Ray Mariano: In the ring for District 5 City Council seat

No incumbent elected official wants to face a serious challenger. But a serious challenger can raise neglected issues and point out where the incumbent has fallen short. If the incumbent is to survive, they’ve got to raise their game. A serious challenger also gives the community a chance to weigh in and focus the candidates on the issues that matter most to them.

And that is exactly what is happening in District 5. Well-known boxer José Rivera is challenging incumbent Etel Haxhiaj for the District 5 City Council seat. From the start of the race, Rivera has been nipping at Haxhiaj’s heels raising issues and questioning positions taken that she’d rather not discuss.

It’s been a spirited campaign. When it’s over, the winner will be better for the fight. That’s a win for the people in District 5.

Etel Haxhiaj

A relative newcomer to public office, Haxhiaj has established herself as the council’s leading advocate for issues relating to homelessness and affordable housing. Her opponent has hit her hard on some of these issues.

Rivera says that she supports a moratorium on removing homeless encampments from private property. Haxhiaj says that she doesn’t support a moratorium but does support slowing down encampment sweeps while a more comprehensive support system is put in place.

Rivera also criticizes Haxhiaj for what he calls her plan to eliminate single-family zoning in the city. Haxhiaj says she has no such plan but says that she would support reforming zoning laws and would look at what might be done in single-family zones.

On the issue of police, Haxhiaj cites the Department of Justice investigation of the police department’s practices and patterns as proof that something is wrong. She’s hopeful that the DOJ provides the city with direction and she wants to follow the lead of those communities that she feels have been mistreated by the police. She also wants to see higher professional standards and training for officers dealing with people in crisis.

Haxhiaj thinks that city councilors, especially the district councilors, need additional staff to respond to what she considers a full-time workload. She’s also willing to explore having the council hire its own lawyer.

Since Eric Batista has become city manager, Haxhiaj seems to have become more vocal. While she says that the manager has done a good job in some areas, she’s hoping for improvement in the way in which the police interact with the community. She’s also looking for improvement and creativity in how new development is handled and she wants to see better communication relative to infrastructure projects.

José Rivera

Rivera criticizes Haxhiaj for her focus on broader policy issues outside of the district and describes his candidacy as more focused on constituent services — things like fixing sidewalks and streets. He is also focused on the need for safer streets in the district, advocating for more enforcement and traffic-calming measures.

Along those lines, Rivera is highly critical of the lack of neighborhood input into infrastructure projects and cites the work done on Mill Street as an example. On that matter Rivera filed a petition with the City Council that he says forced the city to give residents an opportunity to be heard.

Regarding the long-vacant Big D property on Mill Street, Rivera says that it’s time for the city to play hardball with the owner and put the issue of eminent domain on the table.

Rivera acknowledges that there have been some issues relative to the police department but overall he is supportive. Unlike Haxhiaj, he does not support the creation of a civilian review board, saying that recent changes at both the state and city level are sufficient.

Relative to the city manager, Rivera thinks that Batista is doing a good job overall and would extend his contract.

And unlike Haxhiaj, who supports an ordinance targeted at what some consider deceptive advertising practices at crisis pregnancy centers, Rivera opposes the ordinance because the city attorney has said that it would open the city up to legal claims. Rivera supports action at the state level.

My choice

This is a tough call for me. While I admire Haxhiaj’s passion for the issues that she cares about, I also think in some instances — like reviewing single-family zoning and homeless encampment sweeps — she goes too far. And I think her position relative to hiring additional council staff and a separate lawyer are way out of bounds.

Nevertheless, Haxhiaj has proven to be a strong voice on the council for those in need.

On a baseball team you really don’t need that many second basemen. You want players who have different skills who can make up a balanced team. In much the same way, the City Council doesn’t need too many Etel Haxhiajs. But having a few helps set the council agenda and pushes the City Council to consider solutions they might otherwise ignore.

José Rivera is a good man. He’s offered himself and his candidacy as a reasonable alternative. Unfortunately, his agenda of issues is rather thin. On a City Council that’s often sound asleep, that’s a real problem. Worcester needs councilors who raise issues and push the city administration to do more.

Further, Rivera sees his job more as handling constituent complaints and less about setting city policy. It’s something he feels the incumbent has spent too much time focusing on. I think he’s wrong. A good councilor needs to do both equally well.

For these reasons, I think that Etel Haxhiaj is the best choice in District 5.

More: Ray Mariano: District 1 City Council race, school cellphone policy

Email Raymond V. Mariano at rmariano.telegram@gmail.com. He served four terms as mayor of Worcester and previously served on the City Council and School Committee. He grew up in Great Brook Valley and holds degrees from Worcester State College and Clark University. He was most recently executive director of the Worcester Housing Authority. His column appears weekly in the Sunday Telegram. His endorsements do not necessarily reflect the position of the Telegram & Gazette.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Ray Mariano column on District 5 Worcester City Council seat