At-Large: Alice Merkl

My name is Alice Merkl, and I am a Salem resident, a homeowner, and a lifelong activist. I have lived in Massachusetts with my husband and daughter for over 20 years and made Salem my home in 2011. 

I attended Salter College for business and worked as an office manager in New York City before starting my own successful business as a music teacher. I currently teach in my community for a small, family-owned business. Additionally, I am a board member of my self-managed condominium association.

I am passionate about serving my community through my volunteer work. I have campaigned for Automatic Voter Registration and the MA Commission on the Status of Women Advocacy Day, and I volunteer for Common Cause Massachusetts, an organization dedicated to integrity in elections and transparency in government. I am a regular volunteer with the Salem Food Pantry and Mobile Market, also the Backpack Program for Salem children in need, The Community Life Center, Historic Salem Annual House Tours, and a supporter of organizations such as Salem's No Place for Hate and Voices Against Injustice, nAGLY, MoveOn, and the Sierra Club. 

Why are you running for Councilor and what particular skills can you bring to the position?

I am running for City Council because what affects our day to day quality of life, what we rely on the most, happens at the local level of government.  For me it’s about preserving our past, meeting the needs of our community members in the present, and planning responsibly for our future.  We are facing many challenges here in Salem, such as our housing crisis, keeping our schools strong and safe, the climate crisis, infrastructure and parking, and meeting the needs of our under-served residents to name a few.  It will take hard work, forward thinking, and a team effort to meet these challenges.  My life experiences, both personally and professionally, makes me uniquely qualified to be a strong advocate for the needs of our residents.  Having faced financial and housing challenges myself, I have the ability to “think outside of the box”, and come up with creative solutions for the challenges we face.  Also being a teacher and active volunteer here in Salem has given me the ability to recognize and advocate for the needs of all our community members.

What are some of your proposed solutions towards resolving the housing crisis in Salem?

Unfortunately there is no one solution that will solve our housing crisis. It will take strong leadership and a creative, aggressive approach to start creating more housing options for the 50% of Salem residents that are “rent overburdened”.  We must implement the broad range of tools/ideas at our disposal.  Some of the legislation and programs I support are as follows:

- Inclusionary zoning ordinance

- Accessory Dwelling Unit ordinance expansion

- Municipal and Religious Reuse Special Permit

- Proposal of a condo conversion ordinance to keep rental stock

- Utilize state programs for assistance (such as the proposed RAAP Rental Arrearage Assistance program, and RAFT Rental Assistance for Families in Transition)

- The North Shore CDC and Harborlight Community Partners’ efforts to create affordable housing

How do you see Salem impacted by the climate crisis and what new initiatives would you take to lead Salem's resiliency efforts?

We are not only facing a climate crisis, but being a coastal community we have an urgent need to address coastal resiliency.  People are facing flooding in coastal areas on a regular basis.  The Juniper Point neighborhood and Rosie’s Pond area both experience flooding, and other areas have flooding issues as well. Fortunately in Salem we have strong advocates for environmental protections working on numerous environmentally friendly initiatives.  As a City Councillor I will support the great work being done by SAFE (Salem Alliance for the Environment), SERC (Salem Sustainability, Energy and Resiliency Committee), our Recycling Committee, and Conservation Commission just to name a few!  I will advocate for any city buildings/projects to be as “green” as possible, and encourage any new developers to explore environmentally friendly options. 

There are so many great ideas being implemented by our community members involved with these impressive environmental groups!  I had the pleasure of being part of the planting of the Living Shoreline at Collins Cove by the Salem Sound Coastwatch to promote coastal resiliency.  It was an impressive project.  I also attended the Hazard Mitigation Plan Update at the Conservation Commission meeting on 8/8.  This plan assesses our risks and vulnerabilities to natural hazard events and develops measures to reduce or eliminate these risks. 

As with our affordable housing shortage, no one initiative is going to fix this crisis.  It will take a strong, forward thinking team effort to address our climate crisis here in Salem, and globally as well.

Please outline some ideas you have that can enhance civic engagement at the city level.

Civic engagement is something we do really well here in Salem!  I will continue to be involved in and enhance citywide efforts for neighborhood clean ups, “get out the vote” initiatives, and community food programs to name a few; and will support our neighborhood associations that keep our community members connected and involved.  As a City Councillor I will work on keeping our residents informed of community engagement opportunities through newsletters and social media. I will also seek out suggestions from our residents as they are our best resource for new ideas for civic engagement here in Salem.

