1. In light of a recent federal executive order on homelessness that incentivizes local policies to ban outdoor camping and to require mental health and substance use treatment, how would you assess Salem’s responses to people experiencing homelessness, and what would you plan to do if elected?
I would not want to opt into any kind of agreement with the federal government to take funds and involuntarily committing people (beyond Section 35 in Massachusetts), as the executive order suggests. I do, however, believe we can do an even better job of finding people beds, housing, treatment, or whatever else is required. Grant’s Pass v. Johnson, a recent Supreme Court case allowing police to move homeless people from public areas, gave cities this power by right. Our Camping Ordinance in Salem limits that power to doing so only when shelter is unavailable. This shelter-first mentality led to the creation of the transition center on Canal Street and we need that to stay open. We also need to support – and push – the organizations we work with to better serve all of our residents. This means building the Harborlight project and expanding the Lifebridge Day Center. I also would propose a WPA-style program to get unhoused people work in our city workforce. The issue of homelessness is only going to get worse, and we should be looking for solutions to house people, not just put a band-aid on the problem. Finally, the narrative that people flock to Salem to be homeless is flawed and is simply not the case when you talk to the people who are unhoused and those who work with them. We can still, however, work with other towns around us to do their part to help this issue that goes beyond our city limits.
2. Since the federal government has withdrawn its support for combating climate change, including eliminating tax credits for wind and solar energy and halting federal permits for wind power, what would you propose the city do to mitigate climate change and its effects locally?
I am told by Crowley that they have enough work to make it through this administration as they build our wind terminal, but recent developments in Rhode Island make me fearful. We have to defend this green project, which will be an economic and educational driver for our city. In terms of tax credits (coupled with tariffs on Chinese products like solar panels), we need the state to step in and make solar more affordable for residents through local tax breaks. I am proud to support our adoption of the Specialized Code (requiring larger buildings to be electrified, use solar, or be passive houses in some cases) and am also thrilled that it has allowed us to be one of the state’s first and only Climate Leader Communities. This provides access to grants and funding for more resiliency and sustainability projects, and we need to ensure that money has a compounding effect on our future fight against climate change. I would also like to work with Councillor Varela (unopposed so I am happy he will be staying on) to create city-wide composting for schools and businesses, and I would also like to see it expanded to individual homes like in Boston. Finally, we can continue to raise our percentage of renewables in our PowerChoice program. Our city is already at the forefront of this fight, but we need to spread these efforts to the other cities around us. We are a model and need others to join us.
3. With the loss of federal grants and funding for food pantries, and the closure of Daily Table, what ideas do you have for helping residents who are food insecure?
Daily Table was a big loss that if we had some lead time, perhaps a better solution than just closing the doors could have been explored. As I understand it, that particular business was earning a small profit. We should be looking for another group to take over the store or even run the store ourselves in Salem, perhaps with the help of the Salem Food Pantry. Grocery prices are going to be rising, Market Basket (the most affordable option in the area) is in turmoil, and food pantries will see funding cuts; this time of great need is also creating a perfect storm for food insecurity. However, one of the greatest sources of trash from homes and restaurants is food waste. We need to partner with apps like TooGoodToGo to get meals that would otherwise be thrown out from restaurants into the hands of those who need it, while also encouraging all our restaurants to donate unexpired food rather than throw it out. We also need to explore the idea of a city-run grocery store, similar to how New Hampshire runs their own liquor stores. The store can be run with co-op shifts that allow further discounts on groceries, allowing people to save money while committing to work a couple 4 hour shifts a month (similar to co-ops in other cities). With the need to turn a profit gone, the store has to mostly break even, and this is possible, even with the slim margins of the grocery business.
4. Do you support or oppose the plans to build a new high school inSalem and the debt exclusion proposal to allow Salem to fund its share of the cost of the new school? Why or why not? What points would you make to communicate with Salem voters about this project?
I support this project and the debt exclusion needed to do it. I want the people of Salem to be invested in Salem’s future and I think overrides and debt exclusions are great ways to do that. The new school will cost approximately $455 million with a significant portion coming from the state. Conversely, the code upgrades needed on the building would total somewhere around $350 million and we would be left with the same old school building and no state assistance. Nearly 25% of our city’s energy bill comes from this out-of-date school, the facilities are barely usable, and the footprint of the current school is larger than the proposed one, creating more green space and fields. We also must have a PLA (project labor agreement) attached to this project to ensure that the building jobs it creates are locally filled and well-paying, and that CTE students are used for apprenticeships, building the school for the next generation of students. This would be an amazing opportunity that will pay dividends in the long run. We only get one chance to build this school, we need to do it right. One way to “sell” the project to voters is to make videos showing the students talking about the current school and showing the facilities, then juxtapose them with the building proposals and anyone invested in the community would get behind that. I find short form video content to be a great way to reach a large number of people quickly.
5. How do you plan to keep your constituents informed about policy issues before the City Council if you are elected?
I want to do a newsletter where I can explain why votes go the way they do and also what is coming before the council in the weeks ahead. I also plan to do townhalls and coffee drop-in hours. One other idea is what I’m calling a City Council Overtime Video. After meetings, particularly contentious ones, I will go live to explain to constituents what just happened and why things went a certain way. I think that would be important to sort of create shorter-form content where people can get informed faster than watching a two-hour meeting. This city has a lot bright, creative, and engaged residents and I want their help in shaping our future. I only know what I know and beyond that, I want to connect with as many residents as possible to get their views and their experiences. I aim to be a voice for Ward 2, but that starts by being a great listener with an open mind. Thanks for reading!