and continue advancing Salem in a smart, forward thinking, and equitable manner. We’re a resilient community, even in the face of adversity. But we still have work to do, and we can’t turn back now, and we shouldn't settle for less. Please check out my campaign website for additional information (www.kimdriscoll.org) or connect with me directly via email at info@kimdriscoll.org.
Question 2: What are some of your proposed solutions towards resolving the housing crisis in Salem?
We have been aggressive in pursuing housing policies that increase access to housing for the many members of our community who struggle to find adequate safe and affordable homes in our community - from our homeless population to older adults and working families. This is one of the most pressing issues facing our community and we have worked to educate residents and business owners about our housing needs and advocate collectively for initiatives aimed at increasing affordable housing options in Salem. I have continued to encourage funding of affordable housing projects, including supportive housing built for formerly homeless individuals as part of a ‘housing first’ model; rental relief funding (first, last and security assistance, as well as short term rental assistance) for tenants in need; first-time home buyer assistance programs. In addition to funding projects, I have also advocated for additional smart growth zoning tools, including the adoption of an affordable accessory dwelling unit ordinance, an Inclusionary Zoning policy requiring an affordability set-aside within new housing developments, and creation of new zoning tools to allow re-use of closed former catholic school buildings for affordable housing. Often these policies faced staunch opposition from City Councillors who don’t share the same belief that Salem should have an affordable home for those who live, work, or go to school here. Going forward, as Chair of the City’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund and as the Governor’s appointee to the Salem Housing Authority, I hope we can continue pressing for more affordable housing options in Salem by:
leveraging public land for the creation of new affordable housing opportunities;
partnering with housing non-profits to acquire existing multi-unit properties to meet our workforce housing needs;
forming a community land trust to support land/building acquisition aimed at increasing affordable housing options for those who live and work in Salem;
identifying areas for up zoning to better accommodate affordable housing needs in our city;
completing updates to our housing production plan and setting benchmarks for key
community housing goals;
adopting tenant protection laws to mitigate displacement, and
establishing a housing stability office as part of our post-pandemic recovery efforts.
For nearly 400 years, Salem has welcomed residents from different backgrounds, income levels, and ethnicities; it is important that we work together to ensure we remain a community that works for and welcomes everyone. I’ve been a champion for affordable housing policies and projects because I believe that families and individuals who struggle with housing instability have just as much a right to live in Salem as those who are comfortably housed in nice condos or single-family homes.
For more information: www.kimdriscoll.org/housing
Question 3: How do you see Salem impacted by the climate crisis and what new initiatives would you take to lead Salem's resiliency efforts?
My administration has prioritized measures to reduce Salem’s own contributions to climate change, while simultaneously preparing for ways to mitigate the impact of rising sea levels, more significant storms, and the other consequences of climate change. After completing both a climate change mitigation plan and a natural hazards plan, Salem embarked on a regional partnership with Beverly to take the next step in identifying solutions, both short- and long-term.
In addition to investments in hard infrastructure, such as seawall and storm drain systems, Salem has installed living shoreline resiliency projects, pro-actively designed new parks and buildings for climate change adaption, and is working to develop a wetlands/coastal zone ordinance that both thoughtfully and meaningfully regulates private construction in these sensitive areas of the city.
Under my leadership, Salem launched a municipal electrical aggregation program that both saves Salem homeowners money on their electric bills and ensures the local energy supply is entirely renewable, exceeding even the state’s standards. Projects such as the LED streetlight conversions, rooftop solar installations on schools, and other energy efficiency upgrades have helped reduce the City’s own carbon footprint, as have the continuing conversion of the municipal fleet to hybrid and electrical vehicles.
Most recently we created the City’s first Department of Sustainability, Energy, and Resiliency. Going forward my priority would be supporting the work of that department in implementing the joint Salem and Beverly Resilient Together plan, pursuing off shore wind opportunities at Salem Wharf and continuing our work to reduce our own contributions to climate change, to best prepare for the future of a warming planet. For more information: www.kimdriscoll.org/resilience
Question 4: Please outline some ideas you have that can enhance civic engagement at the city level.
Civic engagement is critical to creating a more socially conscious and inclusive community in Salem. I was so proud to establish the Neighborhood Improvement Advisory Council, the Salem State University Neighborhood Advisory Committee, the Salem Youth Commission, the Salem For All Ages initiative and the New Resident Guide, as ways to improve engagement and access to local decision-making for impacted residents. Our work to improve online access and transparency received an award from Common Cause Massachusetts and we have pursued efforts to put even more public documents online – millions of records, in fact – to remove barriers to the public accessing public information. Building on what we have learned from the pandemic, and on research my office conducted on public participation in Salem City Council hearings, we will maintain a commitment to as much online access to public meetings as we can provide, to ensure all voices are heard during our important public deliberations. Lastly, a number of years ago I was proud to sign an MOU with the Latino Leadership Coalition committing the City to a higher standard when it comes to providing access to the ballot and voting information for our Spanish-speaking neighbors; civic engagement means ensuring every single resident of Salem has an equitable opportunity to participate in their local government. We have laid the foundations for that commitment and started working toward its full realization; I look forward to the opportunity to see it through. Going forward, we hope to institute a Salem Civic Academy where residents can better learn about the work of local government and opportunities for citizens to participate. We are blessed to have an engaged community and we’ll continue to prioritize ways to connect with residents going forward.
Question 5: How do you think Salem should continue working on issues of race equity, now that the City's first Race Equity Task Force has submitted its report?
The findings of the Race Equity Task Force demonstrate that while we can be proud of the progress we have achieved, we still have a lot of work to do to when it comes to race equity in Salem. The task force looked at systemic racism in our culture, economics, education, health, and public safety, and they offered numerous actionable strategies that we can take to begin to address this major challenge. In schools, thanks to the work of the Equity Subcommittee that was established as part of the School Committee structure, we are working harder than ever to increase diversity among teachers and offer a curriculum that is more culturally sensitive. COVID-19 demonstrated systemic inequities in how we care for people of color, and we need to do more to intentionally address those disparities. Lastly, we are working to adopt more culture sensitivity and de-escalation training for our police force. I was proud to propose the creation of a new Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the City and to fund the implementation of body-worn cameras for Salem police officers, both of which passed the City Council over my opponent’s objections. Systemic racial inequity has always been present in Salem, as it has been across our nation; we have an obligation to act deliberately, strategically, and collaboratively to do something about it. I am grateful we are having long overdue conversations about how we can ALL do better and I’m excited about the opportunity to operationalize the Race Equity Task Force’s many recommendations, including the establishment of a permanent Race Equity Commission for our city. It will be up to all of us to see this work through.