At-Large: George McCabe

I was born and raised in Salem on North St. and attended St. John’s Prep in Danvers and Salem State (political science major). I have spent most of my adult life in government. At the age of 24, I was elected Ward Six Councilor where I served 2 terms and 4 terms as councilor-at-large (1985-1996 in total). After that I served for 14 years as an aide to former Congressmen John Tierney (1997-2011). I was appointed to the Salem Planning Board by Mayor Driscoll serving from 2011-2013.

I then started a successful small business which today is being operated by my daughter, Erin. My wife, Lisa and I reside at 11 D Russell Drive in Salem (Ward 7) and have been married for 35 years. Lisa is the co-owner of Baker School of Gymnastics in Salem.

Why are you running for Councilor and what skills can you bring to the position?

I’m running for the City Council this year because I’m at a point in my life where I have the time to do the job. I have a tremendous amount of experience working with the local, state and the federal governments. I also have built a successful small business and understand the sacrifice and risks that entails.

If I’m fortunate enough to get elected, from day one you’ll have a city councilor who understands municipal finance, knows the city well, will listen to all sides and has no other agenda other than do what’s in the best interest of the City of Salem. I’m not aligned with any group or individual and will be an independent voice listening to all sides of issues. I can bring people together - if they are willing to work for reasonable solutions.

I also want to be a voice for civility in our civil discourse. We live in a toxic political environment nationally and that has trickled down to the local level and it’s not healthy. People need to stop labeling others and be respectful of other opinions - even when they disagree. I have been involved in government and politics for a long time and understand how we got here but enough is enough. Elected officials and those who voice their opinions in public, including social media, should all respect each other so the people’s business can be done in a professional and courteous manner.

What are some of your proposed solutions towards resolving the housing crisis in Salem?

I’m pretty much in agreement with the overlay plan for the re-use of religious and municipal buildings for housing with a percentage to be affordable units. I also think changing the language of the current in-law apartment rules – from in-law and caregiver use only to allowing rental to others will allow for more affordable units to be created. I do think that the change should not be given by right but by special permit. It’s important that it does not become abused and turn single family neighborhoods into 2 family neighborhoods. I know that’s not the intent, but I think it’s prudent to shine some light on each unit through the special permit process. Both proposals are modest and will not create many units. They are however small steps that the city can take to help with affordable housing in what otherwise is market driven.

The other housing issue we need to start focusing on is affordable housing for our seniors and veterans. The current senior and veteran housing complexes are old and in constant need of repairs.

As a community we need to start advocating for new and more senior housing and working with the state and federal government to secure funding.

How do you see Salem impacted by the climate crisis and what new initiatives would you take to lead Salem's resiliency efforts?

Climate change is something we need to pay attention to in Salem because we are a coastal community and that is where we will be impacted most. Salem and the State have done a good job to date of identifying the dangers that lie ahead. Unfortunately, the executive branch of the federal government has decided that climate change is not real, so the states and local communities have been left to fend for ourselves. The economic impact will be enormously costly in Salem with a rising sea level and more and more flooding. I worked on flood mitigation issues with coastal communities on the North Shore and Merrimack Valley when I was at the congressman’s office and it takes local, state & federal partnership to get these projects planned and constructed. Without federal funding and participation in planning it’s going to be difficult for the state and local government to do it alone. Hopefully the federal position will change. I would be a huge advocate for federal funding.

The other thing we must continue to do is reduce our carbon footprint by relying less and less on fossil fuels individually and collectively. Solar, wind and other clean energy sources is what we need to be striving for.

Please outline some ideas you have that can enhance civic engagement at the city level.

I think Salem has more civic engagement now than it’s ever had. Every neighborhood has an association and I think the LWV has been doing a great job of being inclusive and focusing on important issues facing our city. The city has been more engaged through technology by using online surveys and has been generally good at communicating with the public. The Salem Police Department has done so as well.

One thing that has always bothered me is that we do not teach civics in our school system. It would be worthwhile to offer a civics program to the general public through community services. It could take any format; a certificate course, a speaker series or a workshop format. It could potentially get more people involved. Most of the people that are engaged in the various groups are already very knowledgeable of how local government works. Having more people understanding how government works at the local level will make them more likely to become engaged and more likely to vote as well.

