City Council District 1 candidate David Peterson says 'time is right' to expand his involvement in community
WORCESTER - Jennifer Pacillo and David Peterson are vying for the City Council District 1 seat made vacant after incumbent Sean M. Rose decided he would not seek reelection.
Recently, Peterson took time to share what he feels are important issues facing the city and why he is the best person for the job.
Dave Peterson
Office sought: City Councilor District 1
Age: 44
Education: Bachelor of science in television, radio and film from Syracuse University; graduated with honors
Occupation: Worcester Bravehearts general manager
Why are you running?
Peterson said he has always challenged himself to reach for new heights professionally by expanding his involvement in the community and running for city councilor is the most recent example of that. “People want a representative who will respond to them, and, unfortunately, that's what many of the residents in district one have been complaining about in the past two years,” Peterson said. “I'm running because the time is right. I'm still young but I've been ‘campaigning’ in this city for 20 years at local little league parades, ribbon cuttings, food drives and 5Ks. I'm excited to see that work pay off.”
Important issues
Peterson said District 1 needs job growth and he will work with the Worcester Business Development Cooperation to help shine a spotlight on the Greendale Revitalization Plan.
“We need to redevelop those 51 acres of underutilized land and experience a windfall like the WuXi Biologics project at The Reactory (Worcester's biomanufacturing park developed by WBDC) has done,” Peterson said. “The former Saint Gobain property has the potential to create 800 new jobs here in the city while reopening roads in the area and expanding the commercial tax base.”
Peterson said he will also work with business owners to re-establish the small business liaison retention program, simplifying approvals and obtaining guidance for minority-owned businesses on navigating the city's micro-loan program and the state's workforce training grants.
“The Lincoln Street neighborhood needs help to support the unhoused and those struggling with drug addiction. I look forward to working with the Worcester Police Department's Quality of Life teams to get them the treatment and housing they need,” Peterson said. “I want to be ever-present as Worcester Community Housing Resources converts the former Quality Inn Hotel to 90-plus units of housing in the Oriol Drive permanent supportive housing project. My goal is to help communicate the plans for Oriol Drive to the neighborhood residents so they know what to expect when the building opens in 2024.”
Peterson said the district, and the city as a whole, has far too many crumbling roads and sidewalks. Residents are asking for faster turnaround times on road repairs and prioritizing sidewalk repairs in neighborhoods with a high-density of senior citizens, he said. On private roads, Peterson said he wants the city to create a new system to hold a portion of the tax payments from abutters in an escrow account so that the funds can be pooled for future road repairs since those are residents' responsibility.
What makes you the best person for the job?
Peterson said he has the energy that Worcester needs to attract “the next jetBlue,” the compassion to treat the city’s most vulnerable citizens with dignity and the artfulness to solve problems that have sat unsolved for years. Peterson said he wants to engage with residents through outreach of phone calls and online polls to gather their thoughts on the most pressing issues in the city so that he can represent them in the best possible manner.
“Worcester needs fresh new ideas, a voice of optimism and a person who can compromise with elected officials who may share different points of view,” Peterson said. “I hold myself to high moral standards. I take responsibility when things go wrong and I don't take myself too seriously. I am a person who truly wants to be on the front line picking up trash in our neighborhoods and delivering meals to the homeless. My track record proves that.”
What makes you different from your opponent?
Peterson said he comes from a background in the private sector working for a business that puts a premium on customer service.
"We've needed to be savvy to compete in a changing marketplace. We hire intelligently, train and motivate our employees to succeed, and make smart financial decisions to keep the business growing,” Peterson said. “This is experience I have that my opponent does not. Hiring, training, motivating, budgeting and delivering exceptional customer service is part of what I believe will be needed in City Hall — so in essence, I'm looking forward to taking what I've learned from the private sector and applying it to the public sector.”
District 1 generally includes the following neighborhoods: Salisbury Street, Westwood Hills, Assumption University, Hancock Hill, Grove Street, Holden Street, Indian Hill, Indian Lake, Greendale, the Summit, Quinsigamond Community College, Upper Burncoat, Clark Street, Lincoln Village, Great Brook Valley, Curtis Apartments, Montvale and Massachusetts Avenue Local Historic districts, Hammond Heights, Bancroft Tower, Winter Heights and Richmond/Flagg.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: City Council District 1 candidate Peterson seeks to expand involvement