At-Large: Elaine Milo

Elaine Berard Milo is long-time resident of Salem. She lives with her husband Frank, their daughter, Danielle and son-in law, Billy, and three Boston Terriers on Marlborough Road, in the home that her husband’s grandfather built in 1928.

Elaine is currently Associate Director of Grants at Salem State University where she has worked for the past 18 years. Elaine holds a Bachelor's Degree in Business Education with a concentration in accounting.

Prior to working at Salem State, she was employed by Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (6 years) and Holyoke Mutual Insurance in Salem (16 years).

Elaine’s professional experience includes grant writing and administration, budget development and oversight and supervisor.

Elaine is completing her third term on the city council. She has served as the liaison to the Council on Aging Board for each of her three terms. Additionally, during her tenure she has been a member of all of the five standing committees of the council: Administration and Finance Committee; Community and Economic Development; Government Services; Ordinances, Licenses and Legal Affairs and Public Health and Safety. Prior to being elected to city council she served on the Cemetery Commission for over 15 years.

Why are you running for Councilor and what particular skills can you bring to the position?

Kindness, respect and professionalism are just a few of the skills I bring to this position. As councillor, I have had the privilege to serve the residents of a Salem in a way that I would not otherwise. Sometimes, something as basic as getting a pothole filled or a manhole fixed can make all the difference in someone’s quality of life. Serving comes down to helping people both within and outside of the Council Chamber.

What are some of your proposed solutions towards resolving the housing crisis in Salem?

This is a regional issue. Salem needs to do its part to address this issue while keeping everyone safe and the community viable. Instead of piecemeal approach, let’s look at this issue holistically, through the lens of updating our 50 year old zoning ordinances to reflect our city-wide vision, and include all issues related to housing.

How do you see Salem impacted by the climate crisis and what new initiatives would you take to lead Salem's resiliency efforts?

Public education is important and we need to continue to support organizations like Salem Sound Coastwatch in their efforts to educate the public about climate change and resiliency. We need a strong, coordinated effort by all neighboring coastal communities to lobby state and federal elected officials to make more money available to complete projects like the one at Collins Cove. There is strength in numbers and I am confident a coordinated effort such as this will produce exponential results.

Please outline some ideas you have that can enhance civic engagement at the city level.

Laura Assade, in the Mayor’s Office, has done an exceptional job with revamping programs to encourage civic engagement on the part of our youth. Supporting Laura in her efforts is a good way to increase participation by our citizenry.

At-Large: Jeff Cohen

Jeff doesn’t just talk about issues, he acts by not being afraid to take bold action when necessary and by building consensus by finding common ground.

Co-Chair of Salem’s No Place for Hate Committee, he wrote the original Sanctuary ordinance and was instrumental in the passage of the non-discrimination ordinance.  Vice-Chair of Salem’s Sustainability, Energy & Resiliency Committee, Jeff played a significant role in Salem becoming the 1st community in MA to pass a 100% clean energy resolution (2016) and then the 2018 carbon pricing and 2019 green new deal resolutions. 

He is on the Leadership Council for Salem for All Ages and a Board Member for Project Out.

As Salem’s Recycling Coordinator (2013-5) and Solar Coach (2014), Jeff significantly increased the City’s recycling percentage and solar installations.  He proposed the creative solar concept for the Bentley & Witchcraft Heights schools resulting in a new roof and about $1M in revenue for the schools over 10 years.

Jeff always stands up for those that need it most and he doesn’t just show up, he gets things done!

Married to Flora Tonthat, who owns a small business, heads a neighborhood association and has created a few sustainable public gardens…she’s very involved in our community.  She and Jeff and their rescue cat Jazz are proud to have so many friends and can’t imagine living anywhere but Salem. 

He listens, learns and leads!

Why are you running for Councilor and what particular skills can you bring to the position?

As City Councilor, I’ll utilize my ability to build consensus and realize results as evidenced by my teaming up with some current Councillors to find common ground about the short-term rental ordinance, helping to achieve unanimous consent.

Our rapidly diminishing rental stock is making it impossible for many to stay in Salem. All those who work here should be able to live here.

As Co-Chair of Salem’s No Place for Hate Committee have facilitated meetings about contentious issues and create an environment where all feel safe & comfortable. Considering the acrimony that exists in today’s Council, this will enable a more productive Council.

As Salem’s Recycling Coordinator (2013-5) and Solar Coach (2014), I worked with most all City departments and employees and truly understand how to address constituent issues.

As the only person in Salem who chairs two City Boards/Commissions (NP4H, SERC), I have demonstrated a willingness to participate in the process as a volunteer and taken on a leadership role and leadership is lacking on today’s Council.

Putting others first, being thorough, innovative & results oriented, motivating others, honesty/integrity, problem solver and especially listening and learning make me best suited for the Salem City Council.

What are some of your proposed solutions towards resolving the housing crisis in Salem?

Excellent in democracy is through compromise and all the concerns expressed about the MROD zoning ordinance were addressed, so we must pass this to reuse, restore and expand affordable housing and fulfill the commitments made by the Council.

• We must institute comprehensive inclusionary zoning with tiered median income levels for all new development and all affordable housing be on site.

• Condo conversion must be controlled through regulation and permitting. The limited, non-viable accessory dwelling unit regulations must be expanded.

• The short-term rental ordinance must be enforced, especially for non-occupied properties.

• The mandated parking minimums must be revised to reflect the evolving reality that less cars are needed.

• Tenant rights must be a priority and so we need to require longer notice, perhaps even payment of a month’s rent. We must increase access and make sure tenants are aware of their rights.

• To counter the lack of diversity, we must find ways to make sure more income levels exist in all neighborhoods.

How do you see Salem impacted by the climate crisis and what new initiatives would you take to lead Salem's resiliency efforts?

Salem is one of the most endangered by the climate crisis with escalating heat zones, coastal flooding and sea level rise. These are issues we work on at SERC, but unfortunately, I’m the only candidate for Councillor that is taking them as seriously as they deserve. We must take bold action (not incremental) now.

I will propose a resiliency zoning ordinance so people who are displaced by emergencies have temporary or permanent housing.

• I will propose an ordinance that the ZBA issues special permits without ability to override the intent of the zoning (for example no development proceeds with 11 variances).

• I will propose increasing the minimum resiliency standards so that we can reach out goal of 100% clean energy and have zero net energy buildings where possible. We have too many developments built recently and in process that will not withstand the effects of what is forecasted.

• I will propose minimum sustainability & efficiency requirements such as all retro fits and new developments must have solar, air source heat pumps, LED’s, etc. and net zero carbon standards.

• I have innovative ideas that will incentivize those at the lower income levels who cannot afford solar, mini-splits, etc.

• Setting goals with tactics to reduce the number of cars, increase public transportation and better/more economical ways of diverting trash/recycling & composting more will be introduced. The Traffic & Parking Commission should be just that with ability to make decisions without submitting to Council.

• I will propose a revolving fund for SERC and an ordinance to make sure SERC is part of the development process.

• I will propose enough money allocated to the planting/replacement of trees to reach carbon reduction goals and fulfill the 1 to 1 replacement target.

• I will propose an ordinance to require National Grid to fix gas leaks/compensate residents/businesses.

• I have bold proposals that will results in our generating new revenue sources from renewables.

Please outline some ideas you have that can enhance civic engagement at the city level.

The City Council needs to meet more than 19 times per year and the subcommittees at least once per month and be on SATV. The hearings subcommittees have are a great vehicle for interaction with residents and yet most meet infrequently.

Each Subcommittee has areas of focus such as Public Health (opiates), Safety (police/fire) & Environment (climate crisis), so they should all have quarterly public hearings where residents can express ideas, concerns and participate in the process.

• I support rank choice voting at the municipal, state and national level.

• Make voting more accessible and have an electoral commission so elected officials don’t supervise the Clerk’s office.

• Invite the Youth Commission to have a non-voting seat on boards & commissions.

• Bring City Hall to the community with some staff & Councillors using mobile units set up throughout the City as the City has done at Farmers Market.

• Educate residents about what boards & commissions are responsible for so that there is more diversity on them.

• Residents want to feel their voice matters and yet this doesn’t exist with the current Council. If they believe they have impact and the Council is responsive to them, they will become more vested and involved and we can maintain and grow participation over time